Product Details

• Actors: Rick Steves
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Questar
• VHS Release Date: January 22, 2002
• Run Time: 51 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 156855172X
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,618 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #1 in

  Video > Special Interests > Travel > Europe > Ireland

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Produced in 1993 as a segment for the TV series Travels in Europe with Rick Steves, this low-budget video follows the same travel philosophy of its popular host: cover a lot of ground with a practical sense of economy. While none of the Rick Steves tapes will win awards for their videography (which is professional but rather bland), they function very well as traditional travelogues that go beyond the trivia of tourist-board brochures. In this edition, the nerdy but amiable Steves takes us to some of the essential stops on any tour of Ireland, beginning with the beautiful, windswept west coast and the simple pleasures of the Dingle peninsula. While a bicycle tour offers a survey of many early-Christian "beehive" huts (remarkable for their mortarless stone construction), Steves demonstrates the native appeal of Ireland's many bed-and-breakfast homes, where a traditional "Irish fry" is the standard morning meal. The next segment moves on to the Aran Islands and the precipitous, breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, in addition to a peaceful visit to the largest island of Inishmore, where Irish charm is preserved in a tiny community seemingly unchanged by the advance of time.

Steves occupies the second half of the video with stops in Ireland's two capitals, Dublin and Belfast. In Dublin, the pedestrian nexus of Grafton Street, Trinity College (with its tourist-magnet, the ancient Book of Kells), and the Guinness brewery is among the most popular destinations, and in Belfast, Steves offers a rather shallow but adequate summation of the political "troubles" that make Northern Ireland a sobering but rewarding example of what Steves calls "reality travel"--a reference to the strong paramilitary presence in Belfast.

Of course, this video can only hop over the main sights and sounds of Ireland, but Steves packs a lot into 51 minutes, including a few practical details (such as hidden cash belts) that any traveler can appreciate. The video also absorbs plenty of local flavor, featuring several pub stops to enjoy the traditional music and "crack" (lively conversation) that is a constant in any segment of Irish culture. One might wish Steves could offer more thorough detail, but the purpose of this video is to be comprehensive, not authoritative. For anyone planning a trip to Ireland, and even for armchair travelers with a vicarious wanderlust, this video does a fine job of whetting your appetite for the real thing. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ---Well Done---, November 5, 2006

By	Judith Miller (Bluemont, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Travel the World - Ireland was a pleasure to watch and very enjoyable. This video covers Western Ireland and the cities of Dublin and Belfast. The narrator/host is Rick Stevens.

I thought Stevens did a great job of showing the many possibilities that are available to travelers. He bicycled along beautiful scenery next to the ocean. He visited ruins of old castles, and churches. The sites and histories of the two major cities, Dublin and Belfast were well presented. Stevens also spent some time in several Irish pubs where he talked with people and discussed the Celtic culture and music.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT!!, May 10, 2004

By A Customer

I found the descriptions to be accurate, ive been to dublin before, and like I said, He did a very good job

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not up-to-date, December 30, 2002

By A Customer

Look for the new Rick Steves Europe video series that is now running on public television.