Forums > Social Discussion > Travel Guide recommendations?

Posted: 6th Apr 2005
um rough guide is good also jst google the countries you wanna visit - tends to be quite good

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Posted: 6th Apr 2005
I used the lonely planet books when I was travelling. I didn't bother reading more than a few pages properly, but they have a really good list of phone numbers for accomodation most of the time. That's about the only use I got out of them, but it was incredably handy.

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

Posted: 6th Apr 2005
It all depends on where you're going and for how long. Is packing a travel guide(s) worth the space and weight?

If you're on any sort of tourist trail, like most travellers, then travel guides are really easy to borrow from other travellers or guesthouses saving you the hassle of carrying one around. A lot of the info in those books, like train schedules may be a little old but at least books like Lonely Planet point you in the right direction for things like cheap hotels, kinda like taxi drivers, tourist info centers, and other travellers do.

Expats are another great source of on the road info.

The day they put couches in bookstores was the day I went into one and read every guidebook on Thailand and ended up buying nothing 'cause I remembered how little I actually used these things on previous trips.

Posted: 6th Apr 2005
Oh don't buy lonely planet (off topic comment to follow) because they can't even spell place names properly... THANKS TONNES EBAY! Long story... haha Good luck!

Posted: 6th Apr 2005
I'd say it depends a lot on where you are going and what type of travel guide you purchase. For instance, a broad guide for all of Europe will not have the smaller stuff listed in it and will highlight the major cities of each country and not much else.

That being said, I was happy with Let's Go for Italy as well as South Africa and surrounding areas. One thing you should take note of is how frequently they are updated. For instance, my Let's Go one had some info on Mozambique which was fairly up to date. Vanize had borrowed a Lonely Planet guide to Mozambique that was horribly out of date, but it came in very handy for the maps that were in it.

I also am fond of the restaurants that Let's Go gives thumbs up to. I've eaten in several in several different countries, and have always found them wonderful and better than the average place I'd just stroll into on my own. Of course, I'm not the type of traveler that hangs out in the dorm areas of most hostels, so I may have gotten good info from them as well had I bothered to ask.

Posted: 7th Apr 2005
I'd agree that it totally depends on where you're travelling.

In developed countries like Australia and NZ you really won't need a travel guide - travelling in those countries is like paint by numbers, everything is very clear for you when you arrive (if you really need to reference something, you can always borrow someone elses - cuts down on carrying loads of heavy books in your backpack)

Less developed countries, it's good to have one as touristy information generally isn't as easy to come by.

Like Spritie said, it's usually possible to borrow one from someone else, or exchange with other travellers.

But Footprint, or at a push, Rough Guide, would be the better ones, in my opinion

Getting to the other side

Posted: 7th Apr 2005
I don't like Rough Guides

I travelled with maps, then you get to plan an interesting-looking route and find out what's on the way later

Contrary to most of you (it seems) I found LP a very useful source of basic information, especially for contact no's and maps. Take everything you read with a pinch of salt, always visit the local info centres (especially in developed places as they will have noticeboards and free leaflets etc.....) and ask locals where to walk and what to see. You'll get less of the 'temple, temple, monestary, mosque, church, temple' and more 'ooo what a pretty view!'

Listen to fellow travellers but again, be aware - what appeals to some may apall others!

Geologists do it in the dirt................

Posted: 7th Apr 2005
I liked the LP for the maps and contacts too.

found the rough guides a bit hard to read.

Love is the law.

Posted: 7th Apr 2005
Don't you just hate it when your PC deletes a post you've just spent 20 mins typing out???

I'll try again later when I'm less likely to throw the damn thing out the window.

J

If you're not confused, you're not thinking about things hard enough.

Posted: 7th Apr 2005
For what it's worth I'm a lonely planet kinda guy

Remember what the doormouse said

Posted: 7th Apr 2005
I hate lonely planet with a vengence after getting severely lost in Croatia, while relying on one of their "maps". Map had a T-junction. I was looking at a roundabout with 5 exits. A roundabout will big trees on it. That must have been there a while Always found LP maps to be more of an artisic impression than a factual account. Also the New Zealand one tells you NOTHING about walking tracks, as a way of forcing you to buy their seperate tramping guide. It's just that kind of attitude that p#$%*s me off about guides. Or the "buy our map guide" kind of rubbish.

For what it's worth i like Let's Go. I've used these all around Europe and New Zealand. They don't tend to woffle, so the books are light to carry, they're generally accurate and tend to suit my (very low) budget. i've been using my NZ and Fiji one now for six months, and it's been great.

Rough Guides are really good if you want in-depth history and culture etc bits, but they cater for a higher budget range, and thus tell you less about public transport from A to B, as they expect you to have your own car or hire car. The accomodation options listed tend to be more expensive too.

Never used a footprint guide, so can't help you there.

Just one person's opinion...Happy travels!

Helen_of_Poi

EJC Ireland 2006 Organisational Team