April 5th Travel Festival: Schedule of Free Classes
On Saturday, April 5th, our top travel teachers will give ten lively slideshow lectures on their favorite travel destinations — including three classes by Rick Steves — packed with his latest European travel tips, insights and discoveries. Reservations are required for all classes, which will be in downtown Edmonds, WA. We look forward to seeing you on April 5th. Happy travels!
- Special Travel Center Hours: Saturday, April 5th, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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Directions and map to class venues
Eating and Sleeping in Edmonds
European Travel Skills with Rick Steves
Time: 9-11:30 a.m. • Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
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For 30 years, Rick Steves and his staff have been taking careful notes so you can learn from their mistakes rather than your own. We'll teach you the secrets of safe, smart, inexpensive travel — low on stress and high on fun. You'll learn how to plan an efficient itinerary, pack light, and find Europe's off-beat nooks and intimate crannies. You'll maximize adventure and minimize crowds, eat and sleep comfortably on less than $100 per day, choose great budget hotels, and navigate Europe's excellent rail system with ease. Forget about expensive vacations in big American-style hotels. We'll teach you how to experience the real Europe...through the back door! In this lively slideshow lecture, Rick covers:
- Planning an efficient itinerary and packing light
- Finding off-beat nooks and crannies in Europe
- Maximizing adventure and minimizing crowds
- Eating and sleeping well on less than $100 a day
- Choosing a good budget hotel — without reservations
- Hurdling the language barrier
- Avoiding theft
- And more!
Rail Travel Skills with Laura Terrenzio
Time: 9-10:30 a.m. • Location: Edmonds Theater
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Can't make heads or tails of railpass options and train schedules? Our experts from America's busiest rail department will teach all you need to know about European trains. We'll help you figure out which railpass is best for you, and cover sleeping on night trains, reading timetables, reserving seats, paying for supplements, and more.
Great Britain with Lisa Friend
Time: 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. • Location: Edmonds Theater
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From Big Ben to bagpipes, Great Britain features some of Europe's best scenery, top museums, quaintest villages, and friendliest locals — all without a language barrier. We'll visit Bath, Cotswold villages, Wales, the Lakes District, Edinburgh, Hadrian's Wall, and York. In London we'll visit some of the world's best museums, theaters and pubs.
Packing Light & Right with Joan Robinson
Time: 12-1:30 p.m. • Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
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You'll learn now or you'll learn later: The first step to a great trip is packing light — don't weigh yourself down! You can travel for months with one carry-on size bag and still have everything you need for a great trip. We'll distribute packing lists, show off the latest in lightweight luggage, and demonstrate a professionally packed bag.
Scandinavia with Rick Steves
Time: 12:30-2 p.m. • Location: Edmonds Theater
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Europe's Nordic countries offer a full plate of travel thrills and experiences. Stately Stockholm with its ruddy old town; outdoorsy Oslo with its fjord setting and towering ski jump; in-love-with-life Copenhagen complete with tattoos, hippie community, and once-upon-a-time super-power trappings; surprising Helsinki where Russian orthodox and Lutheran cathedrals share a skyline while locals pack steamy saunas; and a quick jetboat sidetrip to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, are the big city thrills. And each of those provides a springboard into small town and rural delights.
France with Steve Smith
Time: 2-4 p.m. • Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
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It should be no surprise that France is the world's most-visited country. We'll lead you through the battlefields and rugged coastline of Normandy and Brittany, and the vineyards and chateaux of the Loire Valley and Burgundy. Then we head south to Provence and the glamorous Riviera before topping it all off in romantic, historic Paris.
Eastern Europe with Cameron Hewitt
Time: 2:30-4 p.m. • Location: Edmonds Theater
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Together we'll travel through Eastern Europe's six most accessible and enjoyable countries: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. Along the way, we'll stop off in bohemian Prague, charming Krakow, bustling Budapest, Slovenia's enchanting Julian Alps, and the Adriatic escape of Dubrovnik.
Italy with Rick Steves
Time: 4:30-6:30 p.m. • Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
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You'll almost be able to smell the linguini and taste the vino rosso as we explore enchanting Italy. The north is home to cosmopolitan Milan, time-tripping Venice, serene lakes, and the Alpine Dolomites. In central Italy we'll visit the Renaissance capital of Florence and the quaint hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. On the Italian Riviera, the Cinque Terre's rocky coastlines and tiny villages are the epitome of picturesque. We'll wrap things up with amazing Rome and the dramatic Amalfi Coast.
Ireland with Pat O'Connor
Time: 4:30-6 p.m. • Location: Edmonds Theater
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Join us for a slideshow romp through the unique Irish landscape! We'll get a glimpse of Ireland's fascinating history and meet the friendly people of this charming country. Our travels will take us through both the Republic and Northern Ireland, including Dublin, Waterford, the Aran Islands, Dingle Peninsula, Belfast, Derry, and the Giant's Causeway.
Travel as a Political Act with Rick Steves
Time: 7:30-9 p.m. • Location: Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
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After spending a hundred days a year in Europe for the last 25 years, Rick believes that thoughtful travel — which "challenges truths we were raised to think were self-evident and God-given" — shapes our world view and therefore shapes how we address the challenges confronting our nation politically. His lessons help millions of Americans not only enjoy maximum travel thrills per mile, minute and euro...but become better citizens of our planet. Rick will share how the other 96 percent of humanity sees our nation and explore how his social activism grows naturally out of his travel experiences.