Travel as a Political Act

Change the world one trip at a time. In this fully revised collection of stories and lessons from the road, the New York Times-bestselling author and travel writer Rick Steves shares a powerful message that resonates now more than ever.

With the world facing divisive and often frightening events, from climate change, to rising nativism and populism, there's never been a more important time to travel.

Rick believes the risks of travel are widely exaggerated, and that fear is for people who don't get out much. After years of living out of a suitcase, he still marvels at how different cultures find different truths to be self-evident, how the people he meets wallop his ethnocentricity, and how we can learn more about our own country by viewing it from afar.

With gripping stories from Europe, Central America, Asia, and the Middle East, including a new chapter based on Rick's travels in Ethiopia and Guatemala, Travel as a Political Act is an antidote to the current climate of xenophobia. When we travel thoughtfully, we bring back the most beautiful souvenir of all: a broader perspective on the world that we all call home.