| Enthusiastic and adventurous, Samantha Brown is the perfect tour guide for the most exciting places in the world. Explore exotic locales up close and personal as you may never have seen them. Samantha interacts with the locals and discovers popular area landmarks many tourists miss. Plus, she discusses the culture and history of these intriguing areas and shares invaluable travel tips. FEATURING: English Countryside: It's the landscape of fairytales. Enjoy a medieval castle that welcomed King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and visit the bucolic paradise that is the Cotswolds. Classic London: No tour of London is complete without a visit to Buckingham Palace for the "Changing of the Guard." Then it's on to Notting Hill, Harrods and Westminster Abbey. London Now: An eclectic mix of avant-garde and traditional, London is the ultimate cosmopolitan experience. This is an exciting tour of modern London's cuisine and attractions. Ireland Coast: Explore the gorgeous countryside of Cork and Kerry, and learn about the sometimes mysterious cuisine. But it's the warm and wonderful people you'll remember most. Dublin, Ireland: You'll experience both Dublin's rich Irish heritage and the city's modern charm. Samantha discovers an incredible hotel bargain and goes on a memorable pub crawl. Edinburgh, Scotland: Visit a city steeped in history with many famous medieval landmarks. And experience one of today's hippest festivals along the city's historic streets. |
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Passport to Europe: England, Ireland and Scotland
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| Review Date: April 14, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Mrs. Marjorie Brown, |
| 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. |
Good itinerary but not in depth, badly edited, & not funny!
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| Review Date: February 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Brian M, Atlanta, GA |
| 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". |
British tourism light
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| Review Date: June 29, 2009 |
| Reviewer: James J. Sherin, Greensburg, PA USA |
| Samantha does a good job in the 20 minutes of each vignette to cover the main aspects of the location she visits. I'm sure that there has to be more for each visit that never makes it to the airing. Travel channel should consider adding that additional footage. |
Pretty
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| Review Date: June 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Roger Long, Port Clinton, OH USA |
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. |
Great Travel DVD! (But Sadly NO Closed Caption or Subtitles)
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| Review Date: May 23, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Spud_n_Yooper, |
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. |
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