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24, May 2019
8 Rules for Picking a Guidebook

Hey there, fellow travelers! Today we’re in Hamburg, Germany. Although most of us do our travel planning and research online these days, there are still times when tourism books can be valuable. So today we’re sharing our advice on how to find the best travel books for your travel style. Of course, you can buy a digital version of guidebooks or the old-fashioned paper copy. I prefer the paper copy because you can mark it up, and it won’t drain your batteries.

#1 Where Are You Going?

Consider where you are traveling and how much is covered by a guidebook. If you are just visiting Paris for a week, then you don’t need a book that covers all of Europe, or even all of France. Are you exploring one city, a country, or an entire region? Choose the book that best fits your destination. In our Paris example, if you choose a guidebook specific to Paris, it will also most likely include day trips in the area. If you plan to visit an entire region, then get the book for that region. Likewise, if you are backpacking through Europe, then go for the comprehensive Europe guidebook.

Watch: How We Choose Where to Travel Next

#2 What is Your Travel Experience?

The amount of traveling you’ve done can really influence what type of guidebook you choose. Just because you’re well-traveled doesn’t mean a guidebook can’t help you, but there are different kinds of guidebooks to consider. Someone like Rick Steves writes excellent guidebooks for novice travelers that go over the basics: how to buy tickets, what to pack, etc.

#3 What Do You Want Out of Your Trip?

Many books cater to different markets, so it helps to know your travel style and what you plan to get out of a trip. For example, the “Let’s Go” series of guidebooks is targeted at a young group of travelers interested in nightlife and partying. If you want more of a cultural experience, with local restaurant recommendations, then Rick Steves, Frommer’s and Forbes are good sources.

#4 Accommodation & Restaurant Options

Some guidebooks are very heavy on accommodation recommendations, with an entire section devoted to choosing a hotel. If you’ve already chosen your accommodation, then you don’t need a guidebook that uses half the pages or hotel recommendations. However, if you are going to “wing it” on your trip and find accommodation as you go, then one of these guidebooks can be very useful. Lonely Planet is a good book that offers a lot of accommodation and restaurant options.

#5 The Maps & Sights

Something else to consider when choosing a guidebook is to look at the maps inside, as well as the sights covered. Some books will cover a ton of sights, without much info, while other books will cover only a few sights, but give very in-depth information. If you want very detailed descriptions and photos, then Eyewitness Travel is a good guidebook for that.

#6 The Size of the Book & Space You Have

If you follow our packing advice, you are packing light for your trip, so space is at a premium. For ultralight, you can buy the digital version and carry multiple guidebooks at once. Since I like to have an actual paper book that I can mark up, I look for one that is relatively compact. The bigger books are great for researching and planning at home, but you want a smaller book to bring along on your travels.

Watch: How to Pack a Carryon for Women

#7 Don’t Forget About Digital Guides

Sometimes, it’s good to have the electronic version even if you also have the paper version. There are also some great apps to go along with the books. The TripAdvisor app is great, but using a lot of apps can eat up your battery life, so you want to make sure you are accounting for that. If you have a dead phone at the end of the day, let’s hope you have a backup paper map so you can find your way back to the hotel!

#8 Choose What Works for You!

Only you can really decide what is the right guidebook for you. My wife loves National Geographic Explorers for cultural and historical perspectives. I love those too, before a trip, but I don’t like to bring them along because they don’t have maps and specific information. For that, I prefer Lonely Planet guidebooks. My mom loves Rick Steves’ books and she will often give us restaurant recommendations from his books, which are usually spot on.

These are my eight tips for choosing a guidebook that fits your travel style. Don’t forget to use your local library or bookstore to get started. You can check out a bunch of guidebooks from the library and then find the one you like best to purchase and take along on your trip. I hope this helps you better prepare and plan for your upcoming vacations. If you’d like more travel tips and advice, check out these blog posts and videos: