‘Passport to…’ range launches with six interactive city guides

• Multi-media content includes video, audio, itineraries, maps
• Future of travel guides unveiled…

Lonely Planet and Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) are excited to announce the launch of the world’s first fully interactive, handheld, city guides available exclusively for use on PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handset.

The Passport to…™ guides launch this September with six titles covering the hottest European holiday destinations of Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Paris, Prague and Rome.  Passport to… sees the evolution of travel information; creating an immediate and accessible travel guide that brings together a dynamic mix of film, audio, photography and travel content.

Passport to…™ will appeal to the wide and growing community of travellers who increasingly desire reliable travel information in a variety of formats, and embrace technology – from digital cameras, to portable music players, and now handheld city guides – when on the road.

Each guide includes 250 Lonely Planet reviews of the hottest bars, clubs, hotels, shops, services and attractions; interactive transport, road and location maps; photography and video footage; three off-the-beaten-track audio tours to key areas of each city; itineraries covering interests from arts tours to gastronomic experiences and an essential language phrase guide with audio playback.  Not only that but users can log onto to download updates and fresh content ensuring they are always up to date.

Simon Julian, Product Manager at Lonely Planet commented:
“Travellers today are looking for new ways to experience the places that they visit, guided by the opinions and expertise of authors who have an intimate knowledge of the destination. The new Passport to … guides take the passion and knowledge of Lonely Planet’s author-researched information, and extend it to a new type of interactive guidebook, designed to meet the evolving needs of technology-savvy travellers.”

Kendall Travers, ‘Passport to…’ Product Manager at SCE Aust., added:
“The Passport to… guides are the ultimate travel companion, combining the trusted knowledge of Lonely Planet with the latest in stylish portable interactive entertainment through PSP.  With engaging sound, video, images and text especially created for young travellers, our Passport to… users will really get under the skin of their destination.”

Each Passport to… guide has been developed with a number of features designed to ensure that users can make the most of their visit.   Users can explore using:

• Audio Walks: Three bespoke audio tours to listen to whilst walking.  Each lasts around 15 minutes and guides you through a particular area of the city - including places well off the tourist track
• Video content: ‘Day in the Life’ short films that capture the essence of each city giving a taste of the sights and sounds before you’ve even arrived
• Itineraries: Pre-planned day long itineraries for every sort of visit from a cultural break to a weekend of hedonism.  Each itinerary features a calendar view, slideshow and map that can be built on to create the perfect schedule. New itineraries will be available to download post-launch
• DIY: Users can build their own itinerary drawing on the 250 reviews

The range will be sold in 110 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

PSP is the modern travel companion.  It fits into your hands, pocket or bag and is perfect for playing games, watching films, listening to music, storing photos, browsing the web and, with a copy of Passport to…, making the most of your holiday.   PSP retails from $399.95 RRP, Passport to… will retail from $49.95 RRP per city guide.