A Guide to Travel Guides

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A Guide to Travel Guides
by Judy Wolf

Once you know which countries you're visiting, you may want to pick up guide books or travel stories about the area. Investing in a good, up-to-date guide book will pay for itself ten times over by helping you find great bargains, do things you might not otherwise have learned about, and take full advantage of your time abroad.

When it comes to travel books, web sites such as amazon.com or (even better!) the travel section of your local bookstore are treasure chests of information. Some of the most popular guidebook series include Lonely Planet, Footprints, Rough Guide, Eyewitness Travel Guides (by Dorling Kindersley), and Fodor's.

From a budget-traveler, backpacking perspective (which means I make my own way by foot or public transportation most of the time), I find that Lonely Planet gives great practical detail and some of the best maps for getting around inside towns and cities. This is the guide book of choice for many English-speaking budget backpackers, and the Lonely Planet web site has created a network of travelers who report in with updates and hints from all over the world. For instance, if a particular bus crosses the border at 7 a.m. except every other Saturday in March when you have to be there by 5:30 a.m., Lonely Planet will probably mention this detail. However, because it is the guide book of choice for English-speaking budget travelers (many of them student backpackers), any hotel recommended by Lonely Planet will inevitably be overrun by exactly that. Which is great if you're looking for company, and not so wonderful if you were hoping for some quiet alone time or a more international experience.

The Footprints series is my personal favorite. The travel detail rivals Lonely Planet, its maps are almost as good, and the historical and cultural information is thorough and well-written. I've found it to be an intelligent, well-laid-out guide with lots of specific information and an excellent range of accurately described accommodation options offering greater likelihood of a varied clientele.

Rough Guide has been a standby of mine for many years. Its organizational layout may take some getting used to, and its travel information isn't as detailed as I'd like, but the wealth of information, history, and background description for sites more than makes up for these shortcomings.

Eyewitness Travel Guides are the pictorial alternative for travelers who prefer visual depictions of sites. The photos, illustrated maps, and inset detail make for a wonderful and inspiring combination. The trade-off is less-detailed travel information than the narrative guides, but the basics are there, and the guides are not only a handy resource, but also a beautiful souvenir and picture book.

Fodor's is a favorite with mid-range travelers. It has less "getting around" information, often assuming you'll hire a car or take a tour to key sites, but includes useful itineraries, good background information, and superb walking tour suggestions. Their web site is a great place to gather information from other travelers.

Copyright (c) 2002 Judy Wolf

About the Author:
Judy Wolf (www.judywolf.com) is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor. She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling by foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle to over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a book-length travel narrative about her most recent adventures…that is, when she's not plunging off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.

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Lonely Planet

Footprints

Rough Guide

Eyewitness Travel Guides

Fodor's

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