Please sign in to post.

Plan Rick’s Next Season!

Hi All,

I hope everyone is staying safe, sane and healthy through all this. I know many of us have had to cancel or defer our plans for travel this year. I myself was scheduled to go back to Vienna and Poland and had to cancel this trip.

One way I’ve dealt with this disappointment have been rewatching some of my favorite Rick Steves videos, vicariously experiencing the sights, sounds and tastes of Europe and dreaming about future trips. I doubt I am alone in doing this. But some of the videos - well, they are quite old. Some places deserve a revisit. And some of my favorite places are not given enough time, or ignored completely.

So let’s help Rick out! When he gets back to Europe with the rest of us, what places do you want covered in the next season of Rick Steves Europe? What shows or specials do YOU want to see? I thought this might be a fun way to think about Europe, even if we can’t go there physically.

I’ll start. I want more Poland videos. As it stands now, there is one show, covering Krakow, Auschwitz and Warsaw, and it is from 2004! Poland has changed so much in the last 16 years and deserves an updated show. Krakow and Warsaw each have enough to warrant their own episodes, as does Gdansk. I’d love to see the Bialowieza Forest covered, perhaps in an episode about eastern Poland? Which could also include Lublin, Zamosc and other smaller cities and towns?

Your turn!

Posted by
166 posts

Agree about Poland! We have a Central Europe fantasy trip I've been planning, and it starts in Krakow. Hoping for fall of 2021. Go team!

Posted by
3874 posts

In light of Rick's new Best of Poland Tour, I think more episodes on Poland makes great business sense. Perhaps a dedicated Poland RS Guide Book is in order too?

Posted by
4540 posts

Hi Carlos - there is a new (2019) Snapshot Guide available that covers Kraków, Warsaw & Gdansk, plus Malbork Castle and Toruń. A new edition is due out in July, 2021.

Posted by
13809 posts

I’ll suggest Brittany! So many interesting sights there.

I did a wonderful 2-week Road Scholar tour of Brittany and Normandy in 2017 and I wish Rick would offer an itinerary similar to that one as well as covering the area in one of his shows.

Posted by
7280 posts

A modernized packing and travel essentials tutorial. Maybe he can discuss spinner vs. other wheeled luggage, vs. good-old wheeless bag with backpack straps? And new, quick dry underwear. And less need now for voltage converters. Then go over “essential” electronic gear that some can't live without for 2 or 3 weeks, for those of us still living in the horse-and-buggy travel age?

Am I the only one who answers, “I don’t travel with one!” when the TSA people ask me for the second time if I’ve removed my laptop from my suitcase?

Posted by
1443 posts

I think a good idea for a show is to have Rick show how to solve a variety of serious travel problems that can come up in Europe. Say you lose your passport; Rick would walk the viewer through the process of recovery. Other serious problems might include how to deal with a health issue, getting arrested (how to get a lawyer, etc),, Think of it as a next level travel skills episode.

Posted by
739 posts

This will be unpopular but I think the following is the best bet,
While stuck in the US he could cover the luggage and packing issues. Mostly as online video content. As that is something that someone will look up. It does not need to be out on PBS or what have you. When you need it you will find it.

As for what to do for his shows. I think he should do a whirlwind best of Europe hitting the big tourist locations again. Say what you will but he does not need to sell the average person on this forum on travel. We are basically the choir. The thing is many people are going to be put off travel after this. And those are the folks that need to be reminded of how fun and wonderful travel to Europe can be. And while I would watch a show on Poland. Your average Joe traveler is not going to Poland for their first or even second trip.
To get them to stop and watch a travel show much less consider returning to travel vacations you need to go to the big common tourist attraction.
London. Paris, Rome. One episode each.
Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany one episode each.
Show that Europe is open and save for traveling again. Show what has changed (you know some things will be different) And it has been a while sense he has covered these locations.
Over the years Ricks shows have moved on to a firm of specialized travel in that they have gone into more detail of relativity less traveled areas and that was fine. He had his older shows you could watch on the common locations and really how much does the Eiffel Tower change? But we are going to see a bit of pre virus and post virus mentality going forward. It won’t be long before people think of anything pre virus as old and out of date. Much like other significant historical points such as pre and list war (WW2) And things are going to change in travel. I expect security and worries about health as well as just economics will cause changes to how to best visit these popular locations. For example I would not be surprised if some places force you to get online reservations for spicific times vs the thousand person lines.
So it will be a combination of changes that come about in post virus travel and just needing yo appeal to the largest number of people and convince them to return to travel that will be best served by returning to to more standard first time tourist destinations for the first season of post virus shows.

Posted by
1077 posts

I would like to see Rick do TV shows that included:
1) Malta
2) Sardinia & Corsica
3) Morocco
4) Andorra

Posted by
763 posts

I'd also vote for Poland, and a guidebook. Other recommendations would be Albania, expanded Madeira and Azores coverage, and the micro-states of Andorra, San Marino, Malta, and Liechtenstein. I think he's in good shape with Monaco and Vatican City.

Posted by
6266 posts

Cyn, my husband uses an old laptop case as his "personal item." No laptop, just the case. I always know what line he's in at security, because I listen for the officials shouting "Sir! Please remove the laptop from the case! Sir!"

Posted by
316 posts

I would love to see shows on Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. Also more on Bulgaria and Romania. Maybe a few on Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania. Sounds like lots of work for Cameron Hewitt!!
Kaye

Posted by
106 posts

I agree with Douglas that Rick should film new episodes on Europe's top cities (London, Rome, Paris) in order to encourage travel in the post-COVID world. Besides, those cities are so culturally rich that there are aways more sites, food and history to cover.

To be honest, I found the recent seasons of his show to be a bit repetitive at times; it seems like he visits a mine and sheep farm in every town. I acknowledge that those are significant industries in many places... but that doesn't necessarily make for the most interesting television. Personal opinion of course!

Posted by
1321 posts

I’d like to see him cover the north of England. He’s done York and a tiny bit of Liverpool to my recollection.

I know Rick really likes Ye Olde Cute and Quaint and the Industrial Revolution cities don’t often fit that bill. But, they’re a great way to experience the U.K. without the wallet shredding prices of London. And, it’s a way to see more of the U.K. besides just Bath and the Cotswolds!

Posted by
4256 posts

Cyn, I don't travel with a laptop because my husband is usually with me and has both tablet and laptop. I just prefer my computer-in-my-pocket-my phone or my Precious for you LOTR fans.

I would like to see some less-visited sites in the London area-for those of us who feel compelled to go there every year(except 2020).
I haven't watched all his videos of England so maybe he's already done these, but also Wells, Chester, Winchester. Birmingham and Manchester-because people have to go to some of these places to see relatives or do business and would like to know what there is to see. And yes to Albania.
Rick would never do this, but he'd get lots of viewers for "Cats of Europe". After all, cats do rule the internet, especially now that they can go to Zoom meetings. The other executives in my husband's company greet one of ours by name now.

Posted by
2252 posts

Yes, please....Poland. I have taken my grandchildren on a RS tour for a graduation gift and the one for next year has just told me she would like to go on the Poland tour. I have been but briefly and need to know more so I can look "smart"! Easy for the last two-Paris........

Posted by
4138 posts

I've thought for several years that many of the videos are far past their pull date. And I've wondered about the reasons for the lack of updating. So I totally agree with those who've mentioned the need for new programs about the standard destinations.

I like to see the proof of seemingly obvious assumptions. I'd love a few programs that actually show the differences between traveling to X during high season, shoulder season and low season there.

These could be special programs or the information could be a part of a more general one. The key would be a few words and good pictures.

I'd hope they'd include coverage of the trade offs among concerns like transportation, crowd sizes, weather, and museum open hours, as well as lodging and restaurant availability.

Posted by
739 posts

You do realize that RS’s program is a television show? That means you want to attract fans. And contrary to much of the recent Hollywood Work that means making what the majority of the audience wants to see.
And while many of the folks on here are very familiar with Europe and probably want to see something different that is not what the majority of the potential audiences probably wants to see.
Add in that he and Europe will probably need to reinforce/get back much of the old travel audiences and find new folks as well that means he needs to cater to the largest possible number of folks and no go into extream niche areas that will by their vary nature appeal to less folks.
As much as you may want to see a show about some obscure Balkans village a show on Paris or Rome will attract a LOT more potential interest.
Also as point out much of the older cover of these areas is showing its age and odds are a LOT of things will change in subtle and not so subtle ways. I could easily see new requirements to enter a lot of places. And it is to attract interest and to update how things are post Virus that means we need to revisit the most popular locations
Simple logic says that the most visited locations are the most popular and the most popular locations logically bring in the biggest potential audiences they are after all the moist popular places.

Posted by
1321 posts

Thought of something else last night. I agree with the above suggestions about brand new videos for the major cities, updated for 2020 and beyond. Drop the trips to a local farm or vineyard. Realistically most of us aren’t going over to shear sheep or make our own wine. I know the local guides are often part of Rick’s tours, but again, I think those segments often distract from the TV shows. For an independent traveler or two, that gets cost prohibitive real quick, especially for those with just a causal interest in a city or attraction.

And yes @Lo, I think it would be great for Rick to talk about high and low seasons. How often do we get questions from people who plan to visit a scenic location in the off season and we try to discourage them? Sometimes almost everything is shut down, and most of Europe is at Canadian latitudes so those very short days can really cut into your sightseeing. At least in large cities, museums and the arts don’t depend on daylight or weather.

Posted by
2942 posts

Scotland, please. Rick doesn't seem like the type to retire until he can physically and mentally not do it any longer. L

Agree with Liverpool (Here we go with the Beatles again) and northern England. Wales, too.

Also, crowds have become a much bigger factor over the past decade, so an update as to best times to visit or avoid a site would be welcome. I think Asians in particular have enjoyed their new prosperity and travel opportunities. Yay, I guess.

And more great sites off the tourist path, at least for now.