Rick Steves EUROPE – Cashback, Rebates & Rewards

Something sinister about Rick. PBS runs his reruns, some up to 20 years old, 5-7 times per day. PBS has decided to provide Rick with an avenue to advertise his “tour guide” business. No one, no one, gets more exposure on PBS than Rick Steves.

I like that Rick Steves has created a community for his wonderful tour guides who are passionate about what they do, work hard and are well-compensated. The tours are really reasonably priced. They don't mark up their single supplements like so many other companies do. There are always unique experiences that you just can't get on your own. For me the only flaw is that the tour schedules are quite packed, there are a lot of guided tours and meals included. Personally I would prefer a little more freedom as well as my own time to explore.

I’ve been on 5 Rick Steves tours so far and all of them have been fantastic. The guides are all personable and knowledgeable. The itineraries have been well-organized and well-planned. I wasn’t always comfortable with some of the small family run hotels we stayed but they’ve all been interesting and definitely not cookie cutter. The groups have been less than 30 people so there’s plenty of space to spread in the full size coach bus we ride in. Plus Rick Steves himself is honest and ethical. His is one of the few tour companies fully refunding for his cancelled tours during this pandemic and not just giving credit for future travel. I’ll definitely travel again on any Rick Steves tour in the future.

I have gone on two tours with Rick Steves and both have been excellent, well-run tours. The accommodations did tend to vary from city to city, but overall his emphasize on family-run hotels with free breakfasts works well. I learned so much on my tours and made friends with great people.