Does this make sense re tour downloads?
Sep 5th, 2010, 07:56 AM
#1
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Does this make sense re tour downloads?
This morning I was thinking that rather than getting the audio tours for the sites we'll be going to (Venice, Rome, Florence, Pompei, etc.), it might make more sense to get an Ipod and download audio tours of Rick Steeves, for example.
I'm not looking at it from a cost POV, but more ease and flexibility, as we could listen to the downloads anytime in advance so we'd have an idea beforehand. We already have one, so it's a matter of just purchasing one more.
Does anyone know if Rick's downloads are comparable to the ones at the sites?
Is this a sensible thought?
I'm not looking at it from a cost POV, but more ease and flexibility, as we could listen to the downloads anytime in advance so we'd have an idea beforehand. We already have one, so it's a matter of just purchasing one more.
Does anyone know if Rick's downloads are comparable to the ones at the sites?
Is this a sensible thought?
Sep 5th, 2010, 10:33 AM
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I would absolutely not use Rick Steeeeeeeves versus any official audio tour.
First, he is terminally irritating.
Second, he is definitely least common denominator - doing the 8th grade level version of everything and assuming you've never left your backyard before.
Third, his selections are often very odd, focusing on some minutia (dare I say it related to a "friend") and leaving out major items.
First, he is terminally irritating.
Second, he is definitely least common denominator - doing the 8th grade level version of everything and assuming you've never left your backyard before.
Third, his selections are often very odd, focusing on some minutia (dare I say it related to a "friend") and leaving out major items.
Sep 5th, 2010, 04:24 PM
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If you want to do some sight seeing, than I imagine that Mr Steves is excellent.
However, if you wish to be informed, then I think that there are better sources of information. This opinion is based on reading one of Mr Steves guide books, not listening to the audio tours. I found his book to be somewhat puerile.
However, if you wish to be informed, then I think that there are better sources of information. This opinion is based on reading one of Mr Steves guide books, not listening to the audio tours. I found his book to be somewhat puerile.
Sep 5th, 2010, 04:32 PM
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His shows are just as puerile. How to buy a train ticket. How to enter a cafe politely. How to climb 14 flights of stairs with your luggage to sleep in a hard, narrow bed in a room in one of his favorites B&Bs. How to buy cheese in a shop.
(If I want to buy cheese I walk 10 minutes to Zabar's, which sells hundreds and haas expert servers. I don;t need a video lesson on how to enter a cheese shop in paris.)
(If I want to buy cheese I walk 10 minutes to Zabar's, which sells hundreds and haas expert servers. I don;t need a video lesson on how to enter a cheese shop in paris.)
Sep 6th, 2010, 03:53 AM
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If you want some downloadable tours that are really good you can try pocketvox.com. I've done the ones of the Dorsoduro area of Venice and found it very easy to follow with great information. Their tour of the forum in Rome was incredible.
Depending on the audio guide they can either be good or bad. The audio guide at Ostia Antica was horrible. It was hard to use and kept putting us back at the beginning of the tour. We finally didn't use it and went on our own. The audio guide for the Borghese gallery was very good. Lots of great information.
I would hesitate renting and audio guide for the vatican museums. After you're finished you must return it to the front of the museums, which is a long walk away.
Donna
Depending on the audio guide they can either be good or bad. The audio guide at Ostia Antica was horrible. It was hard to use and kept putting us back at the beginning of the tour. We finally didn't use it and went on our own. The audio guide for the Borghese gallery was very good. Lots of great information.
I would hesitate renting and audio guide for the vatican museums. After you're finished you must return it to the front of the museums, which is a long walk away.
Donna
Sep 6th, 2010, 05:48 AM
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hi markland,
You've a good idea to download audios beforehand. The more you try the better your chance of learning little things you would not have thought to see when finally on your trip. Finding out about an interesting tidbit <i>after</i> the trip is a bummer!
I will try anything that is free and available. Certainly with the gigabytes of memory on today's iPods, there's no reason to turn down anything that can just be easily deleted later.
As monorailgold mentions, audio quality can vary. I've liked audios on tour and I've disliked audios, and I'm just stubbornly of a mind to try something for myself before swearing off
You've a good idea to download audios beforehand. The more you try the better your chance of learning little things you would not have thought to see when finally on your trip. Finding out about an interesting tidbit <i>after</i> the trip is a bummer!
I will try anything that is free and available. Certainly with the gigabytes of memory on today's iPods, there's no reason to turn down anything that can just be easily deleted later.
As monorailgold mentions, audio quality can vary. I've liked audios on tour and I've disliked audios, and I'm just stubbornly of a mind to try something for myself before swearing off
Sep 6th, 2010, 06:21 AM
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markland: Please listen to a Rick Steves download before you write him off. Lots of people swear by him and, if they are newbie travelers, find some of those LCD items (" How to buy a train ticket. How to enter a cafe politely.") useful when they don't speak the language or have a clue about travel.
Sorry nytraveler, your irritation may be another man's "thanks, I needed that!"
Sorry nytraveler, your irritation may be another man's "thanks, I needed that!"
Sep 6th, 2010, 11:59 AM
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Thanks for all the advice.
I do like the idea of downloading my own tours ahead of time. I've experienced enough audio tours at sites to know that it's a real crap-shoot. So I'll audition Rick ahead of time, and give a listen to pocketvox, and search around for other free downloads. In fact while I was looking around I stumbled on Sister Wendy at St. Peter's - couldn't help but smile!
I do like the idea of downloading my own tours ahead of time. I've experienced enough audio tours at sites to know that it's a real crap-shoot. So I'll audition Rick ahead of time, and give a listen to pocketvox, and search around for other free downloads. In fact while I was looking around I stumbled on Sister Wendy at St. Peter's - couldn't help but smile!
Sep 6th, 2010, 04:02 PM
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Sorry, this is off topic. I read a response you had given to gramma someone about traveling with a tour guide or not. I am a mom and my family of 5 are going at end of March to Venice, rome and Amalfi Coast. I'd love to hear where you are staying and if you are happy with them.
Sep 6th, 2010, 04:28 PM
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The only thing going for Rick Steve's audio guides is that they are free. I just can't deal with his comments and jokes...but that's me.
On the other hand, I have used city audio guides from IJourneys, Itineranet, Mp3 City Guides, noambit, Pcketvox, Simon Brooke and one of Ostia Antica from ARTineraries. I have found them all to be pretty good. Most, if not all, you have to pay for.
On the other hand, I have used city audio guides from IJourneys, Itineranet, Mp3 City Guides, noambit, Pcketvox, Simon Brooke and one of Ostia Antica from ARTineraries. I have found them all to be pretty good. Most, if not all, you have to pay for.
Sep 6th, 2010, 04:38 PM
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I have nothing against the idea of pre-loading audio guides if you can find good ones. I just don;t think Steeeves is it.
the man has made a fortune out of tours, TV shows and audios/videos that are aimed (i assume) at first time travelers - as the vast bulk of the info is either 1) useless for someone who has ever been anywhere and 2) really skewed to a couple of things he likes (his correct travel) versus the whole range of things there are to see/do/experience. (Yes, local farmer's markets are usually colorful and visiting one can be interesting - but not in every city you go to - versus major sights and museums.)
the man has made a fortune out of tours, TV shows and audios/videos that are aimed (i assume) at first time travelers - as the vast bulk of the info is either 1) useless for someone who has ever been anywhere and 2) really skewed to a couple of things he likes (his correct travel) versus the whole range of things there are to see/do/experience. (Yes, local farmer's markets are usually colorful and visiting one can be interesting - but not in every city you go to - versus major sights and museums.)
Sep 6th, 2010, 05:09 PM
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Why so much irritation at information aimed at first-time travelers? They do exist, all of us were one at some point, and information about things like how to buy train tickets can be helpful. Even how to buy cheese!
I'm not defending Mr. Steves's entire approach, but I don't understand the big deal about providing information for rookie travelers.
I'm not defending Mr. Steves's entire approach, but I don't understand the big deal about providing information for rookie travelers.
Sep 7th, 2010, 09:37 AM
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Rick Steves has a niche market and he can give some very useful advice to thowe kind of people (re how to buy a train ticket). I think his detailed info on that kind of stuff is great, because some regular guidebooks don't go into those kind of details.
However, Rick Steves is no art professor, I would never use him for tours like that (he says a lot of really stupid things about art, history, architecture, etc., IMO and a lot of his tastes are peculiar, to say the least). So I wouldn't use him for guided tours of anything, but think his general advice is fine. Now I will say I thought a couple of his city walking tours in Switzerland were not bad and I did copy them out of his book. I think he likes Switzerland a lot and thus is better there than some other countries, though. These were smaller places and no art was involved (like Lucerne). I don't know how he does for Italy, however. He isn't very good for France, I know that.
However, Rick Steves is no art professor, I would never use him for tours like that (he says a lot of really stupid things about art, history, architecture, etc., IMO and a lot of his tastes are peculiar, to say the least). So I wouldn't use him for guided tours of anything, but think his general advice is fine. Now I will say I thought a couple of his city walking tours in Switzerland were not bad and I did copy them out of his book. I think he likes Switzerland a lot and thus is better there than some other countries, though. These were smaller places and no art was involved (like Lucerne). I don't know how he does for Italy, however. He isn't very good for France, I know that.
Sep 7th, 2010, 12:15 PM
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Not trying to be combative, but what would you add to the following if you only had 3 days? This is from an RS site:
"Rome in Two to Three Days
On the first day, do the "Caesar Shuffle" from the Colosseum to the Forum, then over Capitol Hill to the Pantheon. After a siesta, join the locals strolling from Piazza del Popolo to the Spanish Steps. On the second day, see Vatican City (St. Peter's, climb the dome, tour the Vatican Museum). Have dinner on the atmospheric Campo de' Fiori, then walk to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. With a third day, add the Borghese Gallery (reservations required) and the National Museum of Rome."
For a family, I don't have a problem with above. For myself, I'd do the Pantheon and art stuff first. He also suggests that more visits require more depth. As Christina says above, for general stuff, I think he's fine. Again, markland, please add your experience to this forum.
"Rome in Two to Three Days
On the first day, do the "Caesar Shuffle" from the Colosseum to the Forum, then over Capitol Hill to the Pantheon. After a siesta, join the locals strolling from Piazza del Popolo to the Spanish Steps. On the second day, see Vatican City (St. Peter's, climb the dome, tour the Vatican Museum). Have dinner on the atmospheric Campo de' Fiori, then walk to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. With a third day, add the Borghese Gallery (reservations required) and the National Museum of Rome."
For a family, I don't have a problem with above. For myself, I'd do the Pantheon and art stuff first. He also suggests that more visits require more depth. As Christina says above, for general stuff, I think he's fine. Again, markland, please add your experience to this forum.
Sep 7th, 2010, 12:28 PM
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We did Rick's "freebie" audio downloads in Venice and were pretty darn happy.
OK,the Grand Canal business wasn't timed perfectly, but it was FREE. The other tours were great. We used my daughter's iphone (airplane mode) with a splitter. And by the way, when we rented audio things the rest of the trip, we used the splitter and saved a bundle.
We "auditioned" a lot of other free tours, and most of them were dreadful. I am pretty critical of Rick, but boring isn't one of my criticisms. I also found a free preview of another one--awful, awful, awful.
As to Sister Wendy, I LOVE her. My kids made fun of her (and me) when I forced them to watch her videos before we went to Florence. The kids more or less gave a tour of the Uffizi et al giving Sister Wendy imitations. That said, they knew they had learned a lot, and they were rather darn proud of how much they knew about what we were seeing.
OK,the Grand Canal business wasn't timed perfectly, but it was FREE. The other tours were great. We used my daughter's iphone (airplane mode) with a splitter. And by the way, when we rented audio things the rest of the trip, we used the splitter and saved a bundle.
We "auditioned" a lot of other free tours, and most of them were dreadful. I am pretty critical of Rick, but boring isn't one of my criticisms. I also found a free preview of another one--awful, awful, awful.
As to Sister Wendy, I LOVE her. My kids made fun of her (and me) when I forced them to watch her videos before we went to Florence. The kids more or less gave a tour of the Uffizi et al giving Sister Wendy imitations. That said, they knew they had learned a lot, and they were rather darn proud of how much they knew about what we were seeing.
Sep 7th, 2010, 05:26 PM
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What Steeeeeeves recommends for Rome is exactly the same as what every guidebook in the world recos for Rome.
You aren't buying an audio guide for that list of places. You buy an audio guide for the content about each place.
When he guides you through the forum which buildings does he point out? How does he relate than to the politics, religion and culture of ancient Rome? What does he explain about the electoral process, the function of the Senate and how it changed over time from the first days of Rome through the fall of the Empire? How does he explain the role of the Vestal Virgins? (Not much I expect - too busy sending you to a favorite place for pizza.)
You aren't buying an audio guide for that list of places. You buy an audio guide for the content about each place.
When he guides you through the forum which buildings does he point out? How does he relate than to the politics, religion and culture of ancient Rome? What does he explain about the electoral process, the function of the Senate and how it changed over time from the first days of Rome through the fall of the Empire? How does he explain the role of the Vestal Virgins? (Not much I expect - too busy sending you to a favorite place for pizza.)
