These days, it's just possible to find online material to rival decent guide books like the Blue Gui

Travelling alone to Italy and France in October. Just wondering if it is worthwhile carrying the weight of a guide book or books around with me. I plan to take my kindle 3G and also smartphone so could look things up as I go.But am unsure if it is wise to rely solely on the internet. I pretty much have accomodation organised so really am just interested in knowing the sights and restaurants. Will be visiting Rome, Amalfi coast, Paris, Dijon, Laval, Marseille.
And even as a dedicated Kindle user for the past 3.5 years who often sends PDF compilations of vital material to all travel party members via THEIR Kindles, I still found that having one paper guide book was really helpful.
Lately, however, my husband has been bringing his Ipad. And I've found myself stealing it and looking up needed info there. He only uses it in free wifi, the availability of which is constantly expanding. I did not consult my Turkey guidebook once this past summer.
Guide books are really heavy to drag around. car rentals onsite at orlando airport Many people just tear out and bring the sections they need and toss them as they go. It always pains me to deliberately damage any book, so I tend to photo copy (double sided) the few pages that I really need. You don't need the accommodation pages and there are lots of apps about eating in various places. I make sure I have the safety/emergency info, consulates etc which is usually only one page. Since my activities are roughed out, I have most of that info on a spread sheet already. have a wonderful car rentals onsite at orlando airport trip!
I'm probably biased here, but I'd never rely solely car rentals onsite at orlando airport on the web, especially in a foreign country where web access might be limited to hotels that offer free Wi-Fi with long stretches where no access is available except car rentals onsite at orlando airport at a very high cost. I think the various strategies for lightening one's load are sound, and I do many of the same things (tear out specific sections that I need or photocopy them). I've also created my own digital PDFs on a scanner so I can take guidebook car rentals onsite at orlando airport content with me on my ipad, but like AlessandraZoe I find that the print product is more useful.
I still can't rely on just my tablet. I find it easiest to use paper if I'm going to be flipping back and forth. Electronic text is good when I'm just reading something in a linear fashion, but I find it a pain if I'm doing any sort of research--such as consulting a guidebook for a destination or restaurant I hadn't already had on my itinerary.
I also take a belts and suspenders approach, and create a document that I print prior to going, so just in case, I have a paper backup. This last time, I actually copied things into a document car rentals onsite at orlando airport over the course of my research, then edited and printed it prior to travelling. Good luck!
People bring a lot of stuff they never wear in their suitcases, and then spend a lot of time on their trip lost or going to closed museums or missing something beautiful they could have walked to because they didn't know where they were.
AJ Peabody - you're priceless. Excellent analysis. Guide book pages with circles and arrows, folding maps with red lines following car rentals onsite at orlando airport a route, margin notes. 20 - 30 - 40 years later, you'll pull those out of a drawer, gasp, then sit back and remember. I have my Paris map from 1972 with my hotel location marked. The Francois. I run my finger across it, and remember that young woman, her awe and delight. Priceless.
I don't bring guidebooks to places I frequent (like Paris), which is probably an obvious statement. I just keep a running Word doc between trips with notes from sites like this. As I get closer to the trip, I'll edit it and add addresses, Metro stops (cross streets in NYC, etc.) to places I think I'll actually go.
If it's a brand new destination and I'll be there more than a couple days, I would definitely throw one general book, with decent maps, if possible, car rentals onsite at orlando airport in my suitcase (and my printed Word doc.) With as many destinations as you have, I like the idea of tearing out/photocopying some pages.
You can't get onto the internet in most holiday cottages or at most museums or archaeological car rentals onsite at orlando airport sites except through your phone (there are just too many criteria in selecting cottages streets ahead of wifi. Above all: can the Flannerpooch have his own room?) and that costs a fortune.
These days, it's just possible to find online material to rival decent guide books like the Blue Guide about half the time, and with energy it's very often possible to answer those infuriating questions guide books don't answer online. About 10% of the time, information's better online tan in any guidebook
So it's guidebooks mostly, the lightest weight laptop car rentals onsite at orlando airport or tablet with decent functionality as well, and if you're not staying in hotels car rentals onsite at orlando airport frequent pitstops car rentals onsite at orlando airport at internet cafes or the like to check on what exactly that quote from Racine car rentals onsite at orlando airport was.
I use the LIttle Black Book for Paris and London. LIghweight , concise, and helpful I think there is one for ROme too. Fr the rest of the countries, i keep a file of printed pages in consecutive order, and toss them as the trip progresses. car rentals onsite at orlando airport It'sad when i rech the lst few!
And what is useful depends on the type of info you seek which may be completely different from what others think. While some have the same way of doing this for all trips, I use different media depending the objective of the trips, familiarity of the destination, how much time I have at destination to be able to use resources.
Since I always have a smartphone car rentals onsite at orlando airport with me, having the itinerary, list of attractions I plan to visit during the trip, opening hours, and electronic version of guidebooks on the smartphone allow me to look up references on a fly without WiFi or mobile internet car rentals onsite at orlando airport accesses.
We always took our fave guide book. Sorry, Doug, it was Eyewitness. I also spent the year picking out places, and making a spread sheet of their locations, days open, bus route, etc. I did print outs of train schedules as well. This became a soft covered notebook whose pages we tossed as we went along.
Once we arrived at any destination, we went to TI and grabbed brochures. We got into conversations with as many people who had time to talk. Most waiters are very busy so don't make them be rude to you.
I have a friend who collects and uses old Baedeckers. I have my mother's Muirhead's Paris and its Environs from about 1921 and find that it is still amazingly useful (Notre Dame hasn't moved) though I am sorry I missed things like the once extensive tram lines.
lol, ackislander, i mostly take them off my book shelves. i have a collection of some of the old ones before they decided to try to be all things to all men. i've bought a couple of the new style as well but they aren't as good and they're heavier too.
But prior to my holiday, I do a whole lot of research on the areas I want to visit and write down on a notebook car rentals onsite at orlando airport the places, opening times (this is so important) car rentals onsite at orlando airport of tourist attractions and other venues, etc that I plan to visit each day, even the names, addresses and tel. nos of restaurants that I shortlisted in the area which would have good reviews, so that my husband car rentals onsite at orlando airport would put in the address on the GPS (sometimes I book a reservation online before I depart for the holiday and he puts the address on the GPS prior to the holiday.)
Last Chirstmas time I wanted us (as always car rentals onsite at orlando airport when we are in Italy during this season), to visit a living nativity scene in some town or village. So I listed down the villages and towns in the areas we were in that organized this event, car rentals onsite at orlando airport and the times they started and finished, so that we would then choose which one to go to, depending on the time or day we would have availible.
It does take some planning, but I prefer to do the research before I depart rather than having to flip through the guide book during the holiday, and risk missing out something that interests me. Then if I have doubts on anything or want some information, I go on the internet and check it out, if possible on the website of that particular place so that the information would be correct.
But each to his own. Others prefer to take the guide books with them, especially if it is a first trip to a particular country, or if they do not have time for preplanning everything. If you feel more comfortable taking one with you, then do so.
One thing my husband would never go on holiday without is his precious GPS - even though it sometimes takes us the longest route, or even a dead end, but even though we would have lots of maps with us of the area, he just panics like if it would not be functioning properly. At times me and my map would be giving better directions, but the GPS is always in control over us, lol - he faithfully obeys its directions.
I always bring several books with me for a trip of 2 or more weeks. I LIKE books. You can fold down the corners of the page and make notes in them (I often insert brief comments from people car rentals onsite at orlando airport here or articles in travel mags of the NY Times.
I also take real books to read - since one of my joys on vacation is an afternoon - or even morning - with a good book on a day that is too wet or too hot or something. (Another reason we never do 1 night stops.)
You won't be able to use your smartphone car rentals onsite at orlando airport in public for fear of being assaulted and robbed and/or considered 'stupid' by 'savvy' travellers, and you've already organised your accommodation, so why bother? As bilbo said, no one is going to mug you for a book [some may already have one at home].
WOW, Thanks Fodorites, they were really car rentals onsite at orlando airport great posts! As someone who has read the Lord of the Rings 9 times I have to confess Farrermog hit a chord mentioning Bilbo.I'm cautious but not overly concerned about getting mugged but I think I will bring an old guide book because I love books. If I get sick of carrying it I can always car rentals onsite at orlando airport give it away to someone. Thanks everyone for all your interesting and helpful comments.