Travel Light With Tapes

As a dedicated European sightseer, I customarily leave home with a minimal wardrobe and lots of reference material.

Unfortunately, travel books (even when torn apart), maps and assorted brochures collectively become a heavy load.

So I hadn’t attained my goal of “traveling light” until . . . I took a fresh look at my microcassette recorder.

Originally acquired to serve as my travel diary, it could, I realized, guide me on my way with recorded directions from such recommendable volumes as “Turn Right at the Fountain,” “Turn Right at the Pub,” “Pariswalks,” “Viennawalks” and “The New Insider’s Rome (Amsterdam, London, et al).”

No more need I walk with my nose in a book, although many are the memorable miles I’ve covered in this fashion.

Replacing Toted Matter

So began a project that ended with my having a collection of lightweight tapes to replace much of the material I’d toted before.

Preparing to record the tapes, I highlighted in my books the essential directions and descriptions. From other sources I noted suggested restaurants, shops, sights of personal interest, etc., on the routes to be incorporated on the tapes where appropriate.

All the reading behind me, I dictated the selected material onto the tapes.

In addition to the “walks,” I found I could tape instructions for do-it-yourself outings from Frommer’s “Europe on $25 a Day,” my personal list of priority sights in each destination, assorted general background, places to eat and shop. Even addresses for post cards.

I was delighted at how little I had to carry when I left home. But I couldn’t resist acquiring brochures from tourist offices when I arrived in Europe. Those I had to save, I mailed home to myself as I moved on.

Suggestions: If you’re buying a recorder, look for one that is voice activated.

Checking the Loudness

If your recorder doesn’t have a volume control, check the loudness of your voice on the tape when you start so that you can keep the sound at a personal level.

After recording each segment, listen to it all the way through to be sure it’s complete.

Take the maps that accompany the walks as moral support that you will stay on track (you will).

Label the tapes, of course. I chose to number them and kept an index.

This is fun preparation for independent travel, especially for a new-to-you destination. On arrival, you’ll probably find, as I did, that you feel quite at home because of the detailed reading in advance.

But all the excitement will still be there for you to find.