European travel guru Rich Steves has just announced the release of his new Android app, Rick Steves’ Audio Europe. For a heightened sightseeing experience, for destinations across Europe, Steves has created a groundbreaking new tool. Audio Europe is another piece in the perfect mobile travel toolbox.
Rick Steves live - the new Android app ups the travel game - courtesy Rick's Facebook
Superhuman Tour Guides
For those out there who do not already know, Rick Steves is not only one of the most versed European travel experts in the world, but he’s about as congenial and pleasant a tour guide as any can imagine. I was listening to some of his commentaries will doing the research for this article, and its easy to tell why Rick has gained such popularity. This new Android tool, to go along with his Apple variant, is extraordinary in the world of travel I believe. 29 walking tours, 200 tracks from radio shows, and particularly the flexibility of the app – offer great value for European travelers – for free too.
Rick Steves' Audio Europe - click to visit the Android store
Rick explains the method behind the Audio Europe app:
“This app thrills the tour guide in me. The combination of hearing about the art as you see it heightens your ability to really appreciate it. It all sinks in more deeply and fluidly than the disconnectedness of the experience when your eyes jump back and forth from book to masterpiece, again and again. It frees you up to maximize your focus and be in the artistic moment.”
Tools like this will be all the rage in future forms, it is my belief. When I think about the aspects we are helping develop, for Stay.com, Vinivi, a host of other travel entities, even our own Argophilia Travel, listening to Steves brings to mind a traveler – reaching into their smart device – and pulling out a full featured and interactive PBS broadcast. Now this is the future of what we all termed “Web 3.0” at a point in time – and Steves is the Superman of next gen tour guides – especially if Google travel integrates him into a booking app :)
Rick in Italy, getting to be about as "local" as anyone there - courtesy Wikipedia
Localize Yourself
And. What Rick advocates for the American traveler – “becoming a temporary local” when headed to Europe? This runs parallel to the core of Argo’s philosophy of “showing” travelers Eastern Europe so they are better informed and begin this process before, during, and after their trip. It’s a big task, one which Steves has made more inroads into than anyone.
If you just visit Steves’ website for audio files, you’ll find a treasure trove of up close and personal audio across the continent. I was listening to Steve interview a Bulgarian tour guide, a common aspect of his shows and podcasts. We cannot devote the necessary time to showcase all that Rick Steves has produced for the European traveler, not nearly, but visiting these links provided, Rick’s YouTube Channel, Facebook, or Twitter, the reader can causally glean just how useful Steves’ work is for anyone headed over here.
