Rick posted a new video!

I just watched it. Thanks, Adrienne. :)

.....care to share the topic? Some people are link shy.

It's called "Rick Steves’ European Travel Tips and Tricks" and it's one hour and eight minutes.

Thank you.

I had to laugh when he claimed Vernazza was a "back door". Last year, in May, it was wall to wall people.

Many of Rick's former "back doors" get more business than they deserve simply because he lists them. When you go there, it's a crowd of people carrying his blue books. Vernazza is nice, but I wouldn't consider it a top destination.

I enjoyed the video. Some of his information could be updated.

One area is his use of ATM's. Once upon a time, all banks charged big fees and you could save money by taking fewer, larger withdrawals. Now it's easy to find a bank that charges one percent so there's no advantage to carrying a lot of extra cash (money belt or otherwise). He demonstrates taking 50 euro notes. You're going to get frowned at handing a 50 to someone for a small purchase. I'd rather find an ATM that allows you to choose denominations and take no larger than 20's (tens would be even better).

Another is packing light. I know he's preaching to an American travel aidience who are used to packing much heavier. I groan, however, imagining packing as heavy as he recommends. I pack considerably less than half that and still feel I pack more than I need.

This particular video is pretty much a re-make of other information he has stated in previous videos, but I still watched it. There wasn't much new info, though. It's good to know this about the ATMs. ("it's easy to find a bank that charges one percent so there's no advantage to carrying a lot of extra cash"). I really feel that he still isn't thinking about travelers who are unlike him, though. I will be travelling with two teenage daughters, so I have to be prepared with a lot of pads and tampons, which take up space. As a nurse, I am familiar with things that people live with now, like home CPAP machines, oodles of medications, small volume nebulizers, etc. Rick is blessed to be healthy, and so he seems to present information in a biased way because of his life experiences. I really like him (I think he's a cutie patootie), but it seems like he sometimes forgets that others are very different. Case in point - in this video, he encouraged everyone to at least try one snail. I understand his point, which is to try new things, but he temporarily forgot that vegetarians would definitely not want to eat a snail.

Some things are good but I'm afraid I can't agree with him when he says to fly rather than go by train if it's cheaper. While flying may be cheaper, getting to and from the airport into the city, going through security, waiting for a flight and sitting in a tin can for an hour or so can tip the cost/benefit ratio to train travel. For me I'd rather pay a bit more and have the fun of riding a high speed train and being able to get up and walk around. Not to mention the air pollution from all the planes.

Unfortunately, I think Rick is at another point in his life where I'm not, with regards to cruising, etc. I still love the forum-even the political talk. Hopefully, there's another young travel guru on the horizon for the next generation.

Love these talks! And it’s just smart to keep them on my watchlist for when I need them.

Heather, as his son is/was running GAP year tours, maybe he is training to fill dad's shoes. I remember when Pauline Frommer joined the pack and liked her budget travel books over the traditional Frommers. She seems to have been absorbed into the mainstream, however.

Yes the "back doors" are now the "front doors". Apparently, there is a video of a small boy eyeing the hordes all with the RS guidebooks, and turning to his dad, he says "This man must BE STOPPED".

On our first trip to Europe with our kids in 2011, we titled our travel blog "In Rick Steves we trust". I still do!

Thanks for the link. PBS is airing it as part of their bimonthly beg-a-thons so seeing it on Youtube is much appreciated. :-)