THE BEST TRAVEL GUIDES

The perfect travel guidebook can help make the perfect travel experience.  Don't miss out on the perfect small town, museum, landmark, restaurant, or event that can be the highlight of your trip.  Learn a little about the history and culture before you arrive.  Our favorite publications include Lonely Planet, DK Eyewitness Travel, National Geographic, Rick Steves, Fodor's Travel, Frommer's and 111 Places, but the best travel guide is different for each location and unique for each specific trip.  Here you can search by destination to find the perfect travel books for your next travel adventure. 

A5 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE BEST TRAVEL GUIDES

Lonely Planet

​Lonely Planet is the world's largest publisher of travel guides, and in our opinion the worldwide standard.  The series is aimed at avid travelers, those who want to really explore a destination and experience the culture.  Their information is always very thorough, with practical recommendations for low- to medium-budget travelers, driven from detailed research.  Click here to see more information on Lonely Planet.  
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DK Eyewitness Travel

Our favorite for big cities and culturally rich places is often DK Eyewitness Travel.  These are probably the most attractive visually, with beautiful photos and custom illustrations and maps.  Those traveling on a long trip might want a book with more comprehensive information, but DK is a good choice for a long weekend and a fantastic post-trip souvenir.  Click here for more information on DK Eyewitness Travel.

Rick Steves

Rick Steves has been exploring Europe for over three decades and has personally refined his guidebooks to provide a selective set of recommendations on how to enjoy the best possible trip..  This is a great series for those who want to be specifically guided toward what best to see and what might not be worth the time.  Click here for more information on the Rick Steves.

Fodor's Travel

Fodor's Travel is one of the classics in travel guide publishing, with over 80 years of experience and worldwide coverage.  Their books are very comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on hiring writers with local expertise and on providing detailed recommendations that covers most budgets.  They don't focus on providing a lot of inspiring images, but they do typically have helpful maps.  Click here to see more information on Fodor's Travel.
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Frommer's Travel Guides

Arthur Frommer is certainly one of the founders of modern travel guides, starting with his legendary Europe on $5 a day book published in 1957.  Today's collection caters best to older less-experienced travelers, with helpful practical tips to make it easy as possible to enjoy the perfect trip.  We like the new EasyGuide series,especially for bigger cities like New York City and Las Vegas.  Click here for more information on Frommer's Travel Guides.
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National Geographic Traveler

National Geographic is obviously known for their stunning imagery and their powerful storytelling, and their guidebooks definitely live up to that promise.  These inspirational books are probably best used for trip planning or a post-trip souvenir, as there isn't as much practical travel information as other series.   Click here for more information on National Geographic.

111 Places That Should Not Be Missed

While not all that well known, the 111 Places series has over 150 titles and 1 million copies in print.  Their specialty is in finding interesting places that even locals might miss, with stories that unlock a destination's true character and history.  We find the books particularly interesting for those looking to explore their own cities, either as an armchair traveler or as an interested tourist.  Click here to see more information on the 111 Places travel guide series.

A5 RECOMMENDATIONS ON TRAVEL BOOKS CELEBRATING THE WORLD

Destinations of a Lifetime, by National Geographic

Those looking for a great coffee table book will love Destinations of a Lifetime, National Geographic’s inspiring book highlighting 225 of the most spectacular travel destinations around the world.  The images are absolutely spectacular, as one would expect coming from National Geographic.  A perfect gift for those with wanderlust.  Click here to learn more about Destinations of a Lifetime.

36 Hours, from the New York Times

One of the best travel columns comes from the New York Times, a regular weekly feature called “36 Hours”.  Each article explains a recommended itinerary for someone who has a short weekend to explore a location for the first time.  These articles are now summarized into fantastic books, with one for the US & Canada, one for Europe, one for Latin America, and one for Asia & Oceania.  Click here to see our review of 36 Hours.

The Travel Book, by Lonely Planet

The world's leading publisher of travel guides, Lonely Planet, has also published a number of general travel books, and our favorite is The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World.  There truly is a section on every country, making this a book that curious readers will come back to again and again.  There are great photos, a few helpful maps, and plenty of interesting facts.  Makes for a perfect gift for someone who loves travel.  Click here to learn more about The Travel Book.