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Guidebooks aren’t dead–and why you should consider using one

The importance of Guidebooks

It was recently revealed that the venerable “Frommer’s” travel guides were purchased by Google and soon thereafter it was announced that they would discontinue publishing the travel guides in book form.

In the age of the internet, many people get their information from websites such as ours.  That is a good thing since there is such a wide range of sites out there, but we caution against relying on websites alone (even this one).

For starters, guide books are a great planning tool before you set out on your travels.  The better ones are generally written from first-hand experience.  And they often go in to more detail than general travel websites.

Secondly, it is much easier to carry a guide book around with you than to try to search the internet on your cell phone or other device while in the midst of your travels.  You can already have highlight areas of interest to you and can readily find them in the guide book—and you can pencil in notes as you go along.

If we can quote Rick Steves, he said something like “ $30 tools for $3,000 experiences”. Of course, guide books can have information that is out of date and that is why we recommend both internet sites (ours of course!) and printed guide books.

That is why we offer guidebooks on our site at www.thecatholictravelguide.com that are aimed at Catholic travelers.  We try to select books or DVD’s that will bring added depth to your experience.  Together with secular guide books they are a great way to maximize your travel experience.  And planning is not only beneficial but can be almost as much fun as the trip itself.

Note:  the Frommer’s series has been resurrected and will be published by Arthur Frommer himself, who bought the rights back from Google according to the Frommer’s website.

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