Rick’s Spring 2026 Trip Report — 50 Days and 50 Nights in Europe

After nearly two months of guidebook research across Europe, Rick returns to Monday Night Travel to share his discoveries, screw-ups, and lessons learned. Get ready for a hot-out-of-the-rucksack look at la dolce vita in Italy — with stops in Florence, the Cinque Terre, Pisa, and Lucca — and the whitewashed Greek isles of Naxos, Santorini, Rhodes, and tiny islands you may not have heard of (Symi, I'm lookin' at you, my love). Then, after ramparts, kraut, and wanderung fun in southwest Germany, we enjoy a Switzerland finale — from the scalps of the alps to its underrated cities. Get ready to stoke your travel dreams on this whirlwind trip with Rick! Rick’s one-of-a-kind overview of what (and how) he packs for nimble, light travels:   / 18vvtg6h9i   Convertible Carry-On: https://store.ricksteves.com/products... Classic Travel Toiletry Kit: https://store.ricksteves.com/products... Shop all Rick Steves’ Europe merchandise: https://store.ricksteves.com/ Rick’s personal journal from his storied 1978 adventure, “On the Hippie Trail”: https://store.ricksteves.com/products... Watch “Switzerland’s Great Cities”: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read... Watch “Greek Islands: Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes”: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read... Sweepstakes to enter to win 10 On the Hippie Trail paperback books plus a video call with Rick for your book club: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/lan... Rick Steves’ Europe Tours for 2026 and 2027: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/index Follow Rick Steves’ Europe on Facebook:   / ricksteveseurope   Follow Rick Steves’ Europe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickstevese... Follow Rick Steves’ Europe on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ricksteveseur... Upcoming Monday Night Travel Shows: https://www.ricksteves.com/mnt Upcoming Tours 101 Sessions: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/101 Planning a trip to Europe? You’ll find lots of free travel information at https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/ Subscribe at http://goo.gl/l6qjuS for more new travel talks! #mondaynighttravel #ricksteves #italy