Rick Steves Presents an Irreverent History of His Tour Program 

One of those videos you don't plan on watching but endup watching the whole thing.

What a fantastic human being. Rick Steves is a gift to the world.

Rick Steves : Rock star of the travel world but without the attitude.

I always liked Rick, but after watching this I LOVE him!

I attended one of his travel classes in 1981. I ended up travelling the world with a backpack for two years.

Rick, we will never forget buying “Europe through the Back Door” in 1987 and following it exactly through Interlachen, Murren, Wengen, and Gimmelwald. Every one of your recommendations was followed and thoroughly enjoyed. You are the best! We also followed your advice through Rothenburg and Dinkelsbuhl and were so glad we did. You’re the same age as us, your hair styles match my husband’s, and how we wish we had known you then, in addition to your well-written words on paper. Thanks so much!

Always thought Rick was a little bit silly but this video shows his true sense of humor, his incredible knowledge and the humanitarian side of his persona. What a wonderful video. He is an incredible person with well thought out political values and ethics.

This man has truly worked hard and with ingenuity to be rewarded with the success he has garnered. He is excellent in his profession.

I think it was my watching the PBS station that featured Rick's show (while raising my kids) ignited my love for travel. Now I'm a widow and I'm enjoying Europe. Leaving to Portugal in 3 more weeks.

My father was a university prof, and I heard so much about backpacking in Europe. Seemed that everyone was doing it in the 60's and 70's. Now I know what it was really like!

this is the best lecture I have ever heard in my life

I found this by accident and before I knew it, I watched every minute! It was great! He is so funny and candid in his talks!

I always liked Steve's show on TV, but now I really love and respect him. What a wonderful human being.

My husband and I have watched your PBS Shows for years. This talk helped me understand why you are so good at what you do!

What a great presentation. Rick is such a late 70s nerd. Me too! I'm glad he is the best travel advisor for Americans.

Good ol' Rick Steves!!! I'm so proud of his undoubted influence of European travel on Americans. Proud to say that the few fellow Americans I meet on the road in Europe these days are smart, culturally sensitive and respectful, and I would attribute that to Rick's influence.

I've watched Rick Steves travel shows on PBS for many years; this lecture showcases a beautiful human being. Bravo and thank you for doing what you do, Mr. Steves.

What a legend. Watched his program during the 90's and 00's and now living in Europe fulltime.

Love this dude, I’ve been watching him for years. He helped inspire me to travel on my own in Europe

Rick Steves!!!!!! I'm your #1 armchair traveler!!!!! I watch you everyday on PBS!!!

He is a great storyteller. I clicked on it for 5 minutes and couldn't stop watching.

Long before travel blogs/vlogs came out, Rick Steves was, AND WILL ALWAYS BE the best Europe travel guide/documentarist ever. ❤

I started watching him when I was 20, I'm almost 50 now... glad to get this kinda insight into his method of madness.

I'm a huge fan of Rick Steves & have been watching him for many years now. He's a true humanitarian & possesses a real love of the world & all of the people in it. He's a wonderful teacher & lecturer & really gets to the heart of many matters, truly opening our eyes, ears and hearts to our wider world & not only clinging, onto the one we grew up within. Thank you Rick Steve's, for your many years of wonderful service in the travel sector & for educating very openly, countless Americans and others abroad.

Fun to hear a slightly less buttoned-down Rick than you get on PBS. The guy is funny!

Somehow I’ve managed to watch what I thought was every single Rick Steves videos on RU-vid, how have I missed this? Rick, you are truly my hero and inspiration, thank you for everything that you do.

What a great lecture. Well done Mr. Steves. I truly enjoyed it.

Bright Size Life ! Great person and great lifestyle, with a huge human heart ! Love the Iran comments on the end...shed tears hearing that ! Keep on travelling !

what a lovely character this mr.steves

I found this as interesting as his travel shows actually. Rick is great!

He inspired me, Rick Steves Europe, watching him late at night in 2000 and after visiting europe for the first time in 2002 i never looked back since. Thanks Rick

I’m sold! Need to do a Steves tour.

Love this! Steve provides such learned diversion!! Hilarious history, loved hearing it!

Saw Rick speak in Dallas last night. He is amazing, funny, and inspiring. Follow your dreams.....travel!,,,

This lecture series is outstanding; very enjoyable. I love the PBS series but these talks and those hosted by his guides and staff are exceptional.

Thank you Rick, for this lovely talk. It made my day :)

So thankful for the free spirit, wit and wisdom that Rick shares so generously and entertainingly. His clear thinking also provide proof that marijuana does not destroy brain cells but it does sometimes help make for rather nice and interesting people like Rick. He is quite the opposite of the stereotypical 'ugly American' - he is a beauty in every way. Thanks Rick - it's smart, helpful and passionate people like you who make me proud to be a human being!

Awesome video! I had no idea Rick was so entertaining!! I’ve bought his books and maps and what a delight to hear him speak. Thank you for sharing your optimism and belief in people. 😊 And saving me lots of money in Spain with your guidebooks!!

Loved the gothic cathedral lesson!!! Superb

Thank you Rick for this wonderful generous gift God bless you.

Thanks Rick! Martin and Roy were our guides on our first tour. It was like having Peter Sellers and Peter Ustinov as your guides and friends....THANKS Martin and Roy! A high, great adventure every day; we did not want to leave. We came back, wiser and better equipped thanks to you. Special thanks to Esther on our Eastern Europe tour! We hope all our tour mates are fine. Ciao!

Wonderful guy. Best guide ever.

Rick you are an inspiration to me , you built an empire on something you fell so passionate about , travel means so much to me now and as a 16 year old from Ireland I've traveled to over 13 countries in Europe on about 20 trips and to four countries in Europe this year alone with my school, traveling and seeing the outside world has opened my eyes to the splender of europe and has shape me into the person I am today ,

A superb upload & so much fun to watch! This is like listening to & watching images of Rick's travel story book. Such wonderful memories & they're always the very best. We all possess our very own memory story book. Thanks Rick Steves!

What an amazing legacy you and your family are leaving for the world! Amazing that a trip you didn't even want to go on as child, lead you on a path to such an amazing life!

Oh my god. I can’t believe it. I thought he only did tv shows. I’ve looked for a trustworthy guide for a trip for so long. Can’t wait to see what they have

that hour and a half went so fast! very funny and entertaining!

One bag, lots of history and on-time operation. Love all of those practices, I need to look at your tours.

So cool...so true. Love Mr. Steves' films and I show them to my wife and daughter all the time. Loved living in Germany for many years... Can't wait to take my family there. Thanks for all you do, sir! :)

much respect to you, Rick Steves! Love your way of spreading Peace!

Fabulous! Love all the travel vlogs, so informed and informing, and this is just wonderful. The sound of Australians rutting...one of the best lines ever, Thank you Rick

I enjoy all of your videos, but this is by far the best. Seeing you relaxed and unrehearsed while you talk about how you got started and why you do what you do is the most interesting thing on the internet. Thank you.

I’ve loved Rick’s shows since they started. This was an entertaining talk. And, always, very informative.

Rick....You Sir are a Great Person!!! Thank You

I look forward to taking a RS tour one day. I’ve done very little international travel when when I have it was to visit family. I’ll be frank, I’ve been intimidated by the idea of planning a trip to an unknown country. I would definitely benefit from a guided tour like these.

Love ya Rick Steves!!!! Thanks for being you!❤️❤️❤️

Loved the "Back Door Look" into Rick Steves!!! He's incredibly well organized and passionate about providing great (sometimes free) travel advice. Mahalo and aloha Rick!!!

I love you Rick Steves! I would die to meet you one day and hear your many travel tales!!

Rick's chaotic good energy is off the charts. Half his stories are about illegal but necessary activities or sadistic attempts to kick people's ethnocentrism in the face. What a legend.

What a blast! He is a great person. Educational and entertaining. Thank you.

Rick Steves is pure awesomeness!! This is what personal growth is about by seeing the world beyond our own borders. The rich life experiences and incredible yet hilarious stories to fill a memoir someday. The real education that isn't taught in schools nor typical corporate pods in downtown office boxes. Similar sheltered sedentary issues also exist in Canada (especially landlocked provinces) where many seem oblivious or indifferent to other cultures and the way the world works beyond our little jurisdictions. Maybe first world problem. Hearing excuses like folks going to all inclusive resorts down south for a whole week as counting as being a traveler just makes my head shake. You have to do one of these up in Canada too! Not just BC but the prairie provinces too to awake the baby booming Canucks so they can spend their money on real global experiences rather than jetting down to a resort or condo in some desert/beach place every year.

Delightful talk! Thank you Rick Steves.

Thanks so much for posting - this was great!

Rock Steve's and his awesome travel videos have me Sane in these COVID times. Thanks a lot Rick

Thanks, Rick, and Keep on Travelling!

What a wonderful video ,he has alot of knowledge with a great personality.

Great to have someone so knoweldgeable, with a greater ability to communicate that knowledge than most of my many professors! His Picasso stands alone for a joyous sunny tour of a modern master's works. I was hustled through the Louvre by an impatient Frenchwoman. Her "a moi" was constant and Rick gave us more real lingering time and knowledge!

My wife and I just watched this. Your joy of living--exploring and appreciating sights and cultural difference--is truly infectious. I noted that you too attended the school of hard "Knox" in Edinburgh, as did I briefly in 2015. And I have a photo wearing your hat to prove it!! 🙂

Wonderful video. Thanks for posting.

Wonderful that you have all your journals! I was in Europe on an art history tour in 1969 (age 16) too!

I want to spend an evening smoking a joint and listening to Rick play piano and tell stories. What a guy!

Rick Steves may have just cured my oh-so-lengthy Covid Blues

hats off to you!!! great show, history, integrity......

Hysterical talk. Love it. Very informative.

I thought Rick was a savvy guy from the videos. But from these pictures and stories, he's a dang boss.

Excellent talk and presentation.

Great at his craft. Truly his calling. He taught me many things about my own culture(italy).

i really love watching this show. it's like i also visit europe. i started watching this when they have less than a million subs. 😉💗

I have wondered how it was you came to have your own travel channel! Now I know and thoroughly enjoyed this! Great stories, pictures and humor!

12:47 Rick Steves’s save the cat moment, seems like one of the nicest guys you could ever meet, I think travel is what makes him so well rounded, when you see and know so much of the world and it’s people you have great empathy, I’m sure Rick would say he’s had his moments but overall way to go. Thanks for all the great info and most especially for setting such a great example and…. You’re funny!

My one hope is to do a guide with this guy around Europe... Rick, your videos are a way for my significant other and I to get away. To actually experience and love how people can be people in the same way as us, and have fun. Thank you Rick, you give us hope to do things like this, I just hope these things happen.

You hit the big tours hard and smart , and your tour was ahead of its time even to now hope your son learned well and continues to successful like you

Watching the Tour de France in the 80's attracted me to Europe in the first place. After my first few trips, Rick Steves TV programs and books influenced me to see the interesting less touristy places..

All your Videos are excellent and inspirational.

You are the teacher and the father every kid wanted

This was great! I almost didn't watch it because it's so long. Funniest dialogue for me was about the valium! Love RS..

so wonderful. Great guidebooks. Maybe someday I'll take a tour - except I hate getting up early in the morning.

Super interesting and fun..have always loved watching Back Door Productions, and it's great to get the background story!

What a character! ;-) It sounds like he had a wonderful young adulthood.. The 70's- those were the days..

wow- very inspiring journey and every travel entrepreneur should watch this awesome story

amazing Rick stevens.

I like your shout out about journaling!

What an amazing guy!

Rick you have to visit Georgia-the eastern Europe! I promise you won't be disappointed

Rick , With you no need for vacations .Just grab a drink or two , have a lazy chair and Enjoy ....and as an added bonus acquire knowledge. Muchas Gracias . Zorionak.

Great life story Rick. Love what you do and you never work a day in your life!

Durante decadas estube viendo los videos Rick Steves en el canal 8 en usa y fue la persona que me impulso a viajar , poque creia que era imposible para mi hoy en dia estoy viajando desde 1999 y este va ser mi 16 viajes a Europa gracia a Rick me ustaria algun dia conocerlo.

Very interesting 👌.

Rick Steves is the GOAT

Love hearing Rick talk about the good old days of European travel