If you are planning a trip to New York, Boston, Denver, San Antonio or Hong Kong, don’t forget your cell phone. You’ll need it if you want to take a “Talking Street” tour. Basically, a walking tour of a given city where the guide is a recording accessed by phone.
For example, if you are planning a trip to New York City you simply dial a toll free number and select the spot where you are standing. “The Lower East Side: Birthplace of Dreams” is narrated by actor Jerry Stiller and is as easy to use as a pre-recorded audio guide in a museum. Each audio segment lasts under three minutes, and the entire tour takes a little more than an hour, including walking time. Although there is a recommended route, visitors can experience the stops in any order, at their own pace. People who have used the service say it offers more flexibility than traditional guided tours since you do not have to meet up with a tour guide at a specific time and you can explore an area at your own pace.
Candide Media Works is credited with launching the first cell phone tour. They offer “Talking Street” tours of New York City. The tour around the World Trade Center site is narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver and features a cameo by former mayor Rudy Giuliani, who talks about the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. The tour of Washington, D.C. is narrated by CNN’s Larry King, while the “Talking Street” tour of Boston is narrated by native Bostonian Steven Tyler, lead singer for the rock band Aerosmith. The tour costs $5.95 and has 17 stops, from the site of the Boston Tea Party to the Old North Church. At each site, vacationers call the “Talking Street” number for a two-minute description. They can visit the sites in any order and have several days to finish the tour.
You can also take cell phone tours of Denver and San Antonio. The Sacramento Zoo just launched cell phone tours of its most popular animal areas. And the National Park Service has added a cell phone tour of Minute Man National Historic Park in Concord, Mass.
Like all tours, the cell phone tours have their advantages and disadvantages. The pros include the fact that the cost of cell phones has come way down, and many companies no longer charge roaming fees. Also the availability of cell phones makes the tours very accessible. But, technology does have its downside. Unlike on a traditional walking tour, vacationers taking a cell phone tour don’t have a live guide who can answer questions and offer tourist tips.
For more information on cell phone tours, visit: www.TalkingStreet.com.