Furthermore, I’m conveying this information to you — on a website.

Ironies aside, I believe that when it comes to trip guidance, there’s room for everything. Websites, like the one you’re reading right now, are a fabulous platform for trip planning. You can “get educated” about the logistics, find the best deals (especially for hotels!), and plan it all out.

Furthermore, once you’re traveling, the online research doesn’t stop. I whip out my phone constantly in Paris, for example, researching how to use the bus to get to the Louvre, or the location of the nearest wine store.

(In fact, I use my phone for on-the-ground research even more now, thanks to the use of my French phone, with a locally purchased SIM card. It’s practically free to use! Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read this guide to using SIM Cards.)

However, when I’m actually walking through the Louvre, or looking to take a self-guided neighborhood walking tour, I still pull out an actual guidebook.

Related: Our favorite guidebooks to Paris

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10 reasons I still use guidebooks in Europe

Some might consider this preference old fashioned, anachronistic, archaic… and possibly it is! But let me explain. Here are 10 reasons why I still pack a guidebook when traveling to Europe.

1. They’re a tiny investment in an expensive trip.

Once you add it all up, your big trip to Europe is most likely going to be a major expense. Two people flying to Italy for a two-week trip from the United States can easily spend $7,500 once you add up flights, hotels, meals, transportation and basic sightseeing. (We’ve got lots of tips to help you lower that number, but still. This isn’t an uncommon trip budget.)

Most guidebooks will cost about $20-25 (and will be highly discounted on Amazon). In the grand scheme of things, this is a very small expense for guidance that stays by your side and that can drastically improve the quality of your trip.

Even if you only get one memorable meal recommendation out of it or it helps keep you from getting lost and wasting time — it’s worth it.

Do your homework before leaving. It’s fun! (Photo: pingles

2. They’re nice to read before you leave home.

Most people have months to plan a vacation in Europe. They decide which country to visit, book the flights, and then enter a period of delicious anticipation. This is, of course, when we hope you’ll find us and let us help with logistics, hotel recommendations and cost-saving advice!

But it’s also a great time to dive into a guidebook and get a feel for your destinations. Many of these books contain a good deal of history about the countries and cities you’ll be visiting. Start learning now and it will all make more sense once you’re on the ground. The best guidebooks provide context for your trip, whether you’re reading a specific guidebook, like Lonely Planet’s Paris Guide, or something for a more general location, such as Rick Steves’ Best of Europe.

3. It’s something to do on the plane.

If you think a guidebook is fun to read while you’re still home in Atlanta, they’re really fun to pull out of the seat-back pocket in front of you on your flight over. It’s a special kind of anticipation. You know you’re not really going to sleep on the plane, they’ve started serving drinks, you don’t have an internet connection… It’s the perfect time to open your guidebook.

4. They might not be cool, but they’re practical.

If you buy a reputable and up-to-date guidebook, at the very least, you’ll learn how to get into town from the airport and have a good basic understanding of how the city works.

A few years ago I was working on our hotel reviews in Rome, when I ran into a younger travel blogger who wouldn’t ever be caught carrying around a paper guidebook. We started talking and he told me that he had just Tweeted to his followers asking for advice on the best way to get from where we staying to the Trastevere neighborhood.

And guess what? Nobody had Tweeted back yet. Guidebooks might not be cool — but they’re very practical.

Pack a book like Frommer’s recently revamped EasyGuide to Rome, Florence and Venice, and you’ve got plenty of advice for navigating transit, finding cool places to eat and things to do, and more.

Find a really good cup of coffee in Rome. Photo: fotologic

5. They give dining recommendations.

Let’s go back to our “two weeks in Italy” example. That’s a lot of logistics to plan… but it’s also a lot of meal slots to fill. Now I love wandering the backstreets of a European city letting my nose guide me to dinner. But let’s face it, this can be very time consuming, and you can wind up dining in some real clunkers.

Of course, EuroCheapo has affordable dining recommendations (like these for Paris and Rome), and TripAdvisor has an endless list of recommendations… ditto Yelp. But I still find it helpful to check out restaurants recommended by guidebooks. Again, even if you get one or two good dinner suggestions, it’s helpful.

6. They’re good for walking tours.

Aside from recommendations, I find the self-guided walking tours in many of the books to be very helpful. A shout-out to the Rick Steves’ series here, which I’ve found to have great neighborhood and museum walking tours.

At their best, these walking tours will help put the neighborhoods in historical context — and they allow you to start and stop whenever you please. There’s no need to join a group. The same goes for guidance in museums. If you’re short on time and don’t feel like springing for an audioguide, a guidebook can lead you to the most important works.

You can even find guidebooks to take you through the hidden gems of a city. Take, for instance, this beautifully illustrated guide to lesser known museums and important sites throughout Paris called The Little(r) Museums of Paris, which can give you directions and more info on unique destinations that you might not find otherwise.

7. No roaming charges.

Imagine… you can just open a book in the streets of Berlin and get advice about what to see in the Pergamon Museum. This sure beats firing up your phone, finding a phone network, and coming home to $380 in foreign roaming charges.

(Of course, this isn’t a concern if you purchased the aforementioned SIM Card.)

It’s waterproof! Photo: jaybergesen

8. You can’t break a book.

Guidebooks are flexible. You can dog-ear important pages. You can highlight favorites. Rip things out! Make origami out of maps if you’re bored on a train. They don’t complain.

Phones, laptops and tablets are not nearly as forgiving. They don’t like beaches. They really don’t like hotel toilets. And they really crack up when dropped on a sidewalk in Lisbon. Just sayin’.

9. It’s easy to read in direct sunlight.

Let me take you to an experience I had in Athens one bright summer day when I was exploring the Ancient Agora. I was having fun running around with my guidebook, reliving the high jinks of the days of Antiquity, when I ran into a honeymooning American couple who were also visiting the Agora guided by their iPad.

The information must have been compelling, because they were working very hard to keep reading it — in the harshest, hottest, direct sunlight. They were struggling because the screen just wasn’t bright enough and they had to keep searching for shade. (Now, truth be told — it didn’t ruin their trip, or their new marriage, but still! This stress could have been averted with a paper version.)

10. They can be left behind.

And finally, let us not overlook the fact that these inexpensive guidebooks can be left behind if necessary. You’re probably going to be flying home heavier than you arrived (in terms of luggage… well, most likely in terms of everything…). Space will be needed in your luggage.

That trusted guidebook weighs about a pound and is about the size of a brick. And it only cost $20. It can be left in London.

Do you travel with a guidebook?

What do you think? Do you still travel with a guidebook? Have a favorite? Share with us in the comments section below!

The post Should You Still Buy a Guidebook for Europe? Yes. appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

I always travel with a handy friend — a Paris guidebook.

While apps and websites can help you plan your journey before you leave (this one included!), there’s nothing like having a guidebook by your side as you hit the ground. There’s no need to wait for a Wi-Fi connection, just open a page, get your bearings, and start exploring.

Our favorite Paris guidebooks

Are you planning a trip to Paris? Here is a selection of travel guides to Paris that I recommend you pick up before your excursion.

Top Pick

Rick Steves Paris

The godfather of cheap and local travel in Europe, Rick Steves never goes out of style. I’m still using Steves’ guides long after I first bought them in 1994 for my first trip to Europe on my own. The guide won’t win any graphic design awards, but you won’t care with so much detailed information on attractions, restaurants, and museums.

I love the restaurant picks that cater to those looking for the best neighborhood bistros and brasserie. When you’re ready to explore the Louvre or Musée d’Orsay, the guide provides easy-to-follow tips for seeing the highlights without being overwhelmed.

It also includes information on small, family-run hotels that just ooze with charm. And best of all, Steves’ style is unpretentious and filled with goofy puns. Now that’s our kind of guide!

My only complaint is that the pages are incredibly thin. The upside is that it cuts down on weight, so it’s great to carry in your backpack when you’re wandering around Paris.

Best for

• Budget and middle-budget travelers
• Detailed walking tours
• Good, affordable “classic French” restaurant recommendations
• Great, detailed tips for the city’s biggest hits, like the Louvre

Cons

• Very thin pages
• Only black & white photos

Page Count: 713
Weight: 12.8 ounces

Lonely Planet Paris

One of the most iconic brands in travel, Lonely Planet has created a close-to-perfect Paris guidebook. From helpful lists on what to see to insider secrets for local favorites, this guidebook has a bit of everything.

We especially love the “If you like…” section for inspiration.

Best for:

• • • Neighborhood explorers
    • Wide coverage of the city including outer districts
    • Good nightlife listings
    • Handy lists on what to see and when to go

Page Count: 416
Weight: 12.5 ounces

Frommer’s EasyGuide to Paris

A thorough guide to the City of Light, Frommer’s is a straightforward guidebook with little filler.

Each attraction, restaurant, shop, and hotel listed is given a star rating, which makes it easy to find the standouts.

Best for:

• • • All types of travelers
    • Covers a variety of price ranges
    • Detailed restaurant reviews
    • Sound tips for visiting the big attractions

Page Count: 320
Weight: 12 ounces

DK Eyewitness Paris

Known for its emphasis on photography and attention to detail, DK makes Paris comes alive on the pages of this guide.

There’s plenty of culture and history inside along with nice bonuses like detailed museum floor plans.

Best for:

• • • Photography fans
    • Beautiful color photos to really help visualize the city
    • Focus on history and culture
    • Detailed diagrams of attractions and museums

Page Count: 328
Weight: 14.4 ounces

Fodor’s Paris

Composed by locals, this comprehensive guidebook covers everything you need to see the classic Paris attractions for travelers at all price points (from budget to deluxe).

It also has good coverage of dining and shopping, so you can enjoy some of the best foodie experiences in Paris.

Best for:

• • • First-time visitors
    • Covering all the highlights
    • Packed with Paris essentials
    • Trusted travel brand

Page Count: 400
Weight: 12 ounces

National Geographic Traveler Paris

If you’re a fan of the magazine, then this book will be right up your alley.

Filled with lots of photography, there are also plenty of juicy historical details to keep you reading late into the night from your Paris hotel room.

Best for:

• • • History Buffs
    • Fun reading for the plane and hotel
    • Walking tour maps
    • National Geographic enthusiasts

Page Count: 272
Weight: 12.6 ounces

Paris Knopf Mapguide

If sometimes you just want to wander, we recommend throwing this compact map book into your backpack.

It includes a few highlights for each neighborhood, but the real attraction is the easy-to-use maps. Small enough to fit in your back pocket, you can fold it back up before anyone sees that you’re a tourist!

Best for:

• • • Map lovers
    • Great for exploring beyond the center
    • Easy-to-carry in your back pocket
    • Nice price

Page Count: 48
Weight: 6.4 ounces

Your favorite guidebook?

Do you have a favorite guidebook for Paris? Tell us why it’s your preferred guide in our comments section below.

Note: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Best Paris guidebooks for your trip to the City of Light appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

We first stumbled on Jonglez’ work in Brussels, when his guidebook Bruxelles Insolite et Secret led us to parts of the Belgian capital that lie well off the regular tourist trails.

The “secret” formula

Since then books from Jonglez Publishing have become firm favorites that give us a fresh perspective on some of the most celebrated cities on the west European tourist circuit. That first Brussels book included cameo accounts of factories and allotment gardens, and descriptions of intriguing toilets and apartment blocks, to complement more predictable Brussels fare such as art and architecture. And that first guide was quickly translated into English.

Subsequent Jonglez volumes follow the same formula, though as the series has evolved the company has placed more emphasis on the supposed authenticity derived from having local authors. “Local guides by local people,” runs the blurb on recent English-language volumes covering Rome, Madrid, Venice and London. So these guides are an antidote to globalization, a chance to pause and take note of what is peculiarly distinctive about the cities covered by Jonglez guides.

Secret Paris

This is a marvelous series of books. They are all impeccably researched and well-illustrated, with little inset boxes succinctly explaining the background to the various sights. We learned, for example, why there are so many crêperies in Montparnasse and why so many Paris theaters lie north of the Grands Boulevards.

And it is not as if the Jonglez guides neglect to mention more established sights. It is merely that they reach the parts of European cities that other guides simply ignore. And the books are hugely effective in endowing the reader with a sense of having privileged access to areas of European cities that lie well beyond the regular tourist haunts.

So we must confess that, when recently in Paris, we skipped the Mona Lisa and instead followed the call of Jacques Garance and Maud Ratton, authors of Secret Paris, to see the only level crossing in Paris, visit an Antoinist temple and discover a pagoda converted to a cinema.

The series

Éditions Jonglez publish English-language city guides covering Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Florence, Geneva, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Paris, Rome and Venice. They also have area guides to the French Riviera, Tuscany and Provence.

The books are titled Secret Amsterdam, Secret Barcelona, etc. Additional titles are available in French, and some books have been translated into Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch. In the USA the books are distributed by Globe Pequot Press.

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We love this part of England. After the frenetic pace of London, Sussex and the South Downs National Park are invitations to slow down, places to pause and allow our souls to catch up with us.

A house in the East Sussex village of Rodmell, located within the park. Photo © hidden europe magazine

The Lewes Connection

The park was inaugurated last year and extends from the edge of Winchester in the west almost to Eastbourne in the east (though neither Winchester nor Eastbourne are themselves actually within the park boundary). The largest community that lies entirely within the park is Lewes, a modest-sized market town with a population of 17,000.

Lewes is very easy to reach by train. There are two direct trains per hour from London Victoria. The journey time is 65 minutes. Gatwick Airport is even closer to hand, the twice-hourly trains taking just 33 minutes from Gatwick to Lewes, thus making the town a plum choice for long-haul passengers looking for a quiet spot to hole up and recover from jet lag for a day or two.

Bus Links

Lewes is a good base for exploring the eastern half of the South Downs National Park. It lies at the hub of four rail routes and there are also a great range of local bus services including a direct link to Alfriston and the unspoiled Cuckmere Valley. Don’t expect dramatic scenery but rather a delicate beauty that is the very essence of rural England. And yet it is so close to the buzz of London and nearby Brighton.

Downlander Deals

Southern Railway Downlander Tickets offer cheap deals for exploring the area and extend well beyond the new national park. The South Coast Downlander ticket is a one-day pass that extends along the coast from Southampton in Hampshire to Ashford in Kent (for connections with Eurostar). It also includes many bus services in and around Brighton, Lewes and Eastbourne. It costs £10.

For just slightly more (£12.50), the All-Network Downlander also includes travel to and from London and allows the holder to roam at will throughout Southern’s extensive rail network – with the same bus services thrown in.

In Print

Lewes-based author Tim Locke seized the opportunity of a new national park to write an engaging guidebook to his home area. His book Slow Sussex and the South Downs National Park was published last spring. It is the latest title in the “Slow” series from Bradt Travel Guides. This is no ordinary guidebook, but an evocative, often quirky, introduction to the region. We like “Slow Sussex” a lot. The book nicely tempts the readers to spots she or he never knew they wanted to visit. All in all, the book is a splendid introduction to one of the most attractive and accessible parts of England.

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Mainstream versus the offbeat

All well and good, if you are staring at the Mona Lisa or the Taj Mahal. But we wonder whether Google Goggles will be quite so adept at recognising a particular spot on the Russian steppes, the Hungarian puszta or on a remote stretch of Scottish coastline. Catching the essence of landscape, and indeed of most places we visit on our European travels, is about more than merely accessing a gigabyte of data on major landmarks.

What makes a place tick?

Guidebooks are certainly going through a tough time – facing competition from the more critical travel websites. The more innovative publishers are reinventing their products for a web-wise generation. But appreciating a particular place (or even a whole country) needs more than just facts, data and listings.

So it is interesting to note that while the sales of print guidebooks decline, narrative travel writing has gone from strength to strength. The reading public evidently has a considerable appetite for well written prose that really helps us understand what makes a place tick. Iain Sinclair’s London Orbital gave us a completely new take on the M25 freeway that encircles London, just as Alice Albinia’s Empires of the Indus introduced us to 2000 miles of river and 5000 years of history, while Ian Thomson’s The Dead Yard opened our eyes to Jamaica.

The spirit of landscape

We still think it worth browsing a guidebook or two before leaving home. And casting an eye over some travel websites for information on accommodation and to get a feel for the range of reactions to a place is always helpful.

But for really getting under the skin of a region or country, some well chosen narrative travel writing is essential. Travel through southern Russia without a guidebook if you really must, but don’t so much as even think of venturing to the region without having read Philip Marsden’s The Spirit-Wrestlers. Here, we think, even Google Goggles might have met its match.

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Pauline is a one-stop shop for budget travel insight and advice, offering tips for “spending less and seeing more” on Frommers.com and in her “Pauline Frommer” guidebook series. In addition to her travel writing and editing, Pauline hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, makes frequent appearances on national TV, and is a regular speaker at travel events, sometimes alongside her father, Arthur Frommer.

1. Tell us about your travels. How often do you travel? Where are you heading to next?

Well, I just spent the last week going over my travel receipts for my taxes and discovered that in 2009, I was on the road for part or all of every month except September. I guess that’s pretty standard for me. My next trip is to Guatemala!

2. That’s a pretty busy schedule! Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your guidebook series, and your radio show?

Yes, I’m always busy, but in a good way. I think it was Justice Sandra Day O’Conner who said that the key to happiness is finding work worth doing. Though I would never claim to have had as much of an impact as she has (for better and for worse, I might add), I do have work that I love, and that I hope helps would-be travelers.

I’m the founder and managing editor of the Pauline Frommer guidebooks. We now have 14 in the series, from “Pauline Frommer’s Paris” to “Pauline Frommer’s Costa Rica” to “Pauline Frommer’s Italy“. (You can see the complete list at www.frommers.com/pauline.) Most are now in their second editions; I wrote four of the guides and edited the other 10.

The Pauline Frommer guides have the tagline: Spend Less, See More. And that’s what they’re all about: doing budget travel but in a smart way. They’re for travelers who want to save loads of money when they travel, but do so without sacrificing comfort. So while we do list hostels, we’re more likely to give people ideas about alternative accommodations such as farm stays, private B&B’s (where you stay in a local’s apartment and pay for a private room what you’d usually pay at a hostel), condo rentals, etc. We have the largest focus and have done the most research on alternative accommodations than any of the mainstream travel publications. Of course, we also talk extensively about affordable eating options, transportation, sightseeing, etc.

3. We dig the focus on alternative accommodations. What else sets your guidebooks apart from the others out there?

We also differ from the other series in a section we feature called “The Other.” This will be either a chapter or a section of a chapter on experiences one can have when traveling that allow the visitor to experience the country as the locals do.

So we’ll tell you about a great roving party that takes place in NYC (sometimes on the subways; people bring boom boxes onto a train after midnight and everyone dances). In Hawaii, we’ll alert you to opportunities to help scientists with the yearly whale count or with the sea turtles that nest there (this usually will take just a day from your vacation). In Las Vegas, we tell you how you can audit a class for dealers for an hour or two (it’s fascinating to watch them learn how to take gamblers) or attend a magicians “karaoke” night at a local bar, where they try out their tricks on one another. We’ll also tell you about chefs in Paris who hold small cooking classes in their homes; and the cafes in the City of Light, where you can attend a philosophical evening, as locals gather to discuss life’s great questions (in English), while quaffing wine.

These are just a few examples, but it’s a section of these guidebooks that have really struck a chord among our users.

4. What’s the best budget travel advice you’ve ever received?

I’m not sure if I “received” this, but I guess the advice I’d give from my long years of traveling is to never be shy about saving money. Often getting a discount simply means asking for one, or seeing if changing your travel plans slightly will garner you a discount.

Saving money is all about doing your research (so you know what the possibilities are for savings), being pushy (in a polite way!) and being flexible.

Bonus round! What are you most willing to splurge on when exploring a new city?

I guess my go-to splurge is on admission charges. I once had a writer I was editing tell me he hadn’t gone to a very well-known historic house because he was so disgusted by the entrance charge. I immediately replaced him (we needed that write up!). But I also didn’t like his attitude, which I thought was penny-wise and pound foolish. While I’d never splurge on a hotel, I think seeing great works of art or architecture are definitely worth paying a bit extra for.

Final question: What’s the best meal you’ve had for under €15 and where was it?

Can one count many, many scoops of gelato as a meal? If so, I’d recommend La Palma in Rome. If not, I’d have to say the wonderful liver and onion tacos I had recently in Mexico City, which cost about $2 total for the complete meal. Sorry that’s not in Europe, but that’s what’s on my mind right now.

Oh, and I also had an AMAZING pizza at DiMatteo in Naples. For the pie, we paid about $8, if I’m remembering correctly, but that fed my whole family (2 adults, 2 kids).

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Pauline! We’ll be taking a special look at “The Other” sections when we check out your upcoming editions. We wish we had known about the wine-and-philosophy chat during our last trip to Paris. Alas, there’s always next year… Happy travels!

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“Ask Arthur Frommer: And Travel Better, Cheaper, Smarter,” published in March by Wiley Publishing ($19.99), reworks the most helpful of these dispatches into a 512-page budget travel encyclopedia. Flipping through the book is a trip in itself, and reading the book from cover to cover is sure to be an education in the art of budget travel.

Art lessons

“Ask Arthur Frommer” offers up Art’s tips-of-the-trade in an easy-to-follow structure. Throughout, Frommer pushes the idea that technology has changed the way we travel, granting us new-found independence, flexibility, and opportunity to see the world.

Frommer clusters his advice by topic, in sections such as “Airfare,” “Cheap hotels,” and “Transportation.” We were happy to note the attention he pays to less mainstream destinations (hello, Riga!) and his suggestion to open up to “alternative lodgings” like hostels. (Full disclosure: We were also quite happy to see references to both EuroCheapo and our sister site, EuropeanHostels.com on his blog and in this book.)

It’s well worth noting that while Frommer has been around the globe (his landmark book, “Europe on 5 Dollars a Day,” debuted in 1957), he’s no technophobe when it comes to his travel know-how. At 80, he’s still an active traveler, and frequently writes about emerging technologies, new travel trends, airfare comparison sites, and travel meta-search engine.

Our fave Art encounters?

We really enjoyed passages where Art goes “off the keyboard” and gets truly expressive, even controversial, about the mainstream travel media.  He isn’t afraid to berate publications that kowtow to the luxury travel trade, and he names names. He’s also had it with out-of-touch editors defining “budget travel” as $250-a-night boutique hotels and (even more expensive) resorts. Go Art!

Throughout his career, Frommer has pushed his readers to do their own research, find real deals, and get closer to the cultures they visit. This book, compiling a half-century of real budget-travel advice, is a wonderful way to get started.

Have you read this book? Have a comment? Post it below.

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