How to choose
Before installing anything, three questions that change the decision:
- Which cities are you visiting? If your trip is through large European capitals, any of these work. If you’re going somewhere less common, GPSmyCity or izi.TRAVEL are more likely to have coverage. If you want editorial depth in a few well-curated cities, Ruthy or Voicemap.
- Geolocated or self-guided? Geolocated means the audio becomes available when you arrive at a place and you play it yourself (Ruthy, Voicemap, GPSmyCity). Self-guided means you manually choose when to play (Rick Steves, parts of izi.TRAVEL).
- Paying or free? Decent free exists (Ruthy, Rick Steves, izi.TRAVEL). Voicemap is paid per tour. GPSmyCity is mixed.
After that, let’s talk about each one.
Ruthy
It’s what we make — let’s start with the obvious limitation: the catalog is small. Ruthy has 13 cities at the time of writing (Rome, Madrid, Paris, Florence, Buenos Aires, Milan, Pisa, Vatican, Venice, Mexico City, Dallas, Kansas City, Boston) compared to hundreds offered by competitors.
What it does offer: curated editorial content, narrated by Lucas Botta (Historia en Podcast), with geolocated audio stories you play when you arrive at each place. Compass-based UX — points to the next place but doesn’t dictate your route, you choose how to get there. Free, no ads, iOS + Android, currently in Spanish (English on the way).
Who it suits: travellers who prefer editorial depth over massive coverage, and who are visiting one of the 13 covered cities.
Who it doesn’t: if you’re going to a city outside the current catalog.
GPSmyCity
Industry veteran. 1000+ cities with self-guided tours — by far the largest catalog. Most are tours structured as sequences of map points, with descriptive text and sometimes audio.
Mix of free and paid tours. Quality can vary by city and tour author: the most-visited cities tend to have better curation. iOS + Android. Mostly in English.
Who it suits: travellers covering many different cities who need a single app.
Who it doesn’t: if you want narrative depth or a fully audio-led experience.
Rick Steves Audio Europe
The app from the long-running PBS travel host. Free, covers ~50 European destinations. Content is tied to his written guidebooks — these are podcasts/audios meant to complement his books and TV shows.
Does not use geolocation — you decide when to listen to each episode. The narration is highly recognisable (Rick Steves’ own voice), with his personal perspective on each place. Strongly coded as “American traveller in Europe”.
Who it suits: travellers (especially Americans) who already read Rick Steves guides or watch his shows, and want to prep the trip on the plane.
Who it doesn’t: if you want audio that triggers itself, or if you’re travelling outside Europe.
Voicemap
Paid tours (USD 5–15 each) of narrative audio. ~200 cities. Each tour is written and narrated by a different person — local writers, historians, journalists. Production is high and routes usually have a specific angle (literature, architecture, political history).
Working geolocation, offline available. iOS + Android. Languages tour-dependent — some in Spanish, most in English.
Who it suits: travellers who want themed tours with a strong editorial angle and don’t mind paying.
Who it doesn’t: backpackers on a strict budget, or if you just want general context not a specific theme.
izi.TRAVEL
Open platform — anyone can publish a tour. Enormous catalog but very variable in quality. Many museums publish official tours here (which is excellent). Other tours are made by amateurs with inconsistent quality.
Free, iOS + Android + web. Many languages (tour-dependent). Optional geolocation.
Who it suits: travellers visiting specific museums (the official free audio guides here are gems), or who want to try tours without investing.
Who it doesn’t: if you don’t have time to filter for quality before heading out.
Comparison table
| App | Price | Coverage | Geolocation | Offline | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruthy | Free, no ads | 13 cities, growing | Yes, activates on arrival | No (streaming) | ES (EN soon) |
| GPSmyCity | Mixed (free + paid) | 1000+ cities | Yes | Yes | Mostly EN |
| Rick Steves Audio Europe | Free | ~50 European destinations | No (manual) | Yes (podcast) | EN |
| Voicemap | Paid per tour (USD 5–15) | ~200 cities | Yes | Yes | Various (tour-dependent) |
| izi.TRAVEL | Free | Many (open catalog) | Optional | Yes | Various |
Which one for which traveller
- Classic European trip, want pre-trip context on the plane: Rick Steves Audio Europe.
- A single well-curated city in depth (among the 13 covered), audio triggered on arrival: Ruthy.
- Themed tour (literature, politics, gastronomy) with high production: Voicemap.
- Visiting specific museums anywhere in the world: izi.TRAVEL (official museum audio guides).
- Massive coverage across many different cities, one app: GPSmyCity.
- Reasonable combination: Rick Steves for prep + Ruthy/Voicemap for on-site + izi.TRAVEL for specific museums.
