Columns

June 2008 issue

An increase in postal rates

Due to the recent horrendous Post Office price increase to magazines, we now must charge $2 per issue on a one-year subscription.

About the same as you pay for a glass of iced tea in a restaurant.

We think the abundance of Travel information you find in International Travel News is more valuable than half a latte at Starbucks.

A woman called up to complain, saying that she could get another Travel magazine for $12. I fought the urge to say that they know what their magazine is worth.

How can some others charge less? Well, they really sock it to the advertisers....

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October 2009 issue

The sleaze of fees
By Rick Steves
The best way to nickel-and-dime banks and credit card companies is to pay for as much as possible in cash.

On my last trip to Europe, I didn’t take my usual $200 cash reserve. With just a few bucks in my wallet, I landed in Madrid, relying entirely on two ATM cards and no cash safety net. It turned out okay.

At the airport, I withdrew some euros from an ATM and tucked the bills into my money belt. After decades of traveling to Europe, I have found that the cheapest, safest way to go is to pay with cash for most items and withdraw money as I zip from one place to the next. The reason? To cut down on fees and fraud.

I realize fees don’t make an exciting topic, at least...

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June 2008 issue

Traveler’s mantra: pack light, pack light, pack light
Pack light. Be happy. Photo: Steves

You’ll never meet a traveler who, after five trips, brags, “Every year I pack heavier.” The measure of a good traveler is how light he or she travels. You can’t travel heavy, happy and cheap. Pick two.

Too much luggage and camera gear marks you as a typical tourist. It throws up a wall between you and the grizzled Spanish fisherman mending his net. Serendipity suffers. Changing locations becomes a major operation. Con artists figure you’re helpless and move in. But with one bag hanging on your back, you’re mobile and in control — and less...

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August 2010 issue

Become a temporary European
By Rick Steves

Many travelers tramp through Europe like they’re visiting the cultural zoo. “Ooh, that guy in lederhosen yodeled! Excuse me, could you do that again so I can take a picture?”

When I’m in Europe, I become the best German or Spaniard or Italian I can be. I consume wine in France, beer in Germany and small breakfasts in Italy. While I never drink tea at home, after a long day of sightseeing in England “a spot of tea” really does feel right. So on your next trip across the pond, resist the urge to look at Europe through a lens, and find ways to...

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March 2010 issue

Driving in Great Britain and Ireland
By Rick Steves

While most first-time visitors to Europe choo-choose to travel by train, consider the convenience of driving. Behind the wheel you’re totally free, going where you want, when you want.

Driving in the British Isles is wonderful — once you remember to stay on the left and after you’ve mastered the roundabouts. But be warned: every year I get some e-mails from travelers advising me that, for them, trying to drive in Great Britain and Ireland was a nerve-wracking and regrettable mistake.

Here’s a tip: if you want to get a little slack on the roads, drop...

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July 2008 issue

Off-season Europe
By Rick Steves

Each summer, Europe greets a stampede of sightseers and shoppers with eager cash registers. Before jumping into the peak-season pig pile, consider the advantages of an off-season trip.

Given the current weakness of our dollar overseas, the potential price savings of an off-season trip are enough to brighten a gray winter day. Airfares are often hundreds of dollars less. And with fewer crowds in Europe, you’ll sleep cheaper; many fine hotels drop their prices, and budget hotels have plenty of vacancies.

To save some money on hotels in the off-season, arrive late without...

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January 2009 issue

Seeing history unfold
By Rick Steves
Berlin’s Reichstag building is a powerful statement of openness in government. Photo: Steves

Travelers get a wonderful chance to witness European history in the making. Years ago when I got my history degree, I said to myself, ‘I’d better get a business degree, too, so I have something useful.’ But I’ve learned over the years that if more people knew more about history, our world would be better off.

Whenever I see the restored Reichstag building in Berlin, I’m reminded of my visit in 1999, when it opened to the public. For travelers unaware of history, it was just a new dome to climb, offering another vantage point to see the city, but a...

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April 2009 issue

Departure Lounge
By Armond Noble, Publisher

Bless You! Bless You! Bless You! How wonderful you are!

In late December, ITN mailed out a survey to 1,000 subscribers selected at random. It was a many-questioned survey asking about your travels in the year 2008, and the results will be presented to potential advertisers. We received 869 replies!

Almost 87%! In survey circles, that is considered better than outstanding.

To put that in perspective, another magazine (not in the travel field) that brags about how intellectual their readers are had to send out their survey twice to get just 58%.

So I say, “Thanks...

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