Comments on: Should You Still Buy a Guidebook for Europe? Yes.

By: Bob Carrico

Bob Carrico — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 21:09:43 +0000

Dat klopft!

By: Craig Nelson

Craig Nelson — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 19:33:03 +0000

Hi Elizabeth,
I really think if shopping and nightlife aren’t a priority, then you can stick with Rick Steves. He includes tons of good information on museums and history. There are also plenty of places to eat that locals love. DK and National Geographic are good if you like more photos in your guidebooks.

By: Craig Nelson

Craig Nelson — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 19:31:07 +0000

I love that idea! There’s nothing better than spending time in a bookstore when you’re strolling around a European city. I also enjoy buying guidebooks in the native language as an incentive to learn more when I get home.

By: Bob Carrico

Bob Carrico — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 15:16:20 +0000

Buy your guidebook or dictionary over there. You can usually find other tourists doing the same thing. The search can trigger conversation, in other words. Of course you’ll buy additional books, but what better way to spend a couple of hours than by digging through the stacks of some musty bookstore? And another bonus is cramming stuff among the pages, like a napkin from the sidewalk cafe down the street. Good for evoking memories once you return home.

By: Elizabeth Hildinger

Elizabeth Hildinger — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 12:30:40 +0000

Thanks for the nice summary of reasons to carry a guidebook–I concur absolutely! Do you have a favorite series that you could recommend? I’ve used Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, Rick Steves, and a few others over the years, and they all have their virtues, but none of them is a clear standout for me. I’m thinking of buying the latest version of one of them for Italy (or perhaps specifically Rome), and, since I’ve spent a lot of time there, I’m hoping to find a guidebook that will have some suggestions for interesting off-the-beaten-track things to see or do. My interests are historical, archeological, architectural, and art-related (I don’t care about shopping or nightlife). Any suggestions would be gratefully received!

By: Attender

Attender — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 21:53:14 +0000

I have been traveling to other countries for many years and I still always get guidebooks for the country and cities I’ll be visiting. I read them and do my research with them and then transfer to internet for more thorough or up to date details. I might carry one with me, but by the time I travel, I don’t need to carry it around with me because I already read it and made notes!

By: Isabelle Mullaley

Isabelle Mullaley — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 20:37:06 +0000

I have tried to go with no guidebook but for many of the reasons you mention I prefer to have one.