Rick Steves

I'm really into “second cities” these days. For generations, Industrial Age powerhouses in Europe turned into what we would call “the rust belt,” while their elegant “first city” counterparts enjoyed...

Uppsala, Sweden’s fourth-largest city, is the best day-trip from Stockholm – it’s just under an hour away by train. This happy town is Sweden's answer to Oxford, offering stately university...

I can’t think of any two people more prominent in the minds of French citizens than the Virgin Mary and Emperor Napoleon. And they share an important date: August 15...

August is vacation time in Europe. Entire towns seem to shut down as locals head to seaside escapes, eager to enjoy unforgettable beaches and the culture that comes with them....

Still haunted by the legend of a vampire count and the legacy of a communist dictator, Romania is complex – with an epic history, a multifaceted ethnic mix, and an...

Europe is always changing – and Sicily’s capital, Palermo, is a fine example of this. For years, Palermo’s touristic reputation was tarnished by labels like gritty, run-down, polluted, traffic-clogged, crime...

While most first-time visitors to Europe choo-choose to travel by train, consider the convenience of driving. Behind the wheel you’re totally free, going where you want, when you want.

Helsinki and Tallinn are two great capitals in Northern Europe. Just 50 miles and a two-hour ferry ride apart, these two cities – facing each other across the Baltic Sea...