There are an increasing number of digital resources to help make travel easier these days. One of the more exciting is the world of MP3 walking tours.
Walki-Talki is just one of many companies currently offering up this service. The concept is simple. Pay $7.99 and download a PDF map and an MP3 podcast. Load it up on your iPod, and then hit the city. What I like about this particular company is the very proper British accent of the narrator, BBC broadcaster Ben Silburn. His accent lends just the right amount of class and sophistication to the podcast, elevating what would normally be a simple walk through town into a cultural immersion. For a sample, click here.
Currently, Walki-Talki has walking tours of only nine European cities (Rome, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona and Edinburgh), but more are on their way.
Those of you who like that personal touch of a private tour guide but don’t want to drop the money or be corralled into a large tour group, might want to consider this cheaper, more flexible option.