RICK STEVES AUDIO EUROPE APP
Before my travels, I put the Rick Steves Audio Europe app on my phone and downloaded a couple of the audio tours. During the course of my travels, I downloaded a few more. They were so handy to have, and it was nice to be able to listen to a tour rather than having my nose in a book while I was exploring on my own.
Extra Days in Rome
From our group, five of us were spending 2 extra nights in Rome. We decided to get outside the city and go explore Ostia Antica, an ancient harbor town. (think Pompeii, but without a Mount Vesuvius nearby) We downloaded Rick's Ostia Antica walking tour and showed ourselves around the ruins of the ancient city. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time!
From our group, five of us were spending 2 extra nights in Rome. We decided to get outside the city and go explore Ostia Antica, an ancient harbor town. (think Pompeii, but without a Mount Vesuvius nearby) We downloaded Rick's Ostia Antica walking tour and showed ourselves around the ruins of the ancient city. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time!
Here we are in the theater. Shauna, Mary Ann & I were posing in the "higher seats" as we understood from the audio tour that historically this is where the women would have been seated.
Here's another photo of my tour mates in front of some ruins. Did you notice there's not a cloud in the sky?! Gorgeous day!
Vienna Ringstrasse
Later in my travels a friend and I both downloaded the audio tour of the Vienna Ringstrasse, which is essentially a ring road around the city. It was so great to pay the regular tram ticket price to ride around town and listen to our own tour, rather than paying 20 Euros for a guided bus tour.
Later in my travels a friend and I both downloaded the audio tour of the Vienna Ringstrasse, which is essentially a ring road around the city. It was so great to pay the regular tram ticket price to ride around town and listen to our own tour, rather than paying 20 Euros for a guided bus tour.
This is outside the Vienna Opera House. The Vienna "Ring Tram" passed right by it. And our pension which we found in a Rick Steves guidebook was located nearby.
Books
Hand Me Down - Paris
When I received my tour packet from Rick Steves, I was a little skeptical about carrying multiple guidebooks. Yet, I learned they really are worth their weight! I even took an extra. I inherited a friend's Paris 2004 guidebook. Yes, it was almost 10 years old...but let's face it - most of the tourist sites haven't moved! While I didn't depend on an old guidebook for restaurant recommendations or entrance fee prices, I tore out some of the maps and walking tours and showed myself around before our tour started.
Hand Me Down - Italy
I also used an old Italy guidebook with some details about Capri once I decided to head there after leaving Rome. I got lucky and someone had left behind a Rick Steves Italy guidebook at our hotel in Tuscany. Martin suggested that I might want to take it along with me....and he was right! Again, while some things may have been outdated, it was better than wandering around on my own. I left this book behind for someone else to use once I left Italy (well, except for those pages on Milan).
Kindle - Prague
I was a little upset at first that I'd have to carry physical books on my trip rather than being able to download them all onto my Kindle. However, I ended up downloading the Prague guidebook to use later in my trip. While it was definitely more helpful than not having a guidebook at all, I quickly realized that I can flip through a physical book much more easily and quickly than I can skip around with my Kindle or phone.
Hand Me Down - Paris
When I received my tour packet from Rick Steves, I was a little skeptical about carrying multiple guidebooks. Yet, I learned they really are worth their weight! I even took an extra. I inherited a friend's Paris 2004 guidebook. Yes, it was almost 10 years old...but let's face it - most of the tourist sites haven't moved! While I didn't depend on an old guidebook for restaurant recommendations or entrance fee prices, I tore out some of the maps and walking tours and showed myself around before our tour started.
Hand Me Down - Italy
I also used an old Italy guidebook with some details about Capri once I decided to head there after leaving Rome. I got lucky and someone had left behind a Rick Steves Italy guidebook at our hotel in Tuscany. Martin suggested that I might want to take it along with me....and he was right! Again, while some things may have been outdated, it was better than wandering around on my own. I left this book behind for someone else to use once I left Italy (well, except for those pages on Milan).
Kindle - Prague
I was a little upset at first that I'd have to carry physical books on my trip rather than being able to download them all onto my Kindle. However, I ended up downloading the Prague guidebook to use later in my trip. While it was definitely more helpful than not having a guidebook at all, I quickly realized that I can flip through a physical book much more easily and quickly than I can skip around with my Kindle or phone.