Hear from two Roman tour guides about what to expect on a first-time trip to Italy, and how to make it the adventure of a lifetime. Then get a taste of life in France's rural southwest as author David McAninch explains how spending the better part of a year in Gascony taught his American family to slow down and savor their time together.

• Nina Bernardo, tour guide based in Rome
• Susannah Perrucchini, tour guide based in Rome
• David McAninch, author of "Duck Season" (Harper Collins)

• Places in or near Rome that the guides recommend include the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary, the Ostia Antica old port ruins, and the trendy Testaccio neighborhood.
• Nina and Susannah also recommend the uncrowded beaches on the island of Sardinia. You can hear more about Sardinia from Jeff Biggers, who spoke with Rick about living in Sardinia on Travel with Rick Steves program #718a in August 2025.
• Nina recommends the websites for Trenitalia and Italo Treno for reserving high-speed train tickets in Italy. Rail Europe also helps with train bookings and schedules for Italy.
• David McAninch is a former features editor at Chicago magazine. He wrote "Duck Season" about his family's experience living in the Gers region of Gascony.
• Some of David's articles about French food and cuisine are archived at Saveur magazine.