Travel books and guides are one of our favorite things to talk about. As host of our radio show, The Book Report, for 5 years, Elaine is a bibliophile of the first order. You can hear her interviews with hundred of authors at our show website, Bookreportradio.com. Her training at the Library of Congress and then The Miami Herald makes her an expert picker of the stuff you need. Every book ever is available at Amazon, so just jump in and pick the guide you want. Get one early because it will help your planning.
Are Guidebooks Worthwhile If You Have the Internet?
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We often take travel guides with us on trips, even though we expect to have data connections everywhere we go. For one thing, they’re a great way to get educated on your overseas flight getting there. For another, they have things like foreign language phrases, details about local trains etc that are hard to gather in one place quickly while you’re searching online..assuming you have a signal. Of course, we look for books that are light and affordable.
What About Kindle vs Print Books?
Elaine is a print person. Derek’s a digital guy. He swears by the lightness and immense variety available with Kindle, which also has wifi accessibility. As we say, it takes two to travel. If you’ve never tried a Kindle, it can save a lot of weight, and you may fall in love with it. Get all the Kindle details and pricing here.
Don’t Just Read Travel Guides!
Of course, there’s massive enjoyment and advance knowledge to be had if you read a historical novel or non-fiction work about the place you’re going to. For example, if you’re going to Japan, read Shogun before you go! Align your interests with the books that go beyond just the logistics, and your trip will begin in your head as you absorb the stories about the place you’re going to.
Our Recommendations
The best sellers in this space are just that for a reason. Here are our essential guides: generally speaking, Lonely Planet and Fodor’s get our vote, but there are many good choices depending on destination. You can order them here, or search for many other options.
Tip: If you don’t know which novels relate to the place you’re going to, just enter what you’re looking for in the Amazon Search bar. For example, you could just enter: “Novels about China”, and you’ll see plenty of results.
