Busbud Stories

Q&A with Andy Steves: Backpacking Essentials, Insider Travel Tips and Top European Destinations

As part of our goal to make life easier for bus travelers, we keep in touch with travelers who have had firsthand experiences wandering the world. Last time, we featured La Carmina – TV presenter, fashion blogger and travel journalist. Today, we’re happy to feature Andy Steves, president and CEO of Weekend Student Adventures.

As a young boy, Andy Steves started exploring the world by his father’s, famed travel guru Rick Steves, side. Since then, Andy spent time studying abroad and accumulated his own fair share of independent trips all over Europe. Bitten by the same infectious travel bug as his father, he has sought to build a name for himself by kickstarting his own travel business. Equipped with a lot of heart, ingenuity and a bucket full of international experiences, he now spearheads the Weekend Student Adventures initiative – a tour company that’s specifically geared towards students and budget backpackers traveling across Europe.

Andy and Rick Steves
Andy Steves and his father Rick Steves

1. Growing up, you did a lot of traveling with your mother and sister to visit your father abroad. How did you cope with being away from your dad at a young age?

As a youngster, with whatever situation you find yourself in, it’s normal. So I never really thought of my dad’s travel as something that I had to “cope” with. But I do remember it being more of a challenge for my mom, as essentially a single mother, to raise my sister and I while my dad was out of town. The coping on my part was more when we were traveling as a family together in Europe—when Rick Steves is in Europe, it’s never a vacation, it’s always work!

2. You mentioned that, as a youngster, your idea of a good time wasn’t always in line with that of your family, instead preferring your hamburger and fries to the typical touristic activities. What kind of activities would you suggest to students seeking an unconventional and eye-opening yet inexpensive travel experience?

That’s right, again as a young one traveling in Europe, everything is so different all the way down to the food. And while my palate wasn’t quite adequately matured, I still had the itch for a good ol’ burger and fries.

Now much older, I see the value in travel and how it expands your horizons in just about every category. And food is one of the ways to push the envelope. Find the hidden neighbourhoods where the locals hang out, and observe for a bit. Find the busiest restaurant packed with people and check out what’s on their plates, and figure out a way to try some yourself. It’s not rocket science, it just takes a bit of creativity and tenacity.

Love Lock Bridge, Krakow, Poland
Love Lock Bridge in Krakow, Poland

3. Your culinary taste must have expanded since then as well. Which type of European cuisine has come to be your favorite, and what is the most outstanding local meal you’ve had so far?

For me, it’s all about the Spanish tapas. Tapas in Madrid and Barcelona are just excellent. Catalan tapas tend to be seafood based, while in Madrid I love the jamón and manchego cheese. When it comes to food, the biggest bang for buck is definitely Spain.

The best meal I’ve ever had is one that is well beyond my budget, but I’ll never forget it: Il Gabriello’s in Rome just around the corner from the Spanish Steps. Claudio, the boss, welcomes you into his subterranean restaurant that looks more like an art gallery, and you’re treated to course after course of appetizers, seafood, pasta, meats, sweets and wine. After the meal I had with my family, I literally popped a button of my suit jacket!

4. From your early childhood until now, your travels have spanned across the European continent. What are your top 3 destinations in Europe and what is special about them?

This is a common question I get and I still haven’t found a good, short answer. When it comes to favourite or best places, it really all depends on the traveler herself. It’s all a matter of what you enjoy most. And for me, that really depends on my mood and what I’m most excited to experience.

Budapest has amazing thermal hot spring spas which I had the chance to experience while researching and setting up my tour there. I miss those a lot, especially the club nights when they turn these 19th century bath complexes into a raging discoteca. Krakow has some of the best and cheapest nightlife in Europe. I love it because the old town is so small, yet has such a wide range of options for those looking to have a good time. I love Madrid for the food and nightlife as well. London tends to be underrated, and I always find something new to love about that city on each return visit. And Dublin for me is where I really feel at home with such nice people, and tasty beer. I guess that’s five!

Catalan Castellers in front of the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Catalan Castellers in front of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain

5. Which other countries would you like to visit but have yet to do so, and what is the first thing you would do once you set foot in them?

I’m taking a trip to southeast Asia this summer with my sister. In a month, we’ll be touring Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. This will be both our first times traveling to Asia, so we’re very excited about that. I haven’t had a chance to begin researching the trip at all though! I can’t wait to try the food in Thailand. The spicier the better, though I’m sure I’ve never experienced spiciness on their level.

6. What are your backpacking travel essentials?

From my perspective, I’ve gotta have the following to stay happy: three shirts, two button ups, a long sleeve tee, three pairs of pants, one pair of shorts, a light jacket, a mid-weight jacket, a waterproof over jacket, running clothes, a weeks worth of undies and socks, toiletries, daily shoes and running shoes. For tech, I travel with an iphone I keep on airplane mode to use wifi, a throwaway phone for local calls, my laptop for business, and headphones that block out outside noise.

Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary
Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest, Hungary

7. What are some of the factors that prompted you to start your own travel business?

I never had the intention to get involved in the tourism industry. I wanted to try a few different things because until the point of starting my own company, tourism was all I knew. But I couldn’t ignore the expertise and connections I had gained from working as an assistant guide for my father’s company for two years, and from having studied abroad and witnessed the need that my company now services. All that considered, along with the dire economic and job market situations at the time, gave me all the upside and very little to lose. When I weighed my options, it just seemed like an incredible opportunity to do something I was passionate about and knew how to do well.

8. What is the most popular tour option that your company currently offers to travelers, and which one is your personal favorite?

Paris is our most popular destination overall. She’s our workhorse, and our local guide Kevi does an amazing job there. People love him and the value of the tour: navigating through the massive city of Paris, taking you to great typical spots to eat, and skipping the line into both the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum.

For me, I love leading the St. Paddy’s Dublin celebration weekend. We’ve been running it for five years now and we’ve had groups as big as 97 on the trip. I just love sharing with students a little about Irish culture and revealing that Ireland is more than just Leprechauns and Guinness. We go to a traditional Irish dance show, hike along the Coast outside of Dublin, go into the Guinness Storehouse of course, stay in a great hostel and catch High Mass with the President and Archbishop of Ireland. All around, it’s an intense weekend, but an unforgettable one.

Dublin, Ireland
St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Ireland

9. At Busbud, we’re making bus ticket booking easier for travelers worldwide so that they can take better travel decisions. What do you think about this mission, and do you think this type of service benefits the travel community?

We always encourage travelers to select the best connection that works for them. There are so many options for travelers these days, and it’s great to have a service that helps backpackers choose between their ground options.

10. Finally, do you have a memorable bus story to share with our readers?

I was on a bus between Krakow and Budapest and the ride included an attendant who came through with snack and drinks quite often. That was a pleasant surprise that I’ll look forward to the next time I’m hopping on a bus!

Thank you, Andy!

Berlin, Germany
Group picture in Berlin, Germany

Be sure to visit Weekend Student Adventures’ website and to follow Andy on Twitter to learn more about him and his tour company!

Pictures courtesy of Weekend Student Adventures