cindy2

My family will be traveling to Barcelona, Sevilla, Granada, Nerja, Cordova, Toledo and Madrid in late May.
When visiting typical tourist sites, we want to take advantage of audio guides when available, but want to know when it's worth the extra expense to hire a guide or join a tour group. What about the hop on/hop off buses?
Any thoughts or recommendations?

amsdon

I personally love the audio guides and always use them. I can repeat something and go at my own pace.

As for tour guides in museums, although I really enjoy them & their expertise as artists, they are usually huddled within a crowd and I sometimes cannot hear, or get close enough to see what they are referring to while they are talking.

We also used the on/off bus, and found it a nice way to get around we bought 2 days pass.
Also when you are tired from the sights you can rest a bit on it and drive around.

The audio guide on the bus is ok but don't rely on it sometimes it is out of synch with the sights. The spiral stairway in the bus is narrow, so if you have alot of gear for your kids keep that in mind. And it can get chilly/ or hotter up there so take a sweater/umbrella or hat and your own water.

scrb

Has anyone tried buying the audio guides for their iPods

There are some good podcasts here and there.

But it seems only some professional companies have a comprehensive selection.

You see Tourcaster all the time.

Surprised Frommers and Fodors don't try to do audio versions of their guides.

Lexma90

We (DH, 12yo son and myself) used the tourcaster audio tour of the Barri Gotic in Barcelona last year. We liked it very much. I wanted a shorter audio tour - wasn't sure how enjoyable it would be after several hours. But the 1 hour-or-so guide was perfect for us, and we were directed to some sights that we wouldn't have noticed otherwise.

DH and I also did a similarly-short Tourcaster audio tour of Torino, Italy on a trip there last fall. That one wasn't quite as in-depth, but we enjoyed it as well.

We don't usually join a tour group, and for museums, I just read from our guidebooks. I tend to purchase and use VERY detailed guidebooks, though; probably more than most people would want to use or read.

I considered the hop on/hop off bus for Barcelona, but the route that included the farthest-away destination that we wanted to vist (Parc Guell) also went to places that we weren't interested in visiting. So we didn't use the hop on/hop off bus.

cindy2

Thanks for your responses!
I am finding it strange that in the travel books for Spain I have consulted so far, and after looking on websites, it is almost never advertised that the museum/site has audioguides available. Should I assume that the major art museums and sites have them?

amsdon

Yes the Prado does as does the Riena Sofia. The Museo del traje does too (Costume Museum)
The Alcazar in Segovia also.
I do not recall using them at the Royal Palace in Madrid.

Sometimes there are several tour guides, although they try to be respectful it is hard to use the audioguides when they are talking.
Might as well listen to them ot as we did try to stay one step ahead of the student groups at all times.