Steves has an earnest optimism which borders on dorky*, but he also has an incredibly sophisticated outlook on travel. Don't let his very American accent and clothing fool you - Steves knows his stuff. His travel philosophy is to avoid tourist traps and find ways to connect with locals and their culture. His guidebooks, including the excellent starter guide "Europe Through the Back Door," are aimed at helping American travelers to get to know the real Europe. Each book has a conversational and user-friendly tone, while still providing background on the history and culture of the country. He's a great communicator as well as a great source of knowledge. Rick Steves is to European travel what Roger Ebert was to movies - a bridge between ordinary people and an extraordinary, sophisticated experience. If there is any weakness in Steves' guidebooks it's that they are not as exhaustive as other guidebooks. He picks and chooses what he believes to be the best attractions, hotels and restaurants based on years of annual research, and writes more about fewer things. If you're looking for a guidebook with everything in it, he's not your man. But then, if you're looking for everything, that's what the internet is for, isn't it?
Steves also views travel as a political and socially conscious act, which led to him producing a recent travel special on Iran. In the intro to his Iran special he says he's there to "learn, understand, and make some friends." Steves seems able to make friends anywhere, precisely because he keeps an open mind and reaches out across cultures. The Iran video educated me quite a bit about the culture, and though I already had a pretty open mind, it opened my mind further. This video offers a window into the lives of regular people who seem genuinely happy to interact with an American and depicts places of great beauty and historical interest. For me, it actually sparked an interest in visiting Iran someday! Watch for yourself here:
In addition to his interest in socially conscious travel, Steves is also an advocate for legalized marijuana, as well as a philanthropist. Among other things, he donated money to create transitional housing for the homeless in his home state of Washington. Steves is an all-around good guy, the kind of person whose business you feel happy to support.
And Steves is very much a businessman. Steves' company sells its own luggage and travel accessories as well as the travel guidebooks and Rick Steves tours. Last year I bought one of his specially designed travel bags in the first flush of my Europe enthusiasm, when I thought I'd be leaving this year. Steves believes in packing very light, and I'm looking forward to the challenge of fitting 3-4 weeks of clothing and necessities into Steves' compact carry-on bag. I've never been a light packer, but I am convinced after reading the guidebooks and watching his videos that I will be very glad to have only a carry-on climbing up the hilly Parisian streets, or getting on and off trains between European cities, not to mention avoiding spending time at a baggage claim.
As mentioned, Steves also runs tours. While his tours sound like a lot of fun, for several reasons Lee and I will be going it alone. For one - we have some very specific destinations in mind already. Secondly, though Steves' tours seem reasonable, I still think we can go cheaper on our own. Finally, though I've heard some reports from vegetarians faring alright on his tours, I'm not sure how vegans would do. I'd much rather plan my own meals and take advantage of some of the great veg/vegan restaurants that are out there. Using Steves' guidebooks as one of our travel tools I am sure Lee and I will be able to plan out an itinerary which will suit us just as well, but for those who don't have a lot of time to spend planning or who are traveling solo, they seem like a good time.
If I've piqued your interest in Rick Steves, or if you just want to watch some great free programming about European countries/travel be sure to check out the many videos on Youtube and/or check out his site (with a travel forum, store and information about tours) and his blog, where he documents his research trips and other thoughts about Europe:
http://www.ricksteves.com/
http://blog.ricksteves.com/
I also strongly recommend buying "Europe Through the Back Door" or any of his travel guides. The wealth of information they provide in a very readable format is worth paying for, even in this age of endless free information. I look forward to devouring them the way I do a good novel, and his tips are definitely going to save me money, time and headaches as I head into the more serious planning phase at the start of next year.
*Of course I admire this greatly, being a dorky, earnest person myself.
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