Our team of guides inspire, educate, and stoke travel dreams with passion and creativity. Among the Marketplace's offerings of travel fun and inspiration, these are our picks of the week:
Rick Steves guide Roy Nicholls takes you on a written six-mile journey through an idyllic corner of the southern English countryside, following parts of two long-distance paths — the Monarch's Way and the MacMillan Way — as well as several local footpaths and bridleways. Setting out from the Dorset village of Halstock, he ascends limestone ridges, surveys pastoral vistas, and passes through several hamlets in neighboring Somerset, while sprinkling his account with revealing local details. (free)
"Midsummer" — probably Sweden's most popular traditional holiday — is rooted in the solstice celebrations held thousands of years ago. Today, it marks the beginning of true summer, and for many Swedes, of their summer vacation. Rick Steves guide Åsa shares her tips for celebrating the longest day of the year like a real Swede, from what to eat, drink, wear, and even sing. (free)
After over a year of COVID-related restrictions, Italy is slowly springing back to life. Rick Steves guide Lisa recently took advantage of her new freedoms by hopping a train from her home in northwest Italy to visit good friends and stroll the streets of Rome. In this insightful post she shares her impressions of and advice for visiting the Eternal City during this unusual time (hint: It's pleasantly uncrowded and full of charm, but bring an extra dose of patience). (free)
Is just having a lot of oil enough to create a wealthy country? In his latest video report, Rick Steves guide Pål explains how Norway found its oil, and why it has transformed the nation into one of the richest countries in the world. It's a fascinating investigation into how this small country has managed its natural resources and prospered as a result. (free)
Alfredo leads Rick Steves tours in Italy and offers trip-planning services for Naples and southern Italy, as well as online cooking lessons of Italian favorites.
Anna leads Rick Steves tours in Italy. She offers virtual tours of Siena and classes on Italian art history and culture.
Arnaud leads Rick Steves tours in France and offers accommodations and customized cruises on his houseboat located near Paris.
Åsa leads Rick Steves Scandinavia tours and offers trip planning services for Sweden and throughout Scandinavia.
Ben leads Rick Steves Eastern Europe tours and is the author of a few books on European history and music available for purchase at Amazon.
Cary leads Rick Steves Best of and Family Europe tours. She designs vacations across the globe for families and offers consulting for those traveling to Europe.
Charlie leads Rick Steves tours in Great Britain and offers 10 virtual tours throughout Great Britain and Europe, trip planning, and poetry classes.
Chris leads Rick Steves tours in France and offers live and pre-recorded yoga classes.
Dafni leads Rick Steves tours in Greece and offers Greek language and cooking lessons.
Daniela leads Rick Steves tours in France, Germany, and Italy. She's a photographer and offers trip-planning services.
David leads Rick Steves tours in Italy and offers Italian culture classes, Italian language lessons, and live Zoom concerts with his acoustic guitar trio, Bartender.
Declan leads Rick Steves tours in Ireland and is a musician and artist, creating sculptures, paintings, and drawings.
Elena leads Rick Steves Italy tours and offers private German, Spanish, and Italian language lessons.
Ellen leads Rick Steves tours in the Netherlands and Belgium and offers trip planning for those countries as well as Dutch language lessons.
Federico leads Rick Steves tours in Spain and offers virtual tours of Madrid's museums and on Spanish history.
Francesco leads Rick Steves tours in Italy. He's also a sommelier and offers online wine tastings and trip and wedding planning in Tuscany.
Francisco leads Rick Steves tours in Spain and offers virtual tours in the Basque Country.
George leads Rick Steves tours in Eastern Europe. He offers accommodations in a historic building in Budapest, and transfers.
Helen and Liz lead Rick Steves tours in Scotland. Along with friend Susan Brown, they host a regular podcast to blether (chat) about all things Scottish.
Helen leads Rick Steves tours in Spain and represents her artist husband, Rachid Hanbali, and his oil paintings.
James leads Rick Steves tours in Scotland and is also a photographer offering framed images of Hebridean life, including Highland cows, thatch cottages, Scottish scenery, and wildlife.
Katka leads Rick Steves tours in Eastern Europe and offers trip planning services for the Czech Republic and surrounding countries.
Lale leads Rick Steves tours in Turkey. She and her team offer trip planning services.
Laurel leads Rick Steves tours in Scandinavia and sells Scandinavian-inspired T-shirts online.
Liz leads Rick Steves Scotland tours and offers trip-planning services for Scotland.
Niki leads Rick Steves tours in Greece and offers virtual tours of ancient Greek sites and cooking classes. She also rents apartments in Athens.
Nina leads Rick Steves tours in Italy and offers virtual Pilates classes as well as day tours of Rome.
Pål leads Rick Steves tours in Scandinavia and shares video tours (and more) about his life in Norway.
Rafael leads Rick Steves tours in Portugal and teaches online classes about Portugal's history and culture.
Robert leads Rick Steves tours in Spain and Portugal. He offers PDF guides of walking tours in Portugal and Argentina.
Rolinka leads Rick Steves tours in France and offers accommodations at her Eco guest house in southern France for individuals and private boutique retreats.
Sašo and Tina lead Rick Steves Adriatic tours and offer virtual tours and webinars about Slovenia.
Stacy leads Rick Steves tours in Italy, and her paintings can be viewed and purchased online at Saatchi Art.
Stephen leads Rick Steves tours in Ireland and offers a collection of Irish songs from his tours and travels around the Emerald Isle. He also offers accommodations at his hotels in Ireland and the Swiss Alps.
Tan leads Rick Steves tours in Turkey and offers accommodations at his hotel in the village of Mustafapaşa in Cappadocia.
Taylan leads Rick Steves tours in Turkey and sells traditional harem pants (şalvar) online.
Tommaso leads Rick Steves Sicily tours and offers accommodations, trip planning, and genealogy research services in Sicily.
Véronique leads Rick Steves tours in France. She teaches French culture and language lessons and offers virtual tours in Paris.
Virginie leads Rick Steves tours in France and offers accommodations at her guest house in Saint-Vérand in southern Burgundy and trip planning services.
Bulgaria
Stefan Bozadzhiev and Yuri Boyanin offer tours in Bulgaria, the Balkans, Romania, central Asia, and the Caucasus. lyubatours.com
Czech Republic
Kateřina (Katka) Svobodova offers trip planning services, private tours in Prague, and custom excursions around the Czech Republic, including UNESCO sites, Terezin ghetto/concentration camp memorial, and hikes in Bohemian Switzerland. www.praguewalker.com
Jana Hronková offers day trips in and around Prague as well as longer tours around the former Czechoslovakia. www.praguediscoveries.com
France
Arnaud Servignat offers walking and museum tours in Paris and boat trips on the Oise and Seine rivers. parisandbeyondwitharnaud
Nina Seffusatti offers tours in the Provence and Occitaine regions. nina.seffusatti@wanadoo.fr
Rolinka Blooming offers tours of southern France with accommodations at her Eco Guesthouse Ferrairolles. www.rolinkablooming.com
Virginie Moré offers small group tours in France's Burgundy, Brittany, and Provence regions. www.virginiemoretravel.com
Germany
Barbara Schikofsky offers tours in Saarbrücken, near Luxemburg, and around the Loraine region of France. info@bc-schikofsky.eu
Holger Zimmer offers tours in and around Berlin. explore@berlin.de
Maisie Hitchcock offers walking tours tours in Berlin and Potsdam. maisiehitchcock@hotmail.com
Torben Brown and Carlos Meissner offer tours of Berlin and the surrounding area including including the Sachsenhausen concentration camp memorial, Potsdam, Dresden, and Wittenberg. www.berlinperspectives.com
Great Britain
Elizabeth Boardman offers cultural immersion tours in England and private walking tours of Bath and the surrounding area. www.ewapuk.com
Gillian Chadwick and Robert Halkett offer tours of London and throughout Britain. greatbritishtours2020
Helen Houston offers tours in Scotland. tourscotlandwithhelen
James MacLetchie offers small group adventures and private tours in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland including archaeology, nature, and remote islands. www.igot2travel.com
Jeanie Carmichael offers tours in London and the surrounding area including Windsor, Canterbury, Brighton, and Hampton Court. jeanie.car@virgin.net
Mark Seymour offers small group tours in the United Kingdom. seymourtravels.co.uk
Roy Nicholls offers planning services and small group tours for Britain and Ireland. www.travelwithroy.com
Steven Back offers half-day and full-day tours of London and the surrounding area including Windsor, Oxford, Bath, and Canterbury. stevenaback@aol.com
Tom Hooper offers tours in and around London. tomh1@btinternet.com
Greece
Dafni Panteloglou offers outdoor-focused tours throughout the Peloponnese and some Greek islands. www.exploremessinia.com
Danae Kousouri offers tours in Athens. danaekousouri@gmail.com
Ioanna Papakosta offers tours around Greece's mainland and the Peloponnese. papakio70@gmail.com
Niki Vlachou offers tours in mainland Greece and the Peloponnese. www.olympictours.gr
Hungary
Anna Lenard offers tours in Budapest and throughout Hungary. www.facebook.com/lenardanna
Eszter Bokros offers tours of Budapest and Hungary. www.facebook.com/eszter.bokros.7
George Farkas and Monika Posch offer tours in Budapest and throughout Hungary, including Eger and the Etyek wine region. www.mybudapesttours.hu
Péter Pölczman offers tours in Budapest and excursions into the Hungarian countryside. budapestyourself.com
Ireland
Dara McCarthy offers walking tours and pub crawls in Dublin and day trips nearby including Powerscourt House and Gardens and Glendalough. www.daramccarthy.com/dublin-tours/
Lynn and Paul Corken offer small group tours in Northern Ireland and Ireland. www.imagineirelandtours.com
Pascal Fitzpatrick offers transportation services in Ireland for small groups. www.fitzpatrickcoaches.com
Stephen McPhilemy offers small group and family tours around Ireland. www.EssentialIrelandTours.com
Italy
Alfredo Cafasso Vitale offers food tours, cooking parties, rural escapes, and farm visits in Naples and the Campania region, as well as independent trip planning services. cafasso@inwind.it
Anna Piperato offers half-day and full-day tours in Siena and Tuscany. sienaitalytours.com
Cristina Pernechele offers custom-designed tours of Padua and the region around Venice. cristina@pernechele.eu
David Tordi offers walking tours of Orvieto and Civita di Bagnoregio. www.davidtordi.com
Elena Zampiron offers walking, biking, and kayak tours in Venice and the surrounding area. ele.natour
Francesco Gronchi offers tours of Volterra and throughout Tuscany. www.tuscantour.com
Tommaso Pante offers half-day and full-day excursions in Sicily. www.sunway.it
Netherlands and Belgium
Ellen Janzing offers tours in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Great Britain. www.ellenjanzing.nl
Portugal
Claudia Costa offers tours around Lisbon and the surrounding area. Everywhere-in-Portugal
Cristina Duarte offers walking tours of Lisbon and tailored experiences in Portugal. www.lisbonbeyond.pt
Fátima Bugarin offers small group tours staying in her home in Tomar, Portugal, and experiencing local insights. Share-Portugal-with-Fatima
Maria Jose Aleixo offers tours in and around Porto. mariamaria.aleixo@gmail.com
Rafael Pereira offers tours in and around Lisbon. rafaelzamithpereira@gmail.com
Scandinavia
Åsa Danielsson offers tours of Stockholm and throughout Sweden and Scandinavia. fb.me/aawesometravels
Pål Johansen offers small group tours in Norway. www.norwaywithpal.com
Ylva Gunillasdotter offers tours in and around Stockholm. ylva.gunillasdotter@hotmail.com
Slovenia
Tina Hiti and Sašo Golub offer custom tours in Slovenia. www.pg-slovenia.com
Spain
Agustin Ciriza offers tours in the Spanish and French Basque Country, as well as hikes in the surrounding area. www.agustinciriza.com
Federico García Barroso offers tours in and around Madrid. www.spainfred.com
Francisco Glaría offers small group tours of the Basque region. travelingsteps.es
Helen Inman offers tours in the southern Spain regions of Nerja and Almunecar. helenita10@hotmail.com
Javier Menor offers guiding services and customized itineraries in and around Madrid, Toledo and Segovia. info@theguidingcompany.com
Jorge Román offers tours in Madrid, southern Spain (Andalucía), and Catalonia. travelingwithjorge
Turkey
Lale Surmen Aran offers tours in Turkey, central Asia, and the Middle East. www.srmtravel.com
Tan Aran offers excursions in the Cappadocia region. www.cappadociaestates.com
Beyond Europe
Colin Mairs offers excursions in New Zealand and Australia. mondumo.com
Molly Verlin offers small group bus tours and local private tours of the Southeastern United States from St. Augustine, FL to Charleston, SC. mollysoldsouth.com/tours
Ben Curtis (Eastern Europe) hosts a blog and podcast about travel, history, culture, and politics in Eastern Europe. www.benjamincurtis.me
Carlos Meissner and Torben Brown (Germany) co-write a blog providing insights into the many dimensions of Berlin. www.berlinperspectives.com
Colin Mairs (Scotland) blogs about Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, and more. www.mondumo.com/blog
Cristina Pernechele (Italy) posts videos of Padua and the Veneto region on Instagram. explore_veneto_with_us
Francesca Caruso (Italy) is a local guide for Rick Steves' Europe who writes about the history, art, and culture of Rome's past as well as the city's surrounding areas (including Ostia Antica and Hadrian's Villa). She also gives private walking tours of the Eternal City. francescacaruso.com
Helen Houston (Scotland) writes about all things Scottish on her Facebook page. tourscotlandwithhelen
Jana Hronková (Eastern Europe) writes about life in Prague and the Czech Republic. praguediscoveries.com/blog
Lale Surmen Aran (Turkey) shares travel stories on her blog. www.lalearan.com
Lisa Anderson (Italy) writes about her her life as an American living in Piedmont, Italy. lisasdolceitalia.com
Liz Lister (Scotland) provides insights into the diversity of Scotland on her blog. www.stravaigingwithliz.com
Lynn and Paul Corken (Ireland) write about life in Ireland on their Facebook page. imagineirelandtours
Margaret Cassady (Best of Europe) writes travel stories, people profiles, and life lessons on her blog. margarettraveling.com
Margaret Monnier (Spain) blogs about life in Granada. mooninspain.com
Mark Seymour (Great Britain) writes a blog about various aspects of British life. seymourtravels
Molly Verlin (Italy) blogs about the American Southeast. mollysoldsouth.com
Roy Nicholls (Great Britain) blogs about historical aspects of England. www.travelwithroy.com/blog
Stefan Bozadzhiev (Bulgaria) writes about his travels and virtual walks on his Facebook page. DownTheRoadWithStefan
Tim Tendick (Best of Europe) writes a blog about his favorite places in Europe. TimTheGuide
