Helpful Links

Rick Steves' Helpful/Favorite Links

General Resources

• Google: The best Web search engine, and a good starting point for finding information on any topic (travel-related or otherwise)
• BBC: The best site for European news, from Britain's premier news agency; also try International Herald Tribune or European Times
• Rick Steves Graffiti Wall: Join our online message boards where travelers swap tips and tales
• Wikipedia: Exhaustive online encyclopedia edited by its users

Practicalities

• Countrycallingcodes.com: Instructions on how to dial any phone number in Europe (also see Howtocallabroad.com)
• Oanda.com: The best currency conversion tool on the Web
• Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory: Contact information for tourist offices throughout Europe
• US State Department: Foreign entry requirements (passports and visas), travel warnings, and more
• US Transportation Security Administration: The latest on rules and regulations for flights
• http://translation2.paralink.com: Helpful language translator; also try Yahoo Babelfish or Google Translate
• Weather.com: The latest weather predictions for anywhere in the world; also see Worldclimate.com
• What's On When: Dates and details on European festivals and cultural events; also see Time Out
• US Customs: What you can bring home from overseas
• Electronic Embassy: Lists foreign embassies in Washington, D.C.
• Travelguard: Short-term travel and medical insurance

Transportation

Air Travel

• Rick Steves' list of European budget airlines
• Skyscanner: Search engine for tracking down cheap flights within Europe
• Elizabeth Holmes: Personalized full-service travel agency
• Europe by Air: Budget flight passes to 150 cities
• Seat Guru: Guide to airline seating
• World Airport Guide: Arrival information for most of Europe's airports, including how to get into the city center
• Sleeping in Airports: Budget traveler's guide to the sleeping in airports

Buses and Metro Systems

• Eurolines: Europe's most extensive bus network
• Urban Rail: Metro info for major cities
• Bus Eireann: Ireland's national bus company
• National Express: Britain's largest coach company
• Citylink: Scotland's main bus company

Driving

• Auto Europe: Car rental
• Europe by Car: Car rental and leasing

Ferries and Boating

• A Ferry: Ferry connections throughout Europe; also try Your-A Guide to International Ferries
• Greek Ferries: Connections and schedules
• KD Line: Day trips on the Rhine River

Maps

• Via Michelin: Online maps for all of Europe, plus a reliable route planner with good estimates of time and distance for your journey; other good map sites include Google Maps, Maporama, Mappy, and Map 24

Rail

• Rick Steves' European Rail Guide: Helpful rail information
• Deutsche Bahn: German Rail timetable, ideal for checking train schedules for anywhere in Europe
• DB Navigator: Rail schedule app for mobile devices
• Rail Fan Europe: Links to every country's own national rail website
• Rick Steves' Chunnel information: Unbiased tips on crossing the Channel
• Eurostar: Information and online booking for the Eurostar
• The Man in Seat Sixty-One: Personal website on train travel, with detailed info on sleepers
• Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane: Rail schedules for Italy
• National Rail: Rail schedules in the UK

Accommodations

Camping

• Karmabum: Camping in Europe and other budget travel info

Castles, Villas, Farms, and Apartments

• Celtic Castles: Castle and manor accommodations in the UK
• Your Enchanted Italy: Villas and apartments throughout Italy; also try Italyvillas.com
• Agriturismo.com: Accommodations at over 550 farms throughout Italy
• Paradores de Tourismo: Luxurious, government-sponsored, historic inns in Spain
• Pousadas de Portugal: Elegant, government-sponsored, historic inns
• White Nights: Hotels and home stays in Russia; can also help with visas, tours, language classes, and Trans-Siberian Railroad tickets

Convents and Monasteries

• Santa Susanna: List of convents in Italy from the American Catholic Church
• Monastery Stays: Booking service for monasteries and convents in Italy

Home Exchanges & Home Stay Programs

• Servas: A non-profit home stay network
• Homeexchange.com: Home exchanges
• International Home Exchange Network : Home rentals and exchanges
• The Friendship Force: Network of hosts welcoming travelers
• Global Freeloaders: Travelers share their homes at no charge
• Couchsurfing Project: International network of free home stays

Hostels

• Hosteling International: HI's official website
• Hostel Bookers: Find hostels, B&Bs and budget hotels
• Hostels.com: Worldwide network of private hostels
• YMCA Europe: Inexpensive accommodation for YMCA members

Hotels

• For Rick's recommended hotels, see his latest travel guidebooks

Travel Savvy

Bookstores

• Rick's Travel Store: Rick Steves guidebooks and travel gear
• Moon: Excellent Moon guides to areas that Rick doesn't cover
• Lonely Planet: Guidebooks and forums
• Wide World Books: Seattle area travel bookstore

Email and Electronics

• Google Mail: Free web-accessible email account; also try Yahoo Mail or Hotmail
• Blogger: Free blog-hosting site
• Cybercaptive: Directory of cybercafes in more than 160 countries
• Roadnews: Tips for traveling with a laptop
• Voltage Valet: Electrical converters and transformers

Packing

• Rick's Packing Tips: Including Rick's Famous Packing List and our Women's Packing List
• OneBag: Another great site for learning how to pack light

Travel Forums

• Rick Steves Graffiti Wall: Share your best travel tips
• Rick Steves Travelers Helpline: Ask your travel question
• Independent Traveler: user-submitted travel reports and tips; also try Johnny Jet, Practical Nomad, Virtual Tourist, or Trip Advisor
• Travellers Point: Travel help, blog-hosting, find old travel buddies
• Eurotrip: Budget travel advice; also try Travelzine

Special Interest

Accessible Travel

• Mobility International: Resources for travelers with disabilities
• Access-able: Resource directory for disabled travelers; also try Emerging Horizons, Flying with Disability, and Gimp on the Go
• Wheelchair-Accessible Europe: Lists hotels in Europe offering wheelchair-accessible rooms
• Accessibleurope.com: Collection of European travel agents and tour operators who specialize in disabled travel
• Sagetraveling.com: Comprehensive Accessibility Information for the European Traveler

Backpacking

• Backpack Europe: Resources and tips for backpackers

Biking, Hiking, and Skiing

• Cicerone: Reliable guides for walkers, bikers, trekkers, and climbers
• Traildatabase: Links to hiking trails around the world
• Go Ski: Worldwide skiing information

Cooking Schools and Garden Tours

• Shaw Guides: Worldwide cooking school directory
• Gardenvisit.com: Worldwide garden tour directory

Family Travel

• Blog: DeliciousBaby: Debbie Dubrow shares her travel experiences and best travel advice on how to make travel with kids fun

Living Abroad

• Transitions Abroad: Living, working and studying overseas
• Escape Artist: Articles and forums on ex-pat life
• Vocalist: Busking (being a street musician) in Europe

Religious Travel

• Papal Audience: Tickets to see the Pope at the Vatican
• Santiago de Compostela: The Spanish pilgrimage route
• Sacred Destinations: Catalog of religious destinations worldwide

Seniors

• AARP Destinations: Travel guide for seniors and slow walkers
• Smarter Travel: Seniors on the Go column
• Road Scholar: Non-profit organization providing educational travel for those 55 and older

Students

• International Student Travel Confederation: Student and youth ID cards and resources
• STA Travel: Student and youth travel
• Council on International Education Exchange: Work and study abroad programs for students and teachers
• Semester at Sea: Study abroad on a ship
• IIE Passport: Study-abroad programs

Socially Responsible Travel

• Global Volunteers: Volunteer work overseas; also try Volunteers for Peace and Civil Service International

Tour Guides

• Greece: Faye Georgiou (fayegeorgiou@yahoo.gr) is the local guide for Rick Steves' tours in Athens
• Italy: Valeria Biasi, Rick Steves guide in Verona, operates aguideinverona.com
• Portugal: Cristina Quental, a local guide in Lisbon recommended in Rick Steves Portugal, operates lisbontourguides.com
• Spain: LeTango.com: Rick Steves guide Carlos Galvin leads private tours of his home city and area: Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, and Toledo
• Turkey: SRM Travel: Rick Steves Turkey guides Lale Surmen & Tankut Aran lead tours of their home country
• Turkey: Melitour: Mehlika Seval, a former Rick Steves Turkey guide, leads her own tours in Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia

Travel Journaling

• Globejotter Tours: Rick Steves tour guide Dave Fox leads small-group tours in Asia and Africa with a creative writing theme

Walking Tours

• Copenhagen: www.historytours.dk

Women's Travel

• Journeywoman: Travel advice for women