I downloaded Rick's audio tours on my phone because I think these can be used while walking around the sites without consuming any data when no wifi is available. I'm no techno wizard so I want to make sure this is true so I don't get pounded by Verizon for data overruns while I am traveling in Italy or while listening to them for hours in my car before I go. Thanks!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Yes, as long as you've already downloaded a tour, you can listen to it (and look at the accompanying pictures/maps) without using data.
If you want to make sure, you can put your phone in Airplane Mode; this shuts off all communication between your phone and the "outside world" (no calls, texts, WiFi, or 3G/4G data). Just remember to turn off Airplane Mode when you're ready to resume communication.
If you need more tech tips, tell us what model of phone you have.
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
His walking tours and audio tours of Rome were wonderful, especially the Sistine Chapel. We were fortunate to book a Friday night tour at 1900-2100 with only 200 people. We had the place practically to ourselves as we sat and listened to Rick explain the ceiling panels in great detail. WE used a Kindle Fire but a download on a phone would just be on your phone and not use any data nor need any wifi hookup.
Posted by
OP
North Carolina
362 posts
Thanks Harold & George! I have a Droid Turbo. I tried it in airplane mode and it works perfectly. I'm all set!!
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15798 posts
The tours have accompanying maps on pdf files. It's much easier to follow the tours when you have the map - soprint them out.
Posted by
NSW Australia
703 posts
susan, we have used numerous of them in various countries and find them very good. as well as the audio interviews etc. we listen to them at home, before we go, ( when time permits- like when travelling in a train etc) this helps us plan the trip and tests them out. they definitely do not need data, once they are downloaded to your phone, as we have data turned off on our devices. i also use them on a an ipod ( eg: no data)
hope this helps.
Posted by
Boston, MA
1832 posts
Susan,
The Rome audio tours are fantastic! Our favorite and felt most helpful was the Roman Forum ; there is no signage at all in that place so without the audio tour it would not be the same experience, the audio tour brought the place to life and told me what I was looking at.
Each of them is worth a download though, just make sure your phone has downloaded the file when on wifi and then you can play the tours data free.
These specific audio tours won't be that useful listening on the plane or the car, they are meant to be on site and press play and walk along to the tour pausing and restarting as you need.
He has other podcasts that might be better for car/plane ride listening to get you excited for the trip.
Good idea to download onto each person's phone/ipod, etc... in your party. If 2 of you there are $5 little splitters that can take one phone's signal and run 2 sets of earphones from it which is a way to do with just one download and 2 people but you would have to be close to each other.
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
Both my wife and I utilized the RS audio tour for Pompeii, each on our own phones. It was pretty neat, and almost made us feel like we were in the show itself. We did have to get used to pausing the audio at the same time when we wanted to investigate something of interest to us, then syncing up the time point when we wanted to resume. We had thought of a splitter but then thought the Italians would be looking at us like, 'look at those ugly Americans, can't even enjoy the great Pompeii ruins!' But it was informative & great fun besides, and hopefully we can do some more podcasts again for Rome next February or March!