Why Rick Steves Claims Hiking The Alps Is One Of 'Europe's Greatest Values'

Travel expert and public television host Rick Steves knows a thing or two about getting the most value out of your European travels. In favor of more personal adventures, Steves can tell you how to beat the crowds in busy cities like Venice and how to find great, affordable meals anywhere on the continent. However, if there is one experience he claims to be one of Europe's all time greatest values, it's hiking in the Alps. "Even if you pay for a lift ticket to get you quickly into the high country, the glories of the Alps are one of Europe's great values. The Alps are littered with helicopter-supplied mountain huts offering cheap beds and menu prices that don't go up with the altitude," Steves writes for his blog. 

The Alps stretch across Europe, beginning in the Mediterranean foothills of France and extending northeast across Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. Each of these countries offer tourists affordable opportunities to get up close and personal with Europe's great mountains, while also inviting travelers into the culture of the local communities. 

"All you need is 20 bucks and a sunny day, and you can get to the top of the Alps," Steves said in one of his travel seminars. Thanks to an investment in infrastructure, the Alps are easier to experience than ever before. So, whichever country's mountain region you want to visit, you can be sure to experience some of the best hikes in all of Europe.

While the Alps contain many of Europe's most technically demanding hikes, there are nevertheless very doable routes for novice hikers who might not be keen on tackling 10,000 plus foot peaks. One of the most accessible mountains in the Alps is Germany's Zugspitze. A 10-minute cable car ride takes you straight to the summit, where you can enjoy a meal at the mountain restaurant and take a short journey up to the official peak for a stunning view across the Alps.

A trek that involves a little more walking, but with no less beautiful views, are the meadow paths of the Alpe di Susi in the Italian Dolomites. This car-free zone, dotted with bucolic farms and alpine huts, is connected by cable cars and a convenient shuttle. "Meadow walks are ideal for flower lovers and strollers, while multiple chairlifts serve as springboards for more dramatic and demanding hikes. Mountain bikes are easy to rent, welcome on many lifts, and permitted on the meadow's country lanes," Steves writes.

However, if there is one Alpine hiking experience Steves recommends above all others, it's the Tour du Mont Blanc. The trail that literally changed Steves' mind about hiking, the Tour du Mont Blanc is a 100-mile jaunt that circumnavigates Europe's highest peak. It's a perfect trek for novice hikers, and provides some truly astonishing scenery and chances to really experience the culture of the French and Swiss Alps.

Any good hiking trip to the Alps is one that needs to be planned thoroughly. But instead of trekking from one tourist hot spot to another, Steves' approach to getting the most value out of a hiking vacation to the Alps is to cater to what most interests you. Steves paints a beautiful picture of Alpine adventure potential one of his travel seminars: "Imagine walking on a ridge ... On one side, you got lakes stretching all the way to Germany. On the other side, you got the most incredible alpine panorama anywhere, the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau ... That's a beautiful experience ... Everybody can have that. But you got to find that ridge and you got to get out there. And you can do that. In fact, you could put a bunch of those days together, connected by beautiful mountain lodges high in the mountains."

Thankfully, compiling a vacations worth of Alpine hikes is incredibly easy to do. Most of Europe is connected by efficient train systems, and the Alps are no exception. One beautiful example is Switzerland's Glacier Express, which brings you by some of the countries most stunning mountain scenery. While not a hike, it's a great connector to some of the Alps best resort towns, and provides all the glorious scenery you could want. 

So, whether you're trekking to Austria or enjoying an Italian mountain meadow, the Alps offer tremendous adventures at a great value.