No purchase necessary to enter or win this giveaway. One entry per person. The Rick Steves European Cities Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm PST on December 31, 2010.

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to enter  - Win a week-long tour of Paris, Rome or London! Your choice of a fully-guided Rick Steves Tour

Your choice if you win

Best of Paris in 7 Days
Your week in Paris will include a monumental mix of the city’s greatest sights: the Louvre, Orsay and Cluny Museums, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle, and Versailles Palace. You’ll also enjoy guided neighborhood walks through the city’s historic heart — and quieter moments to slow down and savor the intimate cafés, colorful markets, and the joie de vivre that brings life to the City of Light.

Best of Rome in 7 Days
During your week in Rome, you’ll tour Ancient Rome’s Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, and the Roman seaport of Ostia Antica. From the Renaissance and Baroque eras, you’ll see St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and Borghese Gallery. You’ll also enjoy today’s Rome, with a cooking demonstration, neighborhood walking tours, memorable restaurants, and time to wander on your own.

Best of London in 7 Days
During yourweek in London, you’ll tour The Tower, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s, and the Cabinet War Rooms. You’ll see priceless art and artifacts at the National Gallery, British Library, and British Museum. Your guide will take you on neighborhood walks, a Thames cruise, and a train trip to Windsor Castle — and you’ll have time to rub elbows with London’s colorful street life and pubs.

First there was the woman who runs the leather school at the Church of Santa Croce (established by her family and Franciscan monks after World War II to give orphaned boys a trade)…

Then there was the likeable congressman from Florida whom I met while dodging a horse carriage near a Donatello statue. And while eating alone at one of my favorite restaurants, I chatted up a conductor from Switzerland with “Young Frankenstein” hair. All night we talked about pianos — a passion we both shared.

The maestro and I had a wonderful chemistry. He was the kind of person I knew I could be great friends with —

and someone I probably never would have met had we not been dining alone that night. The nature of my job means that I spend a lot of time in museums, restaurants, and bars by myself. But that’s also the way I prefer to experience Europe.

When you’re with a companion, it’s easy to focus on that person and forget about meeting Europeans and other travelers. With out the comfortable crutch of a friend, you’re more likely to know the joys of self-discovery and the pleasures found in the kindness of strangers. You’ll be exploring yourself, as well as a new country and culture.

Solo travel gives you complete freedom and independence. You never have to wait for your partner to pack up. You decide where to go, how far to travel, how much to spend, or when to call it a day. If ad-libbing, it’s easier for one to slip between the cracks than two.

Of course, there are downsides to traveling alone: Accommodations typically cost more because you’re not splitting the bill, and you may be more vulnerable to theft when you’re alone. But the biggest struggle is loneliness.

Fortunately, the continent is full of lonely travelers and natural meeting places. Staying in hostels gives you a built-in family (hostels are open to all ages). Small pensions and B&Bs often have owners who have time to talk with you. City walking tours provide an easy opening to meet other travelers. ” (via msnbc.msn.com) by Rick Steves

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to read more of Tips for traveling solo from Rick Steves

-Monthly Travel News Email Newsletter-Get on-the-road email dispatches and travel articles from Rick…

-Subscribe to Travel News (email)…

-Travel Newsletter-64-page, print newsletter is packed with information on Rick’s favorite destinations and travel tips…

-Free Rick Steves’ Tours Catalog with Tour Experience DVD-Jump-start your travel dreams with our full-color tour catalog and DVD.

-Guide to Eurail Passes -Rick’s printer-friendly, black-and-white, 32-page railpass guide, designed to help you choo-choose the best pass for your trip.

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here for Free travel info from Rick Steves

Dear Traveler…

Next week I’ll be taping a few new radio shows and I’d love to hear from you…

Take a look at our recording lineup – click link below…
If you have a comment or question you’d like me to answer, please follow the simple instructions on our website… If your comment or question is used on the air, I’ll send you your choice of a free autographed Rick Steves’ guidebook.

You’ll also be able to listen-in on our live, unedited taping sessions this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (a special audio link will appear on our radio web page when we’re recording).

I’ll look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for traveling with me…on the air.

Rick Steves

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here to get the info for Wanna be on Rick Steves’ radio show? Receive autographed book

Building on the success of their popular France Audio Tours, they’ve created a dozen new Rick Steves Italy Audio Tours for Rome, Florence and Venice — available FREE on iTunes (for iTunes/iPod users), or on their Italy or France download pages (for non iTunes/iPod users).

Like their France Audio Tours, each Italy Audio Tour is written and narrated by Rick, and includes a handy PDF companion map

Pointswizard.com Spin: Click here for Rick Steves’ Free Audio Tours Guide You Through the Best of Europe