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1 - iWalk This Way, Penny Watson, M Magazine (The Sunday Age)16/08/2009
...Big-brand names are also getting behind the idea. Puma (soundwalk.com) has its own sightseeing running tours around the world's finest metropolitan landscapes including Paris' Bois de Bologne and New York's Central Park. Adidas has won awards for its insider's walking tour of the Bronx (soundwalk.com). It also has a free iPhone-synced Urban Art Guide to Berlin (urbanartguide.de).I opted for one of mptours.com's itineraries because they delve into neighbourhoods not on the standard tourist trail. The narrators are a drawcard, too. They're experts...born and bred, giving listeners a good dose of local knowledge and an authentic accent.Mptours.com has walking guides for London (Brixton, Kings Road, Soho, Camden Town and Brick Lane), Rome (Piazza del Popolo to Fontana di Trevi, Campo di' Fiori to Pantheon, and Trastevere) and Buenos Aires (San Telmo, Recoleta and Palermo). They cost from US$8.50-$12.50 and include a downloadable map of the walking area. Non-stop walking time is about one hour. -
2. Lonely Planet Argentina, Lonely Planet Publications01/12/2008
If you have an MP3 player (such as an iPod) and are self-sufficient, check out www.mptours.com. You can download unique self guided tours and maps of BA neighborhoods for US$14.99 each, walking, stopping, and listening at your leisure. The city also has good downloads (www.bue.gov.ar; both in english and spanish) and they're free, but not quite as offbeat or 'local' feeling. -
3. Time Out Buenos Aires, 2008 Buenos Aires Guidebook01/12/2008
Make good use of your iPod before it breaks down and download some MP3 city tours. The best ones are available from either www.mptours.com...or the city government's website...Download tours are a good option for those who like to be descreet tourists, and also allow you to explore the city at your own pace. -
4. Lonely Planet Buenos Aires, Lonely Planet Publications01/12/2008
If you're a do-it-yourselfer with an MP3 player and don't need a tour guide but would still appreciate some guidance, check out www.MPTours.com. You can download self-guided tours and maps of BA neighborhoods for US$19.99 each, walking, stopping and listening at your leisure. -
5. The Rough Guide to Buenos Aires 1, Rough Guides01/12/2008
Guided Tours: MPTours (@www.mptours.com). A website that offers spoken tours of different neighborhoods via MP3 download. -
6. TIME OUT MAGAZINE, (VISITORS 07 EDITION)01/03/2007
For early-adopters, those who don't want to be bused around with total strangers or for people who simply appreciate the flexibility allowed by a podcast.
MPTours (www.mptours.com) are your go-to-guys. For a small charge you can download podcast tours of most of the city's most famous barrios. The content is highly professional, informal, and witty, with music excerpts to hum along while you stroll. -
7. TIME OUT MAGAZINE - SPRING 2007, Have iPod, will tour01/09/2007
...Accompanied by polished yet casual dialogue, the carefully synched routes are structured as one pleasant, seamless stroll rather than a series of stops...simply purchase online, download to an MP3 player, and print the map (or be uber savvy and download it to your photo-compatible MP3 gadget). For US$15 a pop you can discover the barrios of Recoleta, San Telmo and Palermo led by a charismatic 'local friend'. CLICK ON PHOTO FOR ENTIRE ARTICLE. -
8. Budget Travel - THIS JUST IN!, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine01/02/2008
Cultural and historic tours of three Buenos Aires barrios are now available for iPods. mptours.com, $15. -
ARGENTIMES, Review MPTours - listening to the city09/02/2007
"...I would recommend this tour to tourists or expats who enjoy spending a leisurely afternoon hearing interesting info that you otherwise might not have learned."
CLICK ON PHOTO FOR ENTIRE ARTICLE. -
Audio Walking Tours of Buenos Aires? Palermo and Rome?s Trastevere with MPTours, Erica Johansson06/02/2010
After a fairly early yoga session, breakfast of home baked bread and oat müsli with cinnamon, well-needed time outside in the sunshine, lunch, and a bit of chilling at home, I started listening to Buenos Aires ? Palermo by MPTours, creators of some of the most affordable MP3 audio tours online.Thanks to co-founder Paul Iribarne, I received two complimentary audio tours, Buenos Aires ? Palermo and Rome ? Trastevere in late 2008. At first I wanted to wait listening to the tracks until I had visited these two neighbourhoods in person. But since I haven?t travelled to neither Argentina nor Italy yet (and don?t know when it will happen), I rather share this with you today.Steven and Paul, two former college roommates, assembled a dream team of professional tour guides, historians, talented writers and actors, local musicians, award-winning sound engineers, and hip web designers to fulfil their vision. The result speaks for itself ? high quality, fascinating MP3 tours available in multiple languages for people all over the world. Online, rental or CD.Made for independent travellers who want be immersed in new places, MPTours aims to provide touring experiences that will transport you into the heart of a city and appeal to all five senses. You only need an MP3 player or an iPod (and preferably comfortable shoes). No unnecessary schedules, boring tour guides, or waiting for others. You set the pace and decide what, where and when. If you notice a place that isn?t included in the itinerary, just press pause and return whenever you feel like it.Each MPTour cost $ 14.99. Apart from the MP3 files, you will receive a printable PDF map that highlights points of interest. To get a better grasp of the city, make sure to read the CITY INFO section before taking a tour. -
Buenos Aires en off, LA NACION - Carolina Prioglio //
...En formato digitalLa próxima experiencia tiene como eje el barrio de San Telmo y las coordenadas de inicio las establece MPTours.com, empresa creada por Steven Finder y Juan Pablo Iribarne en 2006, que ofrece recorridos turísticos en formato MP3 para personas que les huyen a los paseos grupales con itinerario estipulado. "La idea surgió en un viaje mientras mirábamos una película en la que el personaje caminaba por las calles de Chicago siguiendo instrucciones desde una vieja casetera", cuenta Finder. Para dar comienzo a este tour que fusiona tecnología y autonomía hay que pararse en la esquina de Defensa y San Juan, y apretar el botón de play. Y aunque el tour es individual, en ningún momento del trayecto se está solo: Riso, un cantante de tango, es el encargado de guiar al usuario en la travesía por los lugares que mejor conoce y animarlo a apretar pause cada vez que quiera investigar algo fuera del itinerario. "Nuestro producto es como ir al cine porque los locutores son actores, y los guiones fueron preparados por guionistas profesionales", agrega. En la página Web se pueden comprar y descargar tours por San Telmo, Palermo y Recoleta por 12,50 dólares y también conseguir los CD en Tienda Malba.... -
Ditch the Tour Guide, Download a Walking Tour to Buenos Aires, Emily Crawford - Argentina's Travel Guide04/09/2008
Exploring one of the world's most exciting cities, Buenos Aires, has never been this fun. Here's a little secret to the best city tour ever: ditch the tour guide and the herd mentality. Instead, pull out your ipod or mp3 player and download a mp3 walking tour and digital map from MPTours. It's the best bet for a cinematic, engaging and insider's guide to Buenos Aires' most fascinating neighborhoods.
Inexpensive at $19.99, the walking tours to Palermo, San Telmo and Recoleta are easy to download and chock full of dynamite information for independent travelers who want to roam at will.
Started by two former college roommates (of course), MPTours.com has created a travel experience that caters to the five senses and explores architecture, culture and history in the world's most dynamic cities without the lag time that often occurs in tour groups.
Your audio guide speaks to you as a friend, and clues you in to much more than just the must see sights. Actually, the best part is the dynamics of everything else - the local flavor is such that you leave the barrio feeling like it´s your new home.
MPTours got its start in Buenos Aires and has set its sights next on a city that could be BA's sister city: Rome.
We can hardly wait.
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REVISTA CONTRASEÑAS, CONTRASEÑAS MAGAZINE (MARCH 2007)01/03/2007
Una novedosa guía, especialmente pensada para aquellos jóvenes visitantes recién llegados a Buenos Aires que quieran conocer a fondo cada rincón de la ciudad. Los Archivos de formato MP3 que proporciona MPTours narran las anécdotas que se esconden detrás de cada esquina, sin pasar por alto ningún detalle, ubicando al turista en el lugar exacto de los hechos históricos. Ahora los curiosos podrán explorar sin temor a perderse, siempre y cuando tengan los tours bajados a un reproductor MP3. -
Teich.net, http://www.teich.net/blog24/11/2007
In this case, Buenos Aires is a fun and beautiful town. We really enjoyed walking around, hanging out at the cafe's, seeing some shops, but weren't blown away. Various thoughts include:The walking tours from MPtours are FANTASTIC. These unequivocally were one of the highlights of the trip. We bought all three, put them on two ipods, and walked around together. They are expertly done, perfectly timed, informative, and just plain fun. 1:30 or maybe 2:00 each. Don?t think about it, pay the $45 and just get them. I really hope they do more cities.Just take a taxi. It's cheap. Getting cross town is < $15 US. We took the subway a few times. It?s clean, but hot. Just wasn?t any point really.La Boca is as turisty as everyone says. Good for photos, good for 20 min, then keep going.La Cabrera was the best we ate. Really the only must go place we went to.Went to a fancy Tango show. The dancing was good and showy. The food and wine was really really really bad. We did the VIP package. Food looked the same, the wine was possibly better, but the real difference was you get a private transport to/from, and you get some elbow room. Lots more elbow room. The standard seats are packed like sardines, the VIP gives you plenty of space. It was worth it for us, but we?re antisocial. -
These Boots are made for Walkin', The Nose01/06/2008
THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN'Tired of watching the city pass you by, going from one place to another? Get the impression you always walk the same streets? Want to get closer to local people and culture? In BA there are quite a lot of singular tours, from the cultural ones to the audio, thematic and bike options. Just follow your instinct...
Even as close as a few decades ago, travelling wasn't always pleasurable. Nowadays, going on a trip to experience new cultures and people is one of the greatest modern pleasures. But, you might not be completely aware of the various methods with which to do so. Perhaps exploring Buenos Aires under the shadow of an "expert", or through prefrabicated package routes are the main options. But they aren't the only ones.
"We attempt to offer a walk in the city with a personal touch, like having a friend as a guide. We use audio to assist, through music and sound effects", says Steven, one of the founders of MPTours - a company dedicated to MP3 walking tours through Buenos Aires. Downloading from the website or buying a CD in a store, you can choose between the San Telmo, Palermo, or Recoleta tracks, or routes. "Besides the information, we try to emphasize every detail and attempt to show the personality of each neighborhood". On the audio track, a typical porteno character guides you through the neighborhoods and comments on some elements of Argentinean culture and traditions. "If you like, you can stop the audio and have a beer", suggests Paul, also a MPTours founder.
