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Ask Gadling: What do you do when your guidebook is wrong?
Ever bought a guidebook and discovered when you arrived it was useless? Full of outdated maps and ho-hum restaurant picks, your guidebook is better suited for Grandma's group tour than a grand night on the town. Rest easy, mindful traveler. Rather than being something to worry about, discovering your guidebook is awful should actually be cause to celebrate. In fact, you might as well chuck that lousy thing out your hotel window.
Here's the truth: for anyone looking to add a dose of spontaneity, authentic local culture and plain old randomness to their travels, going guidebook-free is a blessing in disguise. Still not convinced? In an era of ever-present Internet and cheap mobile phones, you're never more than a step away from all the information you'll ever need. Keep reading below for four ways to get rid of those guidebook woes, once-and-for-all.
Enjoy the Randomness
Wait a second. An expert travel site is telling me to spend my hard-earned vacation wandering around aimlessly, with no plan whatsoever? Yes. Travel isn't just about checking sights off a list. It's about immersing yourself in an experience totally different than what you're used to at home. The best way to do that is to lose the guidebook and get lost. Walk down a street you don't recognize. Get on a city bus that you don't know the destination. Talk to a random stranger. Do anything really. The point is that without a plan, you're all the more likely to have rewarding, unexpected experiences. They might not end how you "planned" - but all the better.
Pull out your mobile phone
In an era of super-smart Internet-ready mobile phones, guidebooks aren't just out of date: they're downright obsolete. Whether you need the public transit schedule in San Francisco, are looking to track down some good Cuban food in Miami or want instant translations of a foreign language menu, a mobile phone with a data connection can likely find you the answer. From Augmented Reality to Location Services, mobile phones have become the new guidebook. Best of all, they're a guidebook that fits comfortably in your pocket.
Ask a local
You won't find the best tips for a destination in a guidebook. Instead, savvy travelers know to ask the locals. Even if you think you know your destination's most important sites, locals will often suggest off-the-beaten activities and unexpected highlights that even the most detailed up-to-date guidebook would never find. What if you don't know any locals in your destination? Not a problem. Either strike up a conversation when you arrive (don't worry, they won't bite) or use web tools like Twitter, Facebook or Couchsurfing to ask around for help. Thanks to the wonder of the Internet, you'll have a local showing you around in no time.
Not loving your guidebook? Perhaps it's time you gave it up. These days, with help from technology, local expertise and a little willingness to be surprised, traveling without it is easier and more enjoyable than you think.
[Photo by Flickr user Matt Murf]
Wait a second. An expert travel site is telling me to spend my hard-earned vacation wandering around aimlessly, with no plan whatsoever? Yes. Travel isn't just about checking sights off a list. It's about immersing yourself in an experience totally different than what you're used to at home. The best way to do that is to lose the guidebook and get lost. Walk down a street you don't recognize. Get on a city bus that you don't know the destination. Talk to a random stranger. Do anything really. The point is that without a plan, you're all the more likely to have rewarding, unexpected experiences. They might not end how you "planned" - but all the better.
Pull out your mobile phone
In an era of super-smart Internet-ready mobile phones, guidebooks aren't just out of date: they're downright obsolete. Whether you need the public transit schedule in San Francisco, are looking to track down some good Cuban food in Miami or want instant translations of a foreign language menu, a mobile phone with a data connection can likely find you the answer. From Augmented Reality to Location Services, mobile phones have become the new guidebook. Best of all, they're a guidebook that fits comfortably in your pocket.
Ask a local
You won't find the best tips for a destination in a guidebook. Instead, savvy travelers know to ask the locals. Even if you think you know your destination's most important sites, locals will often suggest off-the-beaten activities and unexpected highlights that even the most detailed up-to-date guidebook would never find. What if you don't know any locals in your destination? Not a problem. Either strike up a conversation when you arrive (don't worry, they won't bite) or use web tools like Twitter, Facebook or Couchsurfing to ask around for help. Thanks to the wonder of the Internet, you'll have a local showing you around in no time.
Not loving your guidebook? Perhaps it's time you gave it up. These days, with help from technology, local expertise and a little willingness to be surprised, traveling without it is easier and more enjoyable than you think.
[Photo by Flickr user Matt Murf]
Filed under: Learning, Books, Budget Travel, Internet Tools
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lara dunston Sep 27th 2010 9:27PM
Great tips! The frustration with using (and writing!) guidebooks and the joy of engaging with locals were two reasons we started Grantourismo. http://grantourismotravels.com/
When travellers get back home, they should also write to the guidebook publisher and alert them to the mistakes - some have a policy of sending a free book in return.
Joey Sep 27th 2010 9:28PM
Love the first tip. I always try to get on a random bus to an unknown destination. Great way to see the city and also if all fails, you know you can get the bus back into town from the depot.
Not sure about using your phone abroad with hefty data charges. I say scrap the phone all together.