Rick Steves' Europe: Helpful Links

Google: The best Web search engine, and a good starting point for finding information on any topic (travel-related or otherwise)
BBC: The best site for European news, from Britain's premier news agency; also try International Herald Tribune or European Times
Rick Steves Graffiti Wall: One of many online message boards where travelers swap tips and tales
Wikipedia: Exhaustive online encyclopedia edited by its users

Practicalities

Countrycallingcodes.com: Instructions on how to dial any phone number in Europe (also see Howtocallabroad.com)
Oanda.com: The best currency conversion tool on the Web
Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory: Contact information for tourist offices throughout Europe
US State Department: Foreign entry requirements (passports and visas), travel warnings, and more
US Transportation Security Administration: The latest on rules and regulations for flights
http://translation2.paralink.com: Helpful language translator; also try Yahoo Babelfish or Google Translate
Weather.com: The latest weather predictions for anywhere in the world; also see Worldclimate.com
What's On When: Dates and details on European festivals and cultural events; also see Time Out
US Customs: What you can bring home from overseas
Electronic Embassy: Lists foreign embassies in Washington, D.C.
Travelguard: Short-term travel and medical insurance

Transportation

Best Transportation Websites

A Ferry To: Ferry connections throughout Europe; also try Your-A Guide to International Ferries
Deutsche Bahn: German Rail timetable, ideal for checking train schedules for anywhere in Europe
Eurolines: Europe's most extensive bus network
Rail Fan Europe: Links to every country's own national rail website
Skyscanner: Search engine for tracking down cheap flights within Europe
Via Michelin: Online maps for all of Europe, plus a reliable route planner with good estimates of time and distance for your journey; other good map sites include Google Maps, Maporama, Mappy, and Map 24

More Transportation Websites

Driving

Auto Europe: Car rental
Europe by Car: Car rental and leasing

Rail

Rick Steves' European Rail Guide: Helpful rail information
Deutsche Bahn: German Rail timetable, ideal for checking train schedules for anywhere in Europe
Rick Steves' Chunnel page: Unbiased information on crossing the Channel
Eurostar: Information and online booking for the Eurostar
The Man in Seat Sixty-One: Personal website on train travel, with detailed info on sleepers
Ferrovie Dello Stato: Rail, bus and ferry schedules for Italy
National Rail: Rail schedules in the UK

Metro Systems and Buses

Urban Rail: Metro info for major cities
Bus Eireann: Ireland's national bus company
National Express: Britain's largest coach company
Citylink: Scotland's main bus company

Air Travel

Rick Steves' list of European budget airlines
Elizabeth Holmes: Personalized full-service travel agency
Europe by Air: Budget flight passes to 150 cities
Seat Guru: Guide to airline seating
World Airport Guide: Arrival information for most of Europe's airports, including how to get into the city center
Sleeping in Airports: Budget traveler's guide to the sleeping in airports

Ferries and Boating

Greek Ferries: Connections and schedules
KD Line: Day trips on the Rhine River

Accommodations

Camping

Karmabum: Camping in Europe and other budget travel info

Castles, Villas, Farms, and Apartments

Celtic Castles: Castle and manor accommodations in the UK
Your Enchanted Italy: Villas and apartments throughout Italy; also try Italyvillas.com
Agriturismo.com: Accommodations at over 550 farms throughout Italy
Paradores de Tourismo: Luxurious, government-sponsored, historic inns in Spain
Pousadas de Portugal: Elegant, government-sponsored, historic inns
White Nights: Hotels and home stays in Russia; can also help with visas, tours, language classes, and Trans-Siberian Railroad tickets

Convents and Monasteries

Santa Susanna: List of convents in Italy from the American Catholic Church
Monastery Stays: Booking service for monasteries and convents in Italy

Home Exchanges & Home Stay Programs

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

Hostels

Hosteling International: HI's official website
Hostels.com: Worldwide network of private hostels
YMCA Europe: Inexpensive accommodation for YMCA members

Hotels

For Rick's recommended hotels, see his latest travel guidebooks

Travel Savvy

Bookstores

Rick's Travel Store: Rick Steves guidebooks and travel gear
Moon: Excellent Moon guides to areas that Rick doesn't cover
Lonely Planet: Guidebooks and forums
Wide World Books: Seattle area travel bookstore

Email and Electronics

Google Mail: Free web-accessible email account; also try Yahoo Mail or Hotmail
Blogger: Free blog-hosting site
Cybercaptive: Directory of cybercafes in more than 160 countries
Roadnews: Tips for traveling with a laptop
Voltage Valet: Electrical converters and transformers

Packing

Rick's Packing Tips: Including Rick's Famous Packing List and our Women's Packing List
OneBag: Another great site for learning how to pack light

Travel Forums

Rick Steves Graffiti Wall
Independent Traveler: user-submitted travel reports and tips; also try Johnny Jet, Practical Nomad, Virtual Tourist, or Trip Advisor
Travellers Point: Travel help, blog-hosting, find old travel buddies
Eurotrip: Budget travel advice; also try Travelzine

Special Interest

Accessible Travel

Mobility International: Resources for travelers with disabilities
Access-able: Resource directory for disabled travelers; also try Emerging Horizons, Flying with Disability, and Gimp on the Go
Wheelchair-Accessible Europe: Lists hotels in Europe offering wheelchair-accessible rooms
Accessibleurope.com: Collection of European travel agents and tour operators who specialize in disabled travel

Backpacking

Backpack Europe: Resources and tips for backpackers

Biking, Hiking, and Skiing

Cicerone: Reliable guides for walkers, bikers, trekkers, and climbers
Traildatabase: Links to hiking trails around the world
Go Ski: Worldwide skiing information

Cooking Schools and Garden Tours

Shaw Guides: Worldwide cooking school directory
Gardenvisit.com: Worldwide garden tour directory

Family Travel

Blog: DeliciousBaby: Debbie Dubrow shares her travel experiences and best travel advice on how to make travel with kids fun

Living Abroad

Transitions Abroad: Living, working and studying overseas
Escape Artist: Articles and forums on ex-pat life
Vocalist: Busking (being a street musician) in Europe

Religious Travel

Papal Audience: Tickets to see the Pope at the Vatican
Santiago de Compostela: The Spanish pilgrimage route
Sacred Destinations: Catalog of religious destinations worldwide

Seniors

AARP Destinations: Travel guide for seniors and slow walkers
Smarter Travel: Seniors on the Go column
Elderhostel: Non-profit organization providing educational travel for those 55 and older

Students

International Student Travel Confederation: Student and youth ID cards and resources
STA Travel: Student and youth travel
Council on International Education Exchange: Work and study abroad programs for students and teachers
Semester at Sea: Study abroad on a ship
IIE Passport: Study-abroad programs
Access Abroad : Study-abroad for disabled students

Socially Responsible Travel

Global Volunteers: Volunteer work overseas; also try Volunteers for Peace and Civil Service International

Tour Guides

Spain: LeTango.com: Rick Steves guide Carlos Galvin leads private tours of his home city and area: Barcelona, Madrid, Segovia, and Toledo
Turkey: SRM Travel: Rick Steves Turkey guides Lale Surmen & Tankut Aran lead tours of their home country
Turkey: Melitour: Mehlika Seval, a former Rick Steves Turkey guide, leads her own tours in Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia

Travel Journaling

Globejotter Tours: Rick Steves tour guide Dave Fox leads small-group tours with a creative writing theme

Walking Tours

Copenhagen: www.historytours.dk

Women's Travel

Journeywoman: Travel advice for women