Travel Tales
Got a self-made video from a European trip that you'd like more people to see? Is it already posted on YouTube? Send your introduction and a link to stories@ricksteves.com. We can't promise we'll feature it, but you might get lucky!
Rachel's seven-month journey across Europe...in three minutes
When my boyfriend and I set out on a seven-month backpacking trip through Western and Eastern Europe, we were fairly daunted by the task of covering 25 countries on our own.
As we started researching, we gravitated to Rick's guidebooks. We think Rick offers the best, most personal approach to getting to know the real Europe. Not only does he provide practical, well-organized information on logistics, but he shares ideas and opinions on how to go about getting that true slice of authentic European life.
Over the course of our travels, we found ourselves eating stuffed cabbage with the locals at a Polish milkbar in Krakow, enjoying an afternoon at an Austrian wine garden on the outskirts of Vienna, and sleeping soundly at a seminary in Tuscany. At a little pension in Florence, we even stayed in the same room that Rick had — Marcella (the owner and our temporary Italian grandmother) referred to us as her "bambinos" during our week's stay.
Our "Wanders in Europe" video is a testament to the " through the back door" philosophy — spending less, experiencing more, getting up close and personal. As we made our way from Portugal to Turkey, the Netherlands to Sicily, and everywhere in between, we can't imagine having traveled through Europe any other way!
— Rachel (still on the road)
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