Image: Erin O'Connor.
One of the most obvious ways you to identify yourself as a tourist is to whip out a map, unfold it all the way, and stand there gawking. This unfortunate habit is a great way to put a target on your back, but is also one of the least effective, and most stressful ways to figure out where to go.
If you want to prevent a few headaches while seeing the sights, follow some of our tips for using a map without looking like a tourist.
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- Do It Yourself. Before your trip, create some maps online (Google Maps) and print off digestible chunks (by neighborhood, for example.) That way, you can get out only the map you need, when you need it. Remember, keep it small.
- Keep It Folded. If you buy a foldable map, keep it folded to the area you are in. That way, you'll be able to look at it quickly and discreetly. Plus, you won't have to spend a lifetime getting finding your location. Remember to take a little time to refold the map when you wander off the edges.
- Map Time. If you find yourself getting lost, take a break. Instead of trying to play navigator in the middle of a crowded street, duck into a coffee shop, cafe, or the like and give yourself a more secluded and relaxed place to reconnoiter.
- Out Of The Way. It's almost always a bad idea to try to read a map when you have hordes of people walking around you. You'll be more distracted and put yourself in an unnecessarily vulnerable position. Either give yourself Map Time, or if you can't find a suitable place, duck into a doorway or alley to give yourself some breathing room.
- Take A Page. If you're using maps out of a guidebook, consider tearing out the pages you'll be using instead of carrying around the whole thing. That way, you'll be able to look at the maps more discreetly and you won't have to carry around a (relatively) heavy book all day. But, if you're dead-set on keeping your books intact, refer to Out Of The Way or Map Time.
- No Pop-Out Maps. We've tried using these in the past; after all, they seemed like a good idea. They save space, open quickly, and can be quickly stashed away. However, they never contain enough detail to be useful and can be damaged quite easily. Instead of wasting your travel dollars on a pop-out map, I'd recommend getting a quality folding map, or making your own.
Happy Navigating!
What are your thoughts of using something like the iPhone or iPod touch to navigate with? I personally like the feel and am more comfortable using paper maps, but perhaps for some that have a tech mindset something electronic might be nice. Have you tried any of the apps for the iPods/iPhones?
It's problematic because of the need for internet. Our smart phone works great if you're in the city, but on the road the load time can be a pain. I like the google maps interface on the iPod/iPhone, but even on the iPhone it wouldn't be particularly useful while abroad unless you had an unlocked iPhone and could get local data coverage.
I would use a google maps interface on my iPod touch if i could download it at my leisure when I had internet access, yet retain the same functionality while on the move. The third party downloadable map applications by city I've seen for download are worse than a paper map.
Great tips!
Back when I worked in the travel guidebook business I tried to get guides published using a plastic ringed binder that would let readers remove, add and re-order pages. With such a guide you could easily do what you suggest: pop out a page with a map, carry that around, and then replace it back into the book when you were done.
Sadly, this binder turned out to be WAY WAY too expensive. But to this day I've liked the idea of it.
I like these tips, but I might have issues with it. I tend to need to step into maps - not literally, but I like to turn and face it to where I am going. Interactive. I think I will just duck away and take a sneak peek.
But the google map idea is GENIUS! Why did I never think of it?
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