Travel guide books
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
February 10, 2016 11:23am CST
Gunnar Garfors from Norway has visited every country in the world, and he has a blog where he writes about travelling. I have read some of his posts, and in one of them he writes about travel guide books. He hates them, and he thinks that there are many reasons why we shouldn't use them. He says that they make us plan too much before we arrive at our destination and he says that we end up doing the same things as everyone else. He prefers to talk to the locals and ask them for advice about the best places to visit.
I use travel guide books as inspiration. I get some basic knowledge about places and sights when I read travel guide books, but I plan my own trips. I pick the sights that I find interesting instead of sticking to the top sights. Sometimes it is fun to explore a city in a spontanious way and I have discovered many interesting sights that weren't mentioned in the travel guide books.
Do you use travel guide books? Why/why not?
5 people like this
6 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
10 Feb 16
That man has the right idea.
I do or rather have used travel books in the past, but do not rely on them.
I like to get down in the culture and do my own thing.
Ah, if only..btw I saw an awesome movie last night with Mads in it my friend...called A Royal Affair..it was hot!!!
Makes me want to use travel guide to get to Mads lolz
Photo courtesy static.nyt
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Feb 16
I have also used travel books. I find inspiration that way and I learn some of the basic things about the place that I want to visit, but I always plan my own trips. I visit some of the most famous sights, but I also like to visit places that aren't mentioned in the travel guide books.
I have read that "A royal affair" is a historical movie, but I haven't seen it. Maybe I should find it at the library. Movies with Mads are always nice 
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Feb 16
@TiarasOceanView It is based on something that really happened, but some of the details aren't true. The story is mentioned in the books about Danish history 
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
13 Feb 16
@Porcospino I hope you can see it Porcospino. I did not know it was a book. Is it based in actual history friend do you know?
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Feb 16
Yes, you might miss some of the interesting places without guide books. I use guide books as inspiration, but I plan my own itinerary.
1 person likes this
@nezavisima (7408)
• Bulgaria
10 Feb 16
guide can definitely nice to have when you're in an unfamiliar place.
Yet in the guidebook you can find many interesting things especially when you do not know the place.
have a nice day!
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Feb 16
I agree with that. Travel guide books are very useful when you don't know the place that you are going to visit. In the past I only used printed travel guide books, but today we can also find lots of information on the internet.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Feb 16
That is a good way to use them. I read travel guide books, but I also explore new places on my own.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
10 Feb 16
I use them, too. It is a good way to get to know more about the place that you want to visit, and they contain a lot of practicial information. I also like to be spontanious and visit places that aren't mentioned in the guide books.
@TypicalRussian (747)
• Budennovsk, Russian Federation
12 Feb 16
I agree with you. I don't buy guide books because they are expensive. When i needed the info about new country, i found the main sightseeings on the Internet and then i walked whereever i wanted
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
13 Feb 16
It is really nice that we are able to find information on the Internet today. It is easier to find the top sights that way. I love to walk around in a spontaneous way and visit places that aren't mentioned in the guide books.
1 person likes this
