It’s a situation you probably dread — one wrong platform, a tight connection, or a confusing announcement in a language unfamiliar to you, and suddenly, you’re watching the European countryside blur past from the wrong train. But if this happens to you in Europe, travel guru Rick Steves has one unexpected piece of advice: stay on board.
In Steves’ article “The Beauty of Spontaneous Travel,” he explains: “Years and years ago, I was on a train heading to Rothenburg to update the ultimate medieval town in Germany for my guidebook. I knew the town well and was anticipating a happy homecoming. The cute lanes would be filled with my readers, who cheered me on. I loved going to Rothenburg.” But then something unexpected happened that would send most travelers into a panic — Steves boarded the wrong train. “As I was preparing for a connection, I realized the train I was on was heading for Prague,” he recalls.
Rather than getting off at the next destination and making his way back to start the journey again, Steves decided to go with the flow. “I started comparing the value of spending the next three days in Rothenburg versus doing a groundbreaking research stint in Prague shortly after the end of the Cold War. I stayed on that train and didn’t get off until I reached the Golden City of a Hundred Spires. What followed was one of the most exciting and rewarding weeks of guidebook research I can remember.” Sometimes, going with the unexpected creates the best travel memories. As Steves explains, “When I think back on that trip, I’m reminded of the value of tossing the schedule once in a while and living in the moment.”
How to embrace spontaneous travel, the Rick Steves way
