How To: Choose a Guidebook

If you're trying to decide on a guidebook for your next trip, it's important for you to find one that suits your travel style. How do you do that? Don't just pick up the most well known guide or the one a friend recommended. The next time you're perusing the travel section in the bookstore, keep these three questions in mind.

Who is it by?
You need to know who is giving you travel advice and what's on their agenda. What view of the world are they trying to sell you? Guidebooks are often written by teams of writers, so look past the name on the cover. Are the people writing the guidebooks locals, or are they professional writers? Are they students or seasoned travel veterans? Take the time to look through the book and make note of the names. Do some research or a Google search and discover what else they've written or what their background is, but don't hold them to it. Keep in mind that their opinion may very well be edited out of the final product.

Who is it for?
Guidebooks have a specific audience in mind, and it may not be you. Discovering this can be as easy as looking at the title, but sometimes you have to do a little more digging. Read the preface, the back cover, flip through and read some sample itineraries. Who are they trying to satisfy? Guidebook target audiences run the gamut from frugal backpackers to shopaholics. Where do you fit in?

How is it put together?
Be sure to check out the meat of the book. What kind of information is inside? Is it just a list of guidebook-approved sites and resources? Or, does it educate you about your destination? Don't just look at the quality of information, but also how it is organized. Check out the maps, for example. Can you imagine reading them when you're lost or are they only good for planning from your hotel room? Assess your needs for your trip and think about whether or not the book is a good fit.