Customer Reviews

Passport to Europe: England, Ireland and Scotland

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have never been to England or Ireland, but this show has made that trip a priority on my list. The eps "English Countryside" and "Ireland Coast" are like magical fairy tales. I've seen probably every ep of Passport to Europe, and these British eps (along w/ Austria and Switzerland) are my favorites. Samantha as always is a charming host. Her sense of humor is great and these eps are particularly fun because there is no language barrier between her and the locals. Every interaction will make you smile and most will make you laugh. These episodes are whimsical, witty, wonderful...if you are armchair traveling, this is the trip you want to take.

This DVD spent way too much time on the woman narrating and not enough on the sites. I guess that would be OK if you wanted to buy a video of her, but I was expecting a video of England and Scotland. Also, I found it strange that she was saying that one of the places she visited in London she normally wouldn't go to because of safety, but why would she include it on her video. I would shop around for a better video guide.

Enjoyable for its entertainment value. Other travel videos give you a different and perhaps better flavor for desired tourist destinations.

I personally enjoy Samantha's bubbly approach to travel. However, if you're on a budget and are looking for tips on thrifty travel- you might want to look to Rick Steves (his dvd series; or his yearly "Europe Through The Back Door" book series). Samantha definitely indulges in the finer aspects of travel (specifically when it comes to what hotels she stays in). Despite that, I find her travel series unique and informative.

Now, the reason for my 4 star rating: I've watched this, and the France/Italy DVD with my hearing impaired grandmother. Sadly, there was NO closed caption, or even subtitles for her to read! I'm pretty certain that the episodes that air on the Travel Channel are CC; and subtitles are pretty standard on all DVD's. Anyway, I just thought I'd mention this for those hearing impaired folks who are contemplating on whether or not to purchase this.

On this DVD, Samantha Brown offers a great itinerary of the England, Ireland, & Scotland which she visits during the winter but is not nearly as in depth as Rick Steves' or Rudy Maxa! Her bad jokes that are funny 1/10 times really kill the flow of the show as well. Samantha caters to the soccer moms of America but is more concerned about staying in a fancy hotel and getting a fancy dinner than actually learning about her surroundings. She spends way too much time talking up her hotel & eating rather than showing us more sites or offering any kind of history or background of the area. Just like getting half a meal at a restaurant and wondering what happened, Samantha Brown's programs seem way too short and leave the viewer longing for more information, creating more unanswered questions. For a more thorough series watch "Best of Europe by Rudy Maxa" or "Rick Steves' Europe: All 80 Shows 2000-2009".

This is not a serious effort, rather it's aimed at the mass viewing audience and is rather dumbed down. Brown is more worried about her clothes, the look of a hotel room that no one can afford, or whether someone calls her a "Lass" or not, instead of providing any meaningful or useful travel insights. Entertaining? Sure. As much as watching COPS or a police chase on CNN. Useful? No.

I gave this series to my daughter who intends to take her first overseas extended world trip later this year with her family and she has informed me that most of the scenery was fantastic and most of the travel information semi informative but there was too much emphasis put on where to get the best wines and eateries. There are better examples on the market for first time travellers.

This dvd shows the pretty parts of the Cotswolds, of London, Scotland and Ireland, but it is by no means an overall or accurate depiction of these sites. It is further marred by two flaws:

(1) I have to think that the hotels where the narrator stayed gave her free lodging in the best suites in exchange for her rather lengthy and lavish praise of the facilities, the views from the balconies, etc. Perhaps some viewers are interested in hotel bathrooms and king-sized beds, but I'm not.

(2) Too many guides and docents (and not just with respect to this dvd) feel the necessity to provide snappy patter, little jokes and esoterica, the latter of which is frequently inaccurate. Samantha Brown would be well advised to contain herself from the "cute" remarks.

The scenery on this disc is quite nice, but it would lead the innocent viewer into thinking that the British Isles were a series of postcard views.

i really enjoy samantha brown, and i first checked these out from the library before we planned our trip. when we got back, i bought it because we went to so many of the places she tours in the video. it was really fun at that point, to watch it and say, 'we were there!'

she does a good job of having fun and being perky without being obnoxious, or overdoing it.

(and boy are her legs tired?)
If you like Samantha, you will love her travel videos of England, Ireland, and Scotland.