Choosing the Right Guidebook

A guidebook is an inexpensive tool that will help you make the most of your traveling experience.  Often times the cheapest book is not the best value, even for money conscious travelers.

All to often do I see tourists wandering about looking for a restaurant or hotel that no longer exists because their out of date guidebook told them where to go.

Lonely Planet offers a wide array of
guidebooks for anywhere you want to go

Buying the cheapest guidebook often means buying the most out of date guidebook which results in wasted time (the most valuable thing you have).

Take the time to thoroughly read through the book before you purchase it.  Checking the publication date and writing style of the author.

Many guidebooks republish with new and up-to-date information every two years.  So it might be worth it to wait for the next edition to come out before you purchase.

There are many different companies who publish guidebooks, each with their own personality and style.

For example Lonely Planet and Rough Guides travel books are aimed toward a younger budget traveler.  They are practical and have in depth features about more obscure destinations.

However if you are looking for more cultural and historical information, then Frommer's and Fodor's would be the choice for you.  Both of these are aimed at a slightly older crowd and provide detailed information on walking paths as well as hotels and restaurants.

No matter which guidebook you choose make sure to thoroughly read it and make sure it suits your needs while being up-to-date with current information.  You do not want to wind up wasting your time while traveling, your time is all ready short enough.