For me, travel guidebooks are like your favourite football team – you should never change once you have nailed your colours to the mast.
I have tried out Rough Guides, Footprint, AA, Frommer’s & DK Eye Witness, but for me there has only ever been one winner – Lonely Planet.
They first guided me in the nineties in countries such as Peru, Vietnam & Indonesia and most recently have acted as my guide in both New York & Norway.
There was a wobble a few years ago when they revamped the format. One of the big pluses with sticking with the same publishers is that you get used to the layout style, familiar with the maps with their symbols and comfortable with the general way of writing. That change upset my rhythm for a while and nearly saw me revolt, but I soon picked up the thread again.
I now rarely leave the continent without one. It is true that wall to wall WIFI and ready access to Trip Advisor has lessened the need for a guidebook, but it is one tradition that I am still finding it hard to do without.
Do you always take a guidebook, and if so which are your favourities?
I buy a guidebook sometimes, but usually read it before. I never take with me as of lack of space in my bag.
I’m another Lonely Planet fan. I’ve been trying their ebooks recently, but for me paper is still the best.