slide
Full Travel Member
Posts: 16
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Post by slide on Feb 4, 2006 13:54:14 GMT -5
Hi, I have lately been trying to create a loose packing list for my 9 week trip to Europe this spring, by looking at other's lists, and getting a rough idea of what I need. I have noticed that many people like to bring a guidebook with them, which seems to make a lot of sense. For my trip, I have not consulted many guidebooks beyond the earlier planning stages... I've relied mostly on the internet, and other people's information. So essentially, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to find and bring a guidebook as a kind of back-up to what I have learned from my planning, or if I would be okay without one... Should I already have one? Would my trip be substantially better if I brought one? Or am I just being entirely stupid for even considering trying to go without one...  Any thoughts? Experiences? Thanks a million! |
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Post by Eagle on Feb 4, 2006 15:49:23 GMT -5
slide,
NO, you're certainly not being stupid! If you don't ask the questions, how will you find out about these things.
I can only relate my preferences as far as travelling with Guidebooks; hopefully the others will have some comments for you as well. I sometimes pack along a Guidebook, as it can be useful to refer to during the trip for alternate lodgings (if primary site is booked up) or sightseeing activities. Since the weight would be a problem to pack books for every country, this approach only works when packing one or perhaps two Guidebooks.
Some people find it helpful to tear the appropriate pages out of a Guidebook for the cities they will be visiting, but I have a definite reluctance to tear books up so haven't used this approach (yet!).
On my next trip (hopefully this fall) I will be visiting four or five countries, but I'm thinking it might be helpful to pack along my "Italy" guidebook as that's where I'll be spending most of my time. I haven't made a decision yet, but am strongly leaning in that direction. I should have room in my Pack?
If you think you'll need the books while travelling, have space in your Pack and don't mind hauling the weight around, it's your decision.
Happy travels!!!
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Post by sarahray85 on Feb 4, 2006 20:08:26 GMT -5
I took a guidebook with me to Paris because I was there for over a week. It really helped me find out about some of the cool things to do when I was there.
When I went to Lisbon, I had no guidebook but the tourist information was spectacular. They provided maps and booklets about the things to see in the city. Same in Madrid.
In Barcelona, the hostel where I stayed had guidebooks for travelers to borrow and the friends I made at the hostel also had guidebooks.
Basically what I'm saying is I had no trouble when I didn't have a guidebook but when I had one it was useful. If you are staying in hostels, the people you meet there may have books and they will surely let you peruse them. The hostel may even have guidebooks (like the one where I stayed in Barcelona). So if you are going for one place longer than the others like Eagle said, it would be good to get one for there.
One more thing that I learned is to get one as secific as possible. So if you are going to London for a week and then going to Paris and Berlin for two days each, get a book on London and rely on road dogs for info in Paris and Berlin. ;D
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Post by stanncie on Feb 4, 2006 21:46:26 GMT -5
I would recommend at least one good guidebook just for reference. I personally really like let's go europe or any other let's go version for the individual countries. Hit the bookstore and check out different ones to see which one you like best
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Post by dougjnotloggedin on Feb 5, 2006 8:15:11 GMT -5
I took Lonely Planet's "Europe on a Shoestring" and found it really helpful. During the long train rides I would read it, get myself aquainted with the next city I was going to, rough out what I wanted to do and how to get there, and practice my please, thank you, etc. in the language...
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Post by Eagle on Feb 8, 2006 23:37:06 GMT -5
A few more comments on Guidebooks......
I thought it might be useful to clarify a point on the Guidebooks. The RS "Europe Through The Backdoor" is primarily intended as a "pre-read" and planning guide for travellers before they leave for Europe (especially those travelling for the first time). It covers a wide variety of topics, everything from Itinerary planning to packing tips to Rail skills. It does contain some information on lodgings and other specific information on selected European locations, but would not be the best book to pack along for reference during a trip. The RS country and city guides contain much more detailed information on the destinations they cover, and that's why I'm thinking of taking my "Italy" guide with me.
It would be a big help if RS made his books available in Palm Reader format, as it would sure solve the weight and "space in the pack" problem!
Cheers!!!
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Post by Jules80 on Feb 9, 2006 10:25:21 GMT -5
i always find them useful for maps and finding tourist information centers. i would also read about the next city we were visiting on the train and decide what to see and which order to see it (see everything in the same basic geographic area on one day). but they are admittedly heavy. but i'm glad i brought it with me. cities that weren't covered well in that book we photocopied from country-specific books before leaving.
jules
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slide
Full Travel Member
Posts: 16
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Post by slide on Feb 9, 2006 12:29:50 GMT -5
I think I will definitely look into at least one guidebook, probably Rick Steves "Europe Through the Backdoor", and/or Lonely Planets "Europe on a Shoestring", even if only from the library. I too am apprehensive about the idea of ripping up a book, so maybe I will photocopy what I find useful, or maybe I will surprise myself and take the whole thing, I guess I should really look first!
Jules80, or anyone who has travelled similarly, did you find that the photocopied information you brought from guidebooks on specific areas more or less valuable than the maps and information that you received from tourist information, if you don't mind me asking.
Thank you for the input!
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Post by Jules80 on Feb 9, 2006 12:59:15 GMT -5
honestly, tourist information was good for maps and that's about it. their maps were usually more detailed. however, not everywhere gave maps. i seem to remember some places in italy... venice i think, not giving maps. the beehive in rome has their own map which they giv eyou which is a great map. so i recommend the photocopied info for info not necessearily maps. if they're smaller cities (like tours and nice for example) book maps are usually not very detailed if there are any at all.
jules
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Post by WillTravel on Feb 9, 2006 13:46:21 GMT -5
I'm a bit more compulsive than some people.
I get a dozen or so related books, including guidebooks, history books, memoirs, etc., out of the library before a trip (actually several dozen by the time all is said and done). I read them over a period of months. I visit the bookstore several times, contemplating which guidebook will be best, before buying at least one. Of course I visit dozens of web sites also. I create a duotang folder with summarized information for the stuff I'm interested in. I then take at least one guidebook for each city.
(When I first went to London, I didn't do all this, but of course I had been reading about London all my life.)
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slide
Full Travel Member
Posts: 16
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Post by slide on Mar 6, 2006 21:42:32 GMT -5
hello again, I just thought that I would follow-up... Really really late  Anyway, I went to the library and picked up slightly outdated copies of both LP's Europe on a Shoestring (2003) and Rick Steves' Europe Through the Backdoor (2005) to see what they were like... I can't believe how useful they both are! Thanks so much for the recommendations. Rick Steves' makes an excellent pre-travel read, and answers many questions I had about train travel, budgeting and planning and many more questions I'm sure would have inevitably come up when I finally get to Europe. Lonely Planet is really great in terms of covering where I intend on going, and it really has reaffirmed things (which hostels I had chosen to stay in and what sights to see, etc). Their listings, transport information, and country information is so valuable, as are their maps, however small. Looking at these has given me a boost of confidence! I am definitely going to purchase the updated versions of the guides... Photocopying sections I will use to take, as I don't have the heart to tear up a book. I think the most updated version of Lonely Planet's book is published in 2005-- do you think that the information in it will be updated enough for the spring of 2006? I am going to continue to look out for some specific and regional guides, and see what I can use from those, but I really wanted to thank you for recommendations, it has been very helpful ;D |
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Post by beneverywhere on Mar 7, 2006 6:13:32 GMT -5
one thing to consider if you have an ipod....
ive copied and pasted text from websites, posts on forums, typed info. from books, etc...into word, saved it as a text file and put it onto my iPods NOTES folder.
i still bring one or two guide books with me on my trips, but when im out and about in a city, its nice to have info on the ipod...
you can also save your address book on the iPod as well.
good luck
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Post by Kim on Mar 7, 2006 22:58:03 GMT -5
Wow, that's good to know! I only know the basics with my iPod, adding songs and listening so that's a really good tip. Why don't you sign up as a member? We could use more ideas like that!  Kim |
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Post by beneverywhere on Mar 8, 2006 10:39:30 GMT -5
its very easy to add notes, contacts, etc to an ipod...
just make sure its enabled as a disk drive
click the ipod icon on your desktop, a window will open and you'll see a notes folder, among others....drag your files in there and youre good to go!!
just make sure the txt files arent too long, make one large doc. into smaller docs if necessary as anything longer than one page will get cut off. i guess each note has a limit as to how many characters it can display....
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Post by Eagle on Mar 8, 2006 13:51:47 GMT -5
beneverywhere, thanks for the reminder about using the IPod for carrying data files. That's probably something many IPod users never consider.
Another very easy method for carrying Word or Excel files while travelling is available for those who use PDA's (either Palm OS or Pocket PC models). Using applications such as Documents To Go, it's very easy to not only carry files, but also to modify or add to these while travelling. Using external memory cards, very large files can be used. It's unfortunate that some of the Guidebook publishers don't make the books available in electronic format, as these could be configured as E-Books. With compressed files, they don't use much memory in the PDA at all. I recently read The DaVinci Code as an E-Book and aside from the small screen and battery issues, this is an excellent option for travel.
Cheers!!!
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Anyway, I went to the library and picked up slightly outdated copies of both LP's Europe on a Shoestring (2003) and Rick Steves' Europe Through the Backdoor (2005) to see what they were like...
