Audio tours on iPod that could be music to a tourist’s ears

MP3 players and Apple iPods, those electronic darlings that are transforming the way we listen to music, are finding some travel-related uses beyond merely giving airplane passengers a personalized concert at 500 mph.

The gadgets have given rise to the podcast, a sort of news and information show starring whoever has the time and desire to use this alternative media for the spoken word.

When Apple launched a podcast directory on iTunes (www.apple.com/itunes) on June 28, it had more than 1 million subscribers in its first two days. Some of the 3,000 podcasts include programming from ABC News, BBC, Clear Channel, ESPN, Newsweek and NPR member stations such as KCRW-FM in Santa Monica.

Now this new medium has attracted a small but growing number of entrepreneurs who make spoken travel guides and tours available for download.

“Part of the beauty of podcasts is there are so many different ways to deliver the information,” said Greg Joswiak, vice president of iPod product marketing.

Audible (www.audible.com), a website that specializes in spoken content, has more than 70,000 hours of audio programs from more than 200 content partners, including more than 50 travel guides and walking tour programs.

“It is one of those genres that makes perfect sense for the proliferation of the devices,” said David Joseph, a spokesman for Audible.

Among the selections: London literary tours and guides to the Grand Canyon, various New York neighborhoods and major tourist destinations in Italy.

Aiming to replace the traditional tour experience of following the tour guide with the red umbrella, audio walking tours allow travelers to have an expert guide downloaded to their iPod or MP3. Audio tours run about 30 to 90 minutes and cost up to $15. A printed map usually comes with it, and you can preview samples to see whether they fit your style.

They are not for every traveler. You can’t, for example, raise your hand and direct your question to the guide with the red umbrella, and if you have a travel companion, each of you must have your own iPod or share a set of earphones, which is difficult if you don’t move at the same pace.

“It is for people who want to experience the city in a more personal way. It’s not generic,” said Eve Hernandez, a spokeswoman for Soundwalk, which has 15 walking tours, mainly in New York City but one each in Paris and India as well.

Soundwalk has sold about 25,000 downloadable tours through Audible, iTunes and its own site (www.soundwalk.com).

Each Soundwalk tour is narrated by someone who has a connection to the neighborhood. For example, the walk through New York City’s Chinatown is narrated by comedian Jami Gong, who was born and raised in the neighborhood. Besides the spoken word, music and sound effects accompany each walk.

For travelers to Europe, IJourneys.com (www.ijourneys.com) has audio tours of Rome, Florence, Venice and Pompeii (and soon Paris). They’re produced and narrated by Elyse Weiner, an Emmy-award winning former network TV news producer, and have an American sensibility. They include historical, cultural and practical information, such as where to get a great latte.

“As a newsperson, I like to inform and give people context,” Weiner said. “Travel opens people’s minds. I give people the history as well as the coffee.”

Yet another unexpected use for iPods -- coffee finder.

Contact James Gilden at www.theinternettraveler.com.