For the Love of Europe: My Favorite Places, People, and Stories

by Rick Steves (Rick Steves- narrator)

After 40+ years of writing about Europe, Rick Steves has gathered 100 of his favorite articles and essays together into one gorgeous collection: For the Love of Europe: My Favorite Places, People, and Stories.From its historic cities to its breathtaking countryside, Rick Steves knows Europe inside and out and has made a career of inspiring people to explore, connect, and step outside their comfort zones.

With a brand-new, original introduction from Rick reflecting on his decades of travel, For the Love of Europe features 100 of the best stories published throughout his career. These pages are filled with Rick's unforgettable experiences, favorite destinations, and highlights from the road.

Covering his adventures through England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and more, For the Love of Europe is a fond and inspirational look at a lifetime of travel.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Audiobook, Essays, History, Biography

Audiobook

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Rick Steves is an American travel writer, television personality, and activist known for encouraging meaningful travel that emphasizes cultural immersion and thoughtful global citizenship. Born in California and raised in Edmonds, Washington, he began traveling in his teens, inspired by a family trip to Europe. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in European history and business, Steves started teaching travel classes, which led to his first guidebook, Europe Through the Back Door, self-published in 1980.
Steves built his Edmonds-based travel company on the idea that travelers should explore less-touristy areas and engage with local cultures. He gained national prominence as host and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, which has aired on public television since 2000. He also hosts a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored dozens of popular guidebooks, including bestselling titles on Italy and Europe at large.
Beyond travel, Steves is an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform, environmental sustainability, and social justice. He supports marijuana legalization and chairs the board of NORML. He has funded housing for homeless families and donates to anti-hunger and arts organizations. In 2019, he pledged $1 million annually to offset the carbon emissions of his tour groups.
Steves is a practicing Lutheran with Norwegian ancestry and continues to live in Edmonds. He has two adult children and is in a relationship with Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee. Despite health challenges, including a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, Steves remains committed to his mission of helping Americans travel with greater purpose, empathy, and understanding of the world. His work reflects a belief that travel, done right, can be both transformative and a force for peace.

Reviews

[Roy Lotz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit that a large part of me wants to dislike Rick Steves. He is just so goofy, so white bread, so middlebrow. I rolled my eyes through the first fifty-odd pages of this book, often pausing for a guffaw. Yet you can only be a snob for so long before it gets old. Plus, the eyes can only take so much rolling. Thus it was that, though I picked up this book an infidel, I put it down a believer.

What struck me first was the language. To put it charitably, Steves will not be winning a Pulitzer anytime soon. The description of the book epitomizes what I mean:

Join Rick as he’s swept away by a fado singer in Lisbon, learns the dangers of falling in love with a gondolier in Venice, and savors a cheese course in the Loire Valley. Contemplate the mysteries of centuries-old stone circles in England, dangle from a cliff in the Swiss Alps, and hear a French farmer’s defense of foie gras.

This is typical of the book itself. Notice that he loves sentences with lists of three things, and that everything is in the present tense—both features that make this book often read like an old-fashioned advertisement. And yet, while inelegant, tasteless, and sometimes grating, I must admit that Steves knows how to paint a picture with words. I found myself pulled into the scenes he was describing, falling helplessly under his thrall. Indeed, no book in recent memory gave me such a satisfying experience of being a vicarious traveler.

I slowly realized that Rick’s greatest asset is that he is not a snob—not even a little. His willingness to be gullible and goofy is what allows him to enjoy the place he is visiting. And he always does seem to enjoy it. This is because, aside from his travel tips, Steves is promoting a certain mindset: the ability to have fun without being a hedonist, and a willingness to learn without taking it all too seriously. Maybe the best word would be ‘unabashed.’ Many people, I believe, would be a bit embarrassed not to speak any foreign language after 45 years of traveling around Europe. But Steve? He is unabashedly anglophone—and, in general, unabashedly an American tourist.

If I am making Rick Steves sound unduly profound, it is because I am trying to put into words how such a dorky guy could create an entire empire of travel books and films. He must be doing something right. Yet perhaps I was so taken with this book because I so miss the pre-pandemic days, when travel around Europe was (relatively) cheap and easy. And even if there were no pandemic, there are many reasons why the travel industry might be unsustainable: flying contributes to global warming, for example, and tourists can make cities unlivable for locals by pushing up prices and occupying apartments. Ironically, then, over the long term tourism erodes the very thing Steves encourages people to go looking for—connection with locals, “authentic” experiences of other cultures.

As in the cases of steak and alcohol, then, there seem to be many reasons to avoid travel entirely—if not for the pesky fact that it is extremely pleasurable. Steves, however, would counter that traveling the right way broadens our perspectives and makes us citizens of the world. I very much would like that to be true. But I have met so many well-traveled people with their ignorance intact that I must say I am skeptical. Still, I suppose I ought to go on a few more nice vacations just to be sure…

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Love of Europe: Musings on 45 Years of Travel was a delightful look at Europe over a lot of years by one of my favorite travel writers, Rick Steves. There were so many times during our travels to Europe, a copy of his guidebook was in my bag. Great tips always, but one of our favorites was on a magical trip to Paris. Standing in a long line to get into The Louvre, we were discussing a tip Rick Steves had given about a little known entrance. While trying to determine where that would be, a family from Texas overhearing our conversation told us where to go. Our new-found friends in the queue didn't want to chance it but we were soon inside and after having viewed a lot of the museum, including The Mona Lisa, we saw that our queue was just making their way in as we were off to the rooftop cafe for a glass of Sancerre and a cheese plate to enjoy the beautiful Parisian sunshine before we toured the rest of the museum.

This lovely book covers all of Europe, including Britain and Ireland, Portugal and Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, Germany, Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey. The wonderful prose was also augmented by lovely photographs of all of these beautiful countries, and the next best thing to my passport remaining unused.

With our trip to Spain and Portugal canceled due to COVID-19, I am visiting vicariously as captured by Rick Steves:

"Fado is the folk music of Lisbon's rustic neighborhoods: so accessible to anyone willing to be out late and stroll the back streets. Since the mid-1800s, it's been the Lisbon blues--mournfully beautiful and haunting ballads about long-gone sailors, broken hearts, and bittersweet romance. Fado means "fate"--how fate deals with Portugal's adventurers. . . and the families they leave behind. The lyrics reflect the pining for a loved one across the water, hopes for a future reunion, remembrances of a rosy past, or dreams of a better future."

And Rick Steves' experiences in Spain:

"We'd been in Andalucia for a week, and I realized it's a hair-trigger flamenco society. I like hair-trigger cultures. Just as Austria is eager to waltz and Ireland is always ready for a a good folk song. Andalucia is just waiting for the simplest excuse to grab castanets and dance."

There are so many adventures that we have taken with Rick Steves, including the Eastern European countries with Prague being a favorite. It was through Rick Steves that we knew the nuances of Cinque Terra and where to find Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper in Milan. Over the years we have experienced travel and so much more from our armchair. And it appears that we will be vicariously traveling for awhile longer. . . . Be safe and be well everyone.

[Jennifer (not getting notifications) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book for anyone who loves traveling. We were lucky enough to go to Prague and Paris in October before the pandemic hit the world. We are looking forward to when we can travel to Europe again.

[Gary Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This summer's COVID-19 pandemic scuttled what would have been our third Rick Steves tour to Europe. Instead, I've been reading travel-related books, including For the Love of Europe which is full of Rick Steves's ebullient perspectives on Europe, Europeans, and travel in general. Many travelers look to Rick Steves for specific how-to and when-to information, but Steves is also a heckuva travel writer. For much of this book, he takes off his tour guide hat and replaces it with the jaunty cap of a seasoned traveler who has an eye for details and an affinity for adventurous food and drink, making new friends, and off the beaten path European destinations. There is a little bit of travel advice sprinkled throughout, but each of these one hundred essays is more focused on capturing the essence of a single experience. I've spent time with both the print and audio versions of For the Love of Europe, and each has its advantages. The print book is filled with color photographs while the audiobook is narrated by Rick Steves in his distinctively likable style. For the Love of Europe may be best savored a bit at a time, but don't be surprised if you are tempted to devour it all at once. In other words, you can approach this book as Rick Steves suggests travelling: "Regardless of your journey, you can put a little pilgrim in your travels and find your own personal jubilation."

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the hardest things about shelter-in-place, for me, has been that I cannot travel. Nor, it appears, can those of us who hold US passports, go much of anywhere for an indeterminate amount of time. So, I find myself doing the next best thing: armchair travel.

In this book, Rick Steves shares essays based on his travel experiences over the years (some of which we see in his exceptional PBS series). We not only get to see the sites, but also meet some of the people he's encountered along the way. The book is not only a delightful text, but is rich with photographs.

The travelogues take us not only around the more familiar locations, but also to remote towns and villages that are not on most itineraries. Steves' fondness for getting off the beaten track allows us to see aspects of Europe that we might not otherwise consider.

Highly recommended.

[Graeme Newell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful musing on some Rick Steve's most memorable travel stops. I was expecting a bit more of a narrative and it turned out just to be a whole series of small articles.

[J.R. Dodson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite enjoyable, with a few excellent essays. More than a few of the 100 essays felt unfinished though, as if each was racing towards an Aesop’s Fables-like one-line meaning at the end.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio narrated in the comforting voice of Rick Steves himself.

This is a good book to listen to in spurts, a chapter or a few at a time. Some countries are short and others, like Italy, go into much detail.

The book is divided into chapters by countries: Portugal and Spain, France, Britain and Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia and the Baltics, Eastern Europe, Greece and Turkey, and Across Europe which briefly covers some historical basics and quirky facts that would be interesting and helpful for travelers.

Thanks to San Diego County Library for the digital audio version via Libby app.

[Audio: 10 hours, 39 minutes]

Time spent listening: 8 hours, 42 minutes

[Wendelle]

a fun flip-through photo-filled book, this contains writer Rick Steves' keen anecdotes about his favorite charming, historical locations in Europe. It's keen in both senses of the word-- keen as it's written with an observant eye that deftly sums up the place's past and present promise and prosperity in a few sentences, and keen as in unrepentantly joyful about his circuits of travels!

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for the 2021 Popsugar Challenge prompt "a book set in multiple countries". It is a collection of travel stories by popular travel writer Rick Steves about his various adventures throughout his traveling life in Europe. I particularly enjoyed the sections set in areas we have visited, and I always like Steves' positive attitude towards getting to know local folks in order to understand their homes. The photos were great. Overall though, I found this book a little superficial, as if he was trying to cram in too many places to the detriment of the stories. It wasn't awful, just not as good as I had hoped. 3.5 stars

[Trevor Klundert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Steves is my guru of travel. Consider this a manual on how to discover experiences that unlock transformative moments allowing you to go from tourist to traveler. The secret? Build moments into your itinerary that allow you to interact with locals.

[Tena Edlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved hearing about all these wonderful places. It made me add new locations to my bucket list, and it brought back great memories of some I’ve already visited. I love Rick Steves��s philosophy that travel is a way to see the world through the eyes of others. He gets to know people and out-of-the-way places. He travels to see history and to learn from others. I really enjoyed this listen.

[Craig Barner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Rick Steves has the inimitable talent to discover something new about every place he visits in Europe. In the sheep-raising Cotswolds area of England, he discovers a walking club called the Ramblers. Every year the group organizes a "Mass Trespass" to walk the 50,000 miles of public trails in the country. The idea is to prevent landlords from putting up fences and other barriers. Under the law people are entitled to use these footpaths even when they enter private land. It's a little bit of local flavor that captures the culture of the area.

It's the same everywhere in For the Love of Europe. Rick is able to capture a person, a moment, an emotion that epitomizes a place. He always feels like he is in a setting like no other. When you're with Rick, you have the best guide. And he is eager to watch the parade of humanity. Rick loves to rub his nose in the quiddity of everything.

Rick's passion for discovery is so intense that he doesn't spare himself for the rare moment of obtuseness. He visits an island in the Adriatic Sea off Montenegro in southeastern Europe. There in a church he discovers an embroidery on display. Some 200 years prior a woman took 20 years to make it, even using her own hair as thread, which is graying in the objet d'art. It's an intimate work of art in an private setting. As part of his visit Rick did not photograph the work of art nor did he take notes. Later he upbraids himself for forgetting his mission. "At the time I didn't realize I was experiencing the highlight of my trip."

I came to For the Love of Europe with a bit of skepticism in part because I knew prior to reading the book that it reprints some of Rick's posts on his blog. And indeed I recognized some things I had read before. The work is nevertheless a treat to read and not just because it came out during a pandemic. In my mind I relived some of my own rambles.

I believe Rick's Postcards from Europe, which is a memoir he published in 1999, is his best narrative work because of its grittiness. But For the Love of Europe finds him older, wiser and more passionate than ever.

[Zosia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dislike the idea of hoards of camera wielding American tourists descending upon Europe’s most beautiful sights in search of cheap souvenirs. So i was skeptical of a travel book written but an American tour guide who brings hoards of these tourists to Europe each year. But I was pleasantly surprised. The book covered many of my favorite European spots and in reading I could almost picture the places without the crowds. It was just what my travel deprived mind needed at the moment.

[Evan Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have probably seen nearly every one of the Rick Steves Europe TV episodes at least 4 or 5 times, so I know his work pretty well. I bought this book because I wanted to support him during the Pandemic. I know it has probably slammed his business, but I know he still has kept on all of his workers, continued to pay them, and continued to give a lot of money to good causes, so I wanted to support that.

The book was really good in certain moments. These were mostly when he let us in on conversations he was having, often while eating some delicious food. But some parts of the book were drawn pretty much straight from a segment of one of his TV episodes, so that just felt like a re-hash.

But this was still quite a good book. It was a fun way to "tour Europe" during the Pandemic. It was also great to hear his perspectives on what things have changed in Europe during the 40 years that he has been going there.

If you like to travel, you will certainly want to read this book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will not go to Europe without Rick Steves and this book only confirmed it. He makes me want to go to the less popular areas in any given place to see and be around locals. I will definitely refer to this for future travel. My favorite part is the culture commentary from his Dutch friend. The guy has nailed it. Last, I was little surprised how fond Rick is of public bath houses. A hard pass for me.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The strength of this collection of impressions, memories, and snapshots from the author's decades of travel across Europe lies in its expansive reach - from Portugal to Norway, from Finland to Turkey, Stevens covers the length and breadth of the continent. Some of these snippets are wonderfully evocative and charming, others a little too stereotypical or simply too shallow to evoke much interest. And I guess having lived and travelled in European countries all my life, a lot of what to Stevens and presumably the American visitor at large seems so fascinatingly exotic is just that regular old stuff the neighbours get up to rather than a source of extraordinary wonderment to me.

[Michelle Ule · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you enjoy Rick's guidebooks (which I do: https://www.michelleule.com/2018/03/2...), you've either read most of this before or you're curious about his favorites.

It's a three star because while it's written in Rick's workable style, it doesn't probe as deeply into his personal stories as I had hoped.

OTOH, the tale of meeting a man who saw Archduke Franz Ferdinand shot--which started the first World War--is truly astounding and exactly what I sought.

There just weren't enough personal stories like it in the book.

[Tyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. The description says this is a collection of Steves’ favorite travel stories, but they are far from stories. I was expecting a memoir with actual depth and human connection but this is simply a guide book in narrative form. Steves prides himself on traveling like a local, but does he ever actually connect with people beyond networking?

I love his show, but the book was just the show all over again only in written format. It was not what I expected nor what I wanted. As much as I enjoy his insights into where to travel, this was not for me.

[Matthew McDonough · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute triumph! There's so, so much packed into this wonderfully charming book. I'm tempted to begin re-reading it immediately.

You can clearly hear Rick Steves' kind, calming, knowledgeable voice with every word, in every essay, as he traverses the breathtaking European landscape, showcasing the importance of carrying with you the most important thing a traveler can possess: empathy.

Without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book is amazing, I recommend reading a print or electronic copy. I had trouble staying focused on which place as he weaves interesting stories and local customs together with both appealing and unappetizing foods he tries along the way. You may not need the visual element to stay focused, but my husband and I did.

Still, We both highly recommend this book as Rick Steves is a brilliant storyteller who has a unique wordsmith’s way of describing the world. His word play is worth the read.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

America's greatest living travel writer shares his favorite experiences gained after decades of travel. Rather than a travel guide, the book is made up of 100 short essays, most of which are connected to a certain place or experience. Insightful and educational, this book is a joy to read from start to finish.

[Holly Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the audiobook for which I’ve been waiting 15 years - and I would have gladly listened for 4x as long.
The incomparable Rick Steves talking about some of his favorite travel stories over the past 30 years is easily my favorite audiobook of the year - and maybe ever.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only two complaints. There's not enough of Italy. Is there ever though? And barely a mention of Sweden which is where my next European trip will take me. Otherwise I loved it! And there really was a lot about Italy so that's a "me" thing. I just adore Italy.

[Tasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s not a travel guide. It’s a collection of essays about traveling in Europe.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of entertaining short essays make this a great bedside book for dipping into as the desire takes you. I love these short bites of delicious Europe by my favorite travel guru.

[Chantal Kloth · Rating 5 out of 5]

definitely adding some of these places to my list

[Julia Catanese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to Rick tell his stories is like a warm hug, more people should travel like him and just be like him generally ❤️

[Mikayla Dane]

Rick Steves is one of my comfort people. I really enjoyed listening to him read his book

[Dkwallpdx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Steves personal essays of experiencing over the years of his travels in Europe. Great pictures included. His love affair with Europe in lovely travel inspiring snippets.