We use our iPod like it’s going out of style. And, that doesn’t stop once we get to Europe. In fact, before we head off, we load it up with free podcasts depending on what city we’re visiting. We’ve saved many a euro by taking our own free tours, headphones in.
Here are five picks for free Paris podcasts:
For art buffs:
We love Rick Steve’s audio walking tour of the Musée d’Orsay. You can download it for free via iTunes. Or, visit his site for more info on how to download his podcasts. Rick also has a free tour of the Louvre if you’re so inclined.
For history fanatics:
We like Zevisit’s guides to historical landmarks and monuments in European cities. You can download them via iTunes, or visit their site for more information. The Paris audio guide boasts tales of an elephant on the Eiffel Tower, mysteries of the Louvre, and includes a tour of Notre Dame.
For bookish types:
Ok, so there have been a lot of “Code”-inspired tours since Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code debuted in 2003. Heck, we even saw a Louvre exhibit based on the bestseller. We wouldn’t normally recommend these audio tours as they can get pricey and touristy. However, if you’re a fan of the book (and yes, we read it too!), we suggest “Walking the Da Vinci Code” by Peter Caine, a free podcast available on iTunes or via the author’s web site. Plug in and get your Priory of Scion on!
For one-stop shoppers:
Cityzeum covers a lot of subjects on their podcasts, available through iTunes. Download their audio guides for free via iTunes or download the Paris tour, in French only, on their site. The tour touches on all the main neighborhoods (the Marais, Latin Quarter, Montmartre and others) as well as provides introductions to monuments, famous squares, churches, gardens, and more.
For the indecisives:
There are so many podcasts to choose from! One audio tour may lead to a fancy bar in the Marais while another might mean bumping into a rush of American tourists wearing fanny packs (we’ll let you figure out which podcast this applies to). So, when we’re feeling conflicted, we head over to Tourcaster, or visit their page on iTunes. Here, you can choose from a range of walking tours. For example, there are guides to religion in Paris, government, or key French phrase tutorials to help you learn your qui from your quoi. Tourcaster typically charges for guides on their web site, but if you subscribe to their weekly podcast feed (again, via iTunes), you should have no trouble hitting the city of lights in stride.
Other Paris podcasts?
Do you know of another quality Paris podcast? Please let us know, by posting below!