Top 10 Travel Guides
- Lonely Planet
These guides have been going strong since 1973 and ever since the recent merger with the BBC, the potential for Lonely Planet to expand the minds of travellers everywhere seems limitless. It was all started by a fellow who goes by the name of Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen. They published the title Across Asia on the Cheap and from there it was a snowballing story of success. There are now hundreds of titles on offer, a massive website, magazine columns and modern media bonanzas galore. I'm a big fan of recent title Flightless, which you can check out in this month's Top Five Reads. You can also read my interview with Lonely Planet's Tom Hall - published way back when in the November 07 E-zine. - The Rough Guides
Now partners with Penguin, the Rough Guides offer a similar synaptic assault when it comes to keeping the discerning traveller up to date about destinations worldwide. The little Directions books are particularly handy and you can now acquaint yourself with Rough Guide TV, on British TV station - Channel Five. There are clips from this on the Rough Guide website and better yet, there's an interview with one of the founders Martin Dunford, on this very website right here! Martin and I chatted about his involvement with the Rough Guide's house band, the go green frenzy and much more, so why not give it a read? - Packed Magazine
This is a true independent traveller's magazine and after a recent website re-launch - it's bigger and better than ever! Based in Austria the magazine calls upon the collective travel knowledge of experts all over the globe - including yours truly. All the top travel operators are in there too and you can pick up a copy from every good hostel across Europe. The September, October and November issue includes a top Explorer article around Ireland, a focus on travel literature in the Icons series and a Savage Trips column all about what happens with you mix up, London, bike rides and random encounters with Ricki Lake! If you can't get your paws on a copy then read all the best bits online at packedmagazine.com. - TNT Magazine
This badger's been an institution on the streets of London since the early eighties and it's showing no signs of slowing down. Every Monday morning you can pick up a brand spanking new copy of this glossy lifestyle bible, absolutely free from innumerable points across the city. Inside you'll find a lot on London, a nice juicy travel section, music reviews, career advice, news, sport and much more. On top of all that the guys behind the magazine are also friends with Lonely Planet's travel guru - Tom Hall, who writes a regular Q and A column, and they lay on two great travel shows every year! In an E-zine not too long ago I got to know TNT's Editor-in-chief, Krysten Booth so if you're missed it, why not have a little read through now? - Bradt Guides
If you like unusual destinations and quirky trips then you might struggle to find a helpful guide on your unusual path. Step up the Bradt guides. Founded in 1973 by the then Mr and Mrs Bradt, this off the beaten track venture has blossomed into a great collection of more than 130 guides, readily available on the beaten track. Sustainable travel is mixed in with eco-warrior-esk tourism, the authors all add a personal touch and they're hooked up with all the heavy hitters in the travel industry. Case in point Wanderlust. - Wanderlust Magazine
This is another UK title and can be found in most high street shops and airports. It was set up in 1993 with a similar ethos to Bradt - something a little different that satisfies everyone. Specifically the blurb waxes lyrical about the right mix of wildlife, activities and cultural insight, and that's a pretty accurate picture! It's gone from a modest, bedroom-office side hobby to an in-demand, eight issue a year title - with endorsements from the likes of Bill Bryson and Rough Guide founder, Mark Ellingham. - Trip Advisor
This one is most definitely for the people - by the people, minus the usual degree of online advertising - necessary to keep impartial online travel guides afloat. We're talking approximately 15 million reviews, critiques and other assorted first hand accounts, all published in the hope of helping you make the best choice possible, when it comes to your tailor made trip. Hostels, tours, areas, flights and much more can all be found on this site. All you have to do is click! - St Christopher's Inns Backpacker Resources
The Backpacker Resources on this very website have been building up for years and years - with the aim to give you guys an unparalleled library of money saving tips, first hand tour guides and some specific female travel tips too. There's advice from health experts in Backpacker Bites to keep you in shape on the road and if you're lucky enough to win our Write For A Night competition, your work will be immortalised in these very archives. Our free, monthly, 15,000 word E-zine is a big part of this so sign up now, join the revolution and get involved. - About.com
It's the mother of all websites when you need a broad spectrum of advice about pretty much anything and everything. Also as far as you guys are concerned the travel section ain't half bad either! The search engine on this thing is simply splendid and the content quality, for such a massive archive is astonishingly good. But examples speak louder than mere online short listing - so take yourself there and have a nose about. The article on Oktoberfests in North West America is a great starting point. - Europe's Famous Hostels
This alliance of top notch hostels has been making a noise for a fair while but a new development on their home front is the website. This has been rebuilt from the ground up and the content now being added to it on a regular basis is pure bred, quality, travel advice from an experienced traveller - direct to you. There's a new set of top travel tips every fortnight and some fantastic, contemporary city guides - added almost as regularly! It's easy to use, clear and concise, and yours truly gets to lend a hand, making it almost as good as the St Christopher's Inns - Backpacker Resources!
- Rob Savage
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