“Our mission is to foster fun, respectful, in-depth and unforgettable travel experiences for students and budget travelers with local guides revealing their home towns.”
Andy's Story
Andy Steves grew up traveling with his family in Europe, tagging along with his father, Rick Steves as he updated guidebooks, made TV shows and led tours. By the time Andy was studying at the University of Notre Dame, he would spend his summers leading tours for his dad's company. During the Spring of 2008, Andy studied abroad in Rome at John Cabot University, where he came up with the idea for a tour company for students abroad in Europe.
“Andy’s making his mark on the Budget Travel world.””
Andy Steves' Europe: City-Hopping on a Budget
Andy's guidebook for budget and first time travelers in Europe hit shelves in June of 2016. The book was picked up by local news stations and national publications like Conde Nast Traveler, Alaska in Flight Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle the Seattle Times and more. Andy shares his hard-learned insights on how to make the most of your time and money while abroad in Europe.
Andy frequently travels to speak about his book, and give his travel workshop. He's skilled at adapting his subject for the audience he'll be presenting to, whether it's via TV, live audience, student organization or otherwise. Get in touch if you'd like to have Andy at your program.
Andy Steves Travel Podcast
In 2016 and 2017 Andy started interviewing a number of his close international friends, from tour guides he's collaborated with over the years, to fellow travel entrepreneurs. Tune in to hear all sorts of fun stories, fascinating insights and new world views to reflect on.
Find a list of podcasts episodes here.
We need a producer for Season Two! Give us a listen and let us know if you think you might be a good fit (warning: we don't pay well.. yet!)
Send us content ideas and producer applications here.
Weekend Student Adventures
Andy launched WSA after graduating from Notre Dame in 2010. By 2016, WSA has 13 weekend itineraries and three longer break trips through Italy, Ireland & Central Europe. The WSA team is composed of more than a dozen nationalities, and we take over 1,500 students each year on our excursions around the continent.
WSA is passionate about connecting students with the cultures they're studying in, and the new cities they visit. We focus on providing well-located and safe hostels, full time expertise and service of fun, local guides, skip-the-line sightseeing and small, fun groups to explore new cities with.
Learn more about WSA Tours here, and don't miss our amazing reviews on TripAdvisor either!
AndySteves.com Relaunched in 2016
With the advent of his book, we realized that all our tours, services, travel products, book and Detours no longer fit under the WSA brand. With 13 amazing local guides across Europe, a wealth of experience, connections and tried and trued itineraries, the WSA team is now offering white label trips for programs, study abroad institutional travel, and travel services geared at young professionals.
AndySteves.com now features our Detours as a standalone product, weekend and weeklong travel packages, customized travel consulting, a guidebook, and a ton of travel-related media to use and share for free.
The must-have tools for the best trip.
My Airbnb hosting story started in Prague, where my friend Taylor and I rented out several apartments with the intent of subletting them out to short-term visitors. Of course it doesn’t take long in Prague for there to be problems with the neighbors. Accusations of drunk guests passed out in the stairwell, things falling from windows and lost guests knocking on the wrong door soon became commonplace. Needless to say those apartments didn’t last forever, but they were beautiful!