2010 marks the 30th anniversary of Europe Through the Back Door. Page through the years to learn more about events that have shaped our history.
1973
(Pre-ETBD): It‘s the day after high school graduation. With Gene Openshaw (future coauthor of Europe 101, Mona Winks and six city guidebooks), Rick begins the first of 37 summerlong trips through Europe. During that first trip, the lads pretty much live on peanut butter and Fanta.
1980
Rick writes and self-publishes the first edition of his Europe Through the Back Door travel skills book. Its “elegant simplicity” causes reviewers to assume it‘s a rough, prepublication publicity copy. Rick’s college roommate does the illustrations with a ballpoint pen, and his girlfriend does the typesetting on a rented IBM Selectric typewriter.
1982
ETBD publishes its first travel newsletter, one legal-size page folded in half. Rick‘s dietary advice to travelers: “Drink the water everywhere. If Lomotil doesn‘t work, try cling peaches.”
Rick drives and guides five 3-week Europe minibus tours in 100 consecutive days. Motto: “You‘re never too old to have a happy childhood.” Cost: 990 per person + air.
1984
Rick‘s first take-along guidebook appears. 22 Days in Europe is heavily based on his Europe bus tour handbook.
1988
The first edition of Rick and Gene‘s Mona Winks guide to museums appears.
1989
ETBD publishes a special newsletter issue consisting entirely of Rick‘s daily journal from an intense 2-week Center for Global Education tour of El Salvador and Nicaragua. Conservative readers are disappointed in “Sandinista Steves.”
Europe Through the Back Door is translated into Japanese, featuring a blonde traveler on the cover with a gourd-shaped face and no nose whatsoever. Rick gets $200. We never hear from the Japanese publisher again.
With Seattle‘s Small World Productions, Rick cowrites and films the first 3 seasons (13 shows each) of Travels in Europe with Rick Steves for public television.
1991
Vinnie Van Go, ETBD‘s VW research van featured in our first TV shows, is blown to smithereens in Paris by rioting French students demanding smaller classes. (It must have made sense to someone.)
1993
Rick‘s TV shows appear on VHS.
1996
ETBD pulls down its dial-up BBS service (circa 1991) and creates a website.
1999
Rick‘s new city guidebooks to London, Paris and Rome appear.
2000
Rick and his staff move into their newly-constructed building, offering much more room for travelers to plan their trips (and buy things from us). It is the only building in Edmonds, WA, that features gargoyles. We celebrate with a 2-day travel festival and open house party for the public.
2001
Redesigned Rick Steves travel bags arrive—our first collaboration with design/production partner Kiva Designs—and they sell like hotcakes.
While many tour companies and guidebook publishers dramatically scale back or go out of business, Rick decides this is the time to launch more projects and create more content. No staff are laid off.
2002
The euro is introduced and travel for Americans is easier and cheaper than ever. The dollar begins a steady decline.
2003
As the White House prepares for war, ETBD prints and distributes 10,000 UN flag bumper stickers with the words “Think Multilaterally.”
2005
Rick and radio producer Tim Tattan meet in ETBD‘s newly-created studio to record the first Travel with Rick Steves public radio show for Seattle‘s KUOW-FM. By 2010, more than 130 stations carry the show, and downloads of the podcast version reach 100,000 per week.
Rick appears on 60 Minutes II, taking correspondent Vicki Mabrey on a three-day tour through the Netherlands and Germany.
2006
Rick launches his first podcasts on iTunes.
2007
The 1-hour TV special, Rick Steves’ Iran, airs.
2008
Rick performs A Foreign Affaire with the Seattle Men’s Chorus at McCaw Hall.
2009
Letting the politics fly with Travel as a Political Act.
A profile of Rick appears in the June 8 issue of TIME Magazine.
2010
An special edition of the Smithsonian Magazine is dedicated entirely to Rick and his travels.
Our 2010 edition of Europe Through the Back Door marks thirty amazing years of travel bliss. From all of us at Europe Through the Back Door, thanks for the memories!
