Rick Steves' Europe: Favorite Links

Celtic Castles Castle and manor accommodations in the UK.
Italian Villas: Over 600 villas and apartments throughout Italy.
In Italy: Accommodations and travel information.
Paradors in Spain: Luxurious, government-sponsored, historic inns in Spain.
Pousadas in Portugal: Elegant, government-sponsored, historic inns in Portugal.
White Nights: Hotels and home stays in Russia. Visas, tours, language classes, Trans-Siberian Railroad tickets and more!

Convents

Bed and Blessings: Guidebook of convent accommodations in Italy.
Santa Susanna: List of convents in Italy from the American Catholic Church.

Home Exchanges & Home Stay Programs

HomeExchange.com
International Home Exchange: Home rentals and exchanges.
Friendship Force: Network of hosts welcoming travelers.
Global Freeloaders: Travelers share their homes at no charge.
Servas: A non-profit home stay network.

Hostels Directories

Hostelz.com: Backpacker reviews of hostels worldwide.
Hostelling International: Hostelling International's official website.
Hostels.com: Private hostels worldwide.
Eurotrip Hostel Guide: Hostel reviews, tips for beginners.
Hostelworld.com: Hostel bookings, plus city guides and travel help.
Ostello Cinque Terre: Hostel in Italy's Cinque Terre.
YMCA's in Europe: Inexpensive accommodation for members

Accommodations Directories

Venere: Hotel directory for most of Europe.
Euroholiday: Hotel reservation service in Prague.
TravelInCzech: Cheap accommodations and tourist info for Prague.
Agriturismo.com: Accommodations at over 550 farms throughout Italy.
All the Hotels On the Web: A directory of more than 8,000 hotels.
Guest in Italy: Hotels and B&Bs, throughout Italy, plus sightseeing tours, art, history, and more.
My Hotel in Paris: Hotels in Paris, listed by price.
Visitus: Guide to more than 6,000 B&Bs in the United Kingdom.
Bed & Breakfast in Norway Directory
Octopus Travel: Online hotel reservations, discounted room prices.

Email, Blogs and Technology

Blogger: www.blogger.com
Hotmail: www.hotmail.com
RoadNews (Laptop Advice): www.roadnews.com
TeleAdapt: www.teleadapt.com
Yahoo! Mail: http://mail.yahoo.com
Cybercaptive: Directory of cybercafes in more than 160 countries.
Cybercafe Guide: Another worldwide cybercafe guide.
Euro Cyber Cafes: Hundreds of cybercafes throughout Europe.
Voltage Valet: Electrical converters and transformers.

Budget Advice and Resources

Backpack Europe: www.backpackeurope.com
Eurocheapo: www.eurocheapo.com
Eurotrip: www.eurotrip.com
Frommer's Budget Travel: www.frommers.com
Hostelling International: www.hihostels.com

Directories, Newsgroups, and Online Stores

Topica: http://lists.topica.com/search
Amazon: www.amazon.com
Books.com (Barnes & Noble): www.books.com
Google: www.google.com
Google Language Tools: www.google.com/language_tools
Yahoo! Travel: http://travel.yahoo.com
TravLang: Word of the day in more than 80 languages.
Babblefish and Babel Fish: Two free online translation sites; both include several European languages.
Seattle Language School
NW Language Academy

Entertainment

Culture Kiosque: www.culturekiosque.com
Events Worldwide: www.eventsworldwide.com
Whatsonwhen.com: www.whatsonwhen.com
Good Show: London theater and performance info, online booking.
Film Festivals: Covers all of Europe's major film fests.
Hay Festival of Literature: Annual book festival in Hay-on-Wye, Wales.
Roma Preview: Happenings in Rome.
London by Click: Virtual city guide to London.
Time Out: Current activities and events for European and US cities.
What's On Rome: English Language guide to events.

General European Travel

Europe for Visitors: www.europeforvisitors.com
The Independent Traveler: www.independenttraveler.com
Johnny Jet: www.johnnyjet.com
NetTravel.com: www.nettravel.com
Practical Nomad: www.hasbrouck.org
Rick Steves' Graffiti Wall: www.ricksteves.com/graffiti
Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory: www.towd.com
Trip Advisor: www.tripadvisor.com
Virtual Tourist: www.virtualtourist.com

Museums

London's National Gallery
Tate Galleries: Britain's family of four art galleries, two in London.
Althorp House: Princess Diana's birth and burial place.
The British Library
The Louvre: Paris's legendary museum.
The Orsay: France's best collection of Impressionist art.
Versailles: The Palace of Louis XIV.
Rijksmuseum: The best collection of works by Dutch Masters.
Van Gogh Museum
Anne Frank House
Uffizi Gallery: Florence's largest art museum.
Vatican Museum: Italian Renaissance pieces, including Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Madrid's Prado Museum
The Hermitage: Russia's leading art museum.

Country & City Information Sites

Amsterdam: Hip Guide to Amsterdam
The Baltics: The Baltics Worldwide, news and information about the Baltic states.
Capri: Capri Web, photos from the Isle of Capri and the Gulf of Naples.
Cinque Terre: Fishnet.it, information from ex-pat American tour guide.
Cinque Terre: 5Terre.com, guide to the Cinque Terre and La Spezia.
Copenhagen: Christiania, an alternative community.
France: France Keys, a private organization for tourist information.
Gimmelwald: Our favorite back door village in the Swiss Alps, Gimmelwald.
Great Britain: Travel Britain, a site for Americans traveling to Britain.
Greece: Matt Barrett's Travel Guide to Greece
Lisbon: Tourist Information in Portugal's capital city.
London: This is London, the "Evening Standard" newspaper's culture listings. Includes news and entertainment, city maps, a kids' guide, and more.
Moscow: Moscow Guide: Moscow government's official tourist site.
Northern Ireland: CAIN: The Northern Ireland Conflict
Norway: Telemarkskanalen, tourist Information for Norway's Telemark region.
Norway: Kystriksveien, The Coastal Route
Russia: Friends and Partners, the US-Russian cultural and business exchange.
Russia: Svezhy Veter, a private company offering travel info, home stays, visa support.
Russia and the Baltics: In Your Pocket, guides to Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, Kaliningrad, and Minsk.
Spain: Cyberspain, more info on Spanish culture and tradition.
Spain: Costa del Sol: Tourist Information for Spain's southern coast.
Turkey: Cappadocia, the story of central Turkey's legendary "fairy chimneys."
Venice: Venicescapes, a non-profit cultural association offers tours of Venice.

Passports and Customs

Passport Services and Information: How to apply for a US passport.
Foreign Entry Requirements: Visa requirements for Americans.
U.S. Customs: What you can bring home from your vacation.
U.S. State Department: Official US Travel Advisories
British Foreign Office: A different perspective on "travel advisories."
The Electronic Embassy: Lists foreign embassies in Washington, D.C.

Packing

Rick's Packing Tips: Including Rick's Famous Packing List
Travelite FAQ: Learn how to travel with just one carry-on.
One Bag: Another great site for learning how to pack light.

Tours

D-Day Battle Tours: Informative, flexible and memorable tours of WWII D-Day battlefields in France
Spain: LeTango.com: ETBD guide Carlos Galvin leads private tours of his home city and area: Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia and Toledo.
Great Britain: Brit Tours: Small tours with ETBD Britain guides Roy and Jodi Nicholls.
Turkey: SRM Travel: ETBD guides Lale Surmen & Tankut Aran lead tours of their home country: Turkey.
Turkey: Melitour: Mehlika Seval, a former ETBD Turkey guide, leads her own tours in Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia.
General: Specialty Travel Index: A directory of tour companies.
iexplore.com: Adventure tours across the globe.
Paris: Paris Walking Tours: Guided walking tours of Paris.
British Isles: Bespoke Highland Tours: Self-guided bike, walking and car tours in Scotland.
British Isles: Celtic Legend: Tours of Scotland.
Turkey: Turkish Hiking and Sailing: Active trips throughout Turkey.
London Walks: London's oldest established walking tour company.
Country Lanes: Bike tours in Britain's Cotswolds region.
Context Travel: Architectural tours in Rome.
Thailand and Bali: Imprint Tours: ETBD guide Reid Coen leads tours to Thailand and Bali.

Tourist Offices

Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory: Directory of tourist info offices.
Austrian Tourist Office: Ask for their"Austria Kit" with map. Fine hikes and City information.
Belgian National Tourist Office: Hotel and city guides; brochure for ABC lovers — antiques, beer and chocolates.
Visit Britain: Free maps of London and Britain. Regional information, garden tour map,and urban cultural activities brochures.
Bulgarian Tourist Web Guide
Croatian National Tourist Office: Free brochures and maps.
Czech National Tourist Office: Trip planning information for Prague and the Czech Republic.
Visit Denmark: Plan your travels for Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark.
Estonian Tourist Board
Finland: Sponsored by the Finland Tourist Board.
French Government Tourist Office: Travel tips and practical information for Paris and France.
German National Tourist Office: Maps, Rhine schedules, castles, biking, city and regional information.
Greek National Tourist Office: General how-to-booklet, maps of Athens and Greece, and plenty on the islands.
Hungarian National Tourist Office: "Routes to your Roots" booklet for those of Hungarian descent, Budapest Guide and horseback riding info.
Iceland (see Scandinavia below)
Tourism Ireland : Ireland map, events calendar, golfing, outdoor activities, and historic sights.
Italian Government Travel Office
Luxembourg National Tourist Office: Maps, events calendar, biking, hiking, and B&B's.
Malta Tourist Office
Monaco Government Tourist Bureau
Netherlands Board of Tourism: Great country map, events calendar and seasonal brochures.
Norwegian Tourist Board: Detailed information and brochures about travel in Norway.
Polish National Tourist Office: Warsaw and Kraków information, regional brochures and maps.
Portuguese National Tourist Office
Romanian National Tourist Office
Russian National Tourist Office
Scandinavia: Tourist, cultural, and business information for Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland.
Slovenian Tourist Office: "Welcome to Slovenia" brochure, map, information on various regions, hiking, biking, winter travel, and farm stays.
Spain: The Tourist Office of Spain's official website.
Visit Sweden: Sponsored by the Swedish Travel and Tourism Council.
My Switzerland: Comprehensive brochures, great maps and hiking material.
Russian Embassy: News, travel info, visa application forms.
Republic of Turkey Homepage: News from the Turkish Embassy.
Tour Egypt: The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism.
Israel Ministry of Tourism: Request the general "All You Ever Wanted to Know About Israel" packet.
Moroccan National Tourist Office: Good country map. Information on cities and regions.

Articles and Planning Sites

Backpack Europe: Great tips for planning a backpacking trip.
The Travelzine.com: Itinerary planning, packing tips.
Yahoo Travel Directory: Specialized travel search engine.
Guide for Europe: Tips and resources for budget European travel.
Travellers Point: Travel help, online diary, find old travel buddies.
Europe for Visitors: European travel articles, photos and links.

Publications

Rick Steves: Visit Rick's guidebook library.
Moon Publishing: Excellent guides to areas that Rick does not cover.
"How to See the World: The Art of European and World Travel Backpacking": An online 25-chapter travel book.
WorldHum.com: Online literary travel magazine.
Far and Near: Online travel magazine about world travel.
Transitions Abroad: Working, studying and living overseas.
Big World: Down-to-earth world travel on a budget.
Outpost: A forum for world culture.
The Connected Traveler: Travel tales.
National Geographic Traveler: Worldwide travel from National Geographic.
AJR Newslink: Links to newspapers all over the world.
New York Times Travel Section
Distant Lands Travelers' Bookstore: Pasadena, CA.
Book Passage: Corte Madera, CA.
Globe Corner Books: Boston, MA.
Wide World Books & Maps: Seattle, WA.
The Well: Perth, Australia.

Health and Safety

Centers for Disease Control: Travel Health Advisories.
U.S. State Department Travel Warnings & Consular Information Sheets
Travel Health Online: Country health summaries and travel medicine providers worldwide.
Highway to Health: Commercial site: Medical assistance to overseas travelers. Hospital and pharmacy locations, drug translation index.
Global Travel Insurance
travelersmed.com: Short-term travel medical insurance.

News, Money, and Weather

BBC News Europe: http://news.bbc.co.uk/europe
Europeantimes.com: www.europeantimes.com
PublicRadioFan.com: www.publicradiofan.com/statsearch.html
Newslink: www.newslink.org
OANDA Currency Converter: www.oanda.com/channels/traveler/
Weather.com: www.weather.com
Weatherbase: www.weatherbase.com
WorldClimate: Average weather conditions for thousands of locations.
European Weather: Five-day forecasts from CNN.com.
Value Added Tax: Refund information from Michigan State University.

Special Interest

Family Adventure Travel: www.familyadventuretravel.com
Garden Visit Guide: www.gardenvisit.com
Guide to Cooking Schools: http://cookforfun.shawguides.com
ISTC (Student Travel): www.istc.org
Journeywoman: www.journeywoman.com
STA (Student and Youth) Travel: www.statravel.com
Wired Seniors: www.wiredseniors.com

Accessible Travel

Accessible Journeys: Tours and travel information for the disabled.
Everybody's Hotel Directory: Emphasis on disabled travelers in the UK.
TripsInc.: Travel outings for people with developmental disabilities.
Mobility International USA: Resources for travelers with disabilities.
Accessible Rotterdam: A guide to accessibility.

Artistic Endeavors

Adventures Great and Small: Resources for travel writers.
Photo Secrets: Travel guide books for photographers.
BetterPhoto.com: Online digital photo classes and resources.

Biking and Hiking

Cycle Austria: A guide to cycling in Austria and beyond.
The Green Travel Network: Environmentally sound travel worldwide.
Alpine Huts: Mountain "refuges" stretching from Spain to Italy.
Cicerone Guidebooks: Reliable guides for the adventurous traveler.
The Trail Database: Links to hiking trails around the world.

Cooking

Shaw Guides: Cooking and other Special Interest Search Engine.
Wine Safari: Guided wine tastings through southern Rhone valley villages in France.

Living Abroad

Transitions Abroad: Living, working and studying overseas.
Escape Artist: Articles and forums on "ex-pat" life.

Music

Busking in Europe: The ins and outs of street music in Europe.

Personal Websites

Andy Steves' Travel Blog: The Story of Andy Steves and Alex Matteson: Two high school graduates on their own for 45 days in Europe.
Lucifester: Travel tales, photos and more from ETBD's own Art Director extraordinaire Rhonda Pelikan.
The World is Not Flat: Follow and share your travel experiences with a Seattle couple on their "around-the-world in 2006" trip.
Written Road: The inside scoop to Jen Leo's travel publishing world.
davethefox.com: Travel writing and humor from our former web editor and current ETBD guide, Dave Fox.
A Personal Italian Photo Journal
Great Castles: Ron Lyons compiles loads of info on Europe's castles.
Sabbatical 2001: Travel Journal of Rochelle Elkan and Michael Potts.
French Bike Tour: Bob Parry and friends document their bike trips.
Where was Charles: A Backpacking Europe Photo Journal by Charles Le
Pack Your Bags: The travel pages of W.A. and Brenda Robison.
Bob and Sue's Excellent European Adventure: Online travel journal.
Worldwide Wanderings: Online travel journal.
Best of Italy Tour 1999: Back Door tour members' personal account of their 1999 Best of Italy tour.
Hari & Eric's Europe Trip Summer 2002
Jean C. White: Watercolors of her travels through Europe.
Kathleen Citrolo Gwinnett's Watercolors: Italian landscapes.
Rick Steves' Tour Alumni Scrapbooks: Lots more links to our tour members' websites.

Religious

Papal Audience: Tickets to see the Pope at the Vatican.
Red Juderias: History of the Spanish Jewish communities.
Santiago de Compostela: The Spanish pilgrimage route.

Seniors

Elderhostel: Non-profit organization providing educational travel for those 55 and older.
Senior Travel Tips: from the US State Department.

Skiing

GoSki: Worldwide skiing information.

Students

CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange.
ISIC: Student and Youth ID cards.
Semester at Sea: Study abroad on a cruise around the world.
IIE Passport: Study abroad programs.

Volunteer Opportunities

Global Volunteers: Volunteer work overseas.
SCI International Voluntary Service: Volunteer work overseas.
Volunteers for Peace
La Sabranenque: Medieval restoration in Provence.

Women's Travel

WanderWoman: Women's travel guide with planning, tips, resources.
Journeywoman: Travel advice for women.
Women Travelers: Travel tips for women.

Transportation and Maps

AA Roadwatch: www.aaroadwatch.ie
A Ferry: www.aferry.to
Auto Europe: www.autoeurope.com
Budget Travel (Europe Transport): www.budgettravel.com/eurotran.htm
Deutsche Bahn Trains: Tips for using this site
Eurolines Bus: www.eurolines.com
Europe by Car: www.europebycar.com
European Railway Server: www.railfaneurope.net
Motoeuropa (Motor Travel): www.ideamerge.com/motoeuropa
Subway Navigator: www.subwaynavigator.com
Map24: www.uk.map24.com
Maporama: www.maporama.com
Michelin: www.viamichelin.com

Rail Information and Train Schedules

Rick Steves' European Rail Guide: Helpful rail information.
Deutsche Bahn: Train timetables for all of Europe.
National Rail: Rail schedules in the UK.
Mercurio: Links to individual European national rail websites.
ETBD's Chunnel page: Unbiased information on crossing the Channel.
Eurostar Chunnel: Information and online booking from Eurostar.com.
Seat61: Personal website on train travel. Detailed info on Sleepers.
Italian Railways Timetables: Train, bus and ferry schedules for Italy.

Driving

Michelin Route Planner: Driving directions throughout Europe.
Maporama: City maps and driving directions.
European Car Rentals: ETBD's advice on renting a car in Europe.
Auto Europe: Online reservations and leasing throughout Europe.
Europe by Car: Car rental and leasing throughout Europe.
Motoeuropa: Car rental tips and rideshare boards.
Road Trip Europe: Book about European travel by camper van.

Buses and Metros

Eurolines: Bus travel to 500 cities in 25 European countries.
Bus Eierann: Ireland's national bus company.
National Express: Schedules for Britain's largest coach company.
Scottish City Link: Coach service to 200 destinations in Scotland.
Metros in Europe: Metro plans for each city.

Ferries and Boating

Ferries in Greece: Connections and schedules for Greek ferries.
Rhine Ferry Schedule: For day trips on the Rhine River's KD Line.
Travltips - Freighters to Europe.

Air Travel

Elizabeth Holmes Travel : Personalized full-service travel agency.
Europe by Air: Budget flight passes to 150 cities.
Sky Scanner: Search Engine for 18+ budget airlines.
Aer Lingus: Budget flights from Ireland .
British Midlands: Hub in London, and flies out of the major airports.
Easy Jet: Hubs in London, Amsterdam, Geneva, and Liverpool.
RyanAir: Hubs in Dublin, Brussels, London, Glasgow, and Frankfurt.
Snowflake: Budget flights from Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Spanair: Budget flights Spain and across Europe
Virgin-Express: Budget flights from Belgium.
International Airport Guide: Info includes hotels at and near the airport, airport car parking, car rental options, etc.
SeatGuru: Guide to airline seating
Airhitch: Cheap standby tickets for flexible travelers.
Budget Traveler's Guide to Sleeping in Airports: Ranks airports worldwide on how cozy, clean and safe they are to sleep in.

Other Transportation Sites

Eurovacations: Rail Europe's booking engine for air & hotel packages to Europe.