• Rick holding ETDB 40e and original book

March Travel News

Hi from Rick: Happy 40th Europe Through the Back Door

In 1979, a little battle was waging in my mind: Should I build a log cabin or write a travel book? I had the wooded lot in the Cascade Mountains, had picked the spot for the cabin, and took a log-cabin building class. I even had a line on the trailer I'd live in while constructing the cabin. But when the reality of peeling and aging logs set in, the competing big project — writing a travel book — won out.

All these years later, that book — Europe Through the Back Door, a travel skills handbook for independent travelers — just came out in its 40th edition. All of us here at Rick Steves' Europe are feeling mighty nostalgic. And all month long, we'll be celebrating our heritage.

I wrote that first book by simply writing out my lectures longhand. I sweet-talked my girlfriend into typing it on a rented IBM Selectric, and my college roommate sketched the illustrations with a ballpoint pen… Read more

In this issue


Restaurant door in Lagkadia, Greece

Our Magical History Tour

We're celebrating Europe Through the Back Door all month long! Each day, visit our website and open a new door to discover a nostalgic nugget of our company history — and some fun surprises… Read more


Lady reading ETBD at cafe

Europe Through the Back Door at 40

I self-published the first edition of my travel skills handbook, Europe Through the Back Door, in 1980. Recently, the arrival of our 40th edition put me in a nostalgic mood… Read more


Vintage Rick, Gimmewald, Switzerland

Revisiting My Favorite Back Doors

The first part of Europe Through the Back Door focuses on travel skills. But the back half is all about wonderful locations around Europe: my personal descriptions of favorite Back Doors… Read more


Alma Karlin mug, Slovenia

Cameron’s Blog: The Ultimate Woman Traveler

March is Women's History Month. So let's talk about women's history in the context of European travel. As a (male) guidebook writer, I'm keenly aware that women are, so often, underrepresented… Read more


Rick learning hand gestures, Italy

Video: Leaping the Language Barrier

Since we're celebrating Rick's travel skills handbook this month, let's join Rick in Italy for a lesson on leaping the language barrier. Although, Europe is increasingly bilingual, with English as its second language… Watch the video


MNT Packing

Monday Night Travel in March

We'll start with packing skills on March 11, followed by kayaking Norway's fjords on March 18, and wrap up with a special show featuring Rick sharing how travel has evolved over the last four decades… Register


Slideshow: Best of Scotland, Day by Day

On our Best of Scotland tour, along mossy mountains, windswept isles, mysterious lochs, and heathered glens, you'll discover a land and culture that are strongly persistent…and persistently lovable… Read more