On travel guides: real vs. virtual?

I used to be fond of collecting travel guides, brochures, maps, handouts, and tickets during trips. While on board a plane, I would request a free copy of the inflight magazine to take home. Even my Dad loves to keep these old travel magazines and browse through them sometimes.

Travel guides as souvenirs from trips

Travel guides are like colorful souvenirs from our trips. These eye-catching printed items not only give information about the place, they also serve as part of my travel mementos. They are great eye-opening reading material for dreaming about other far-away destinations.

I used to buy travel guides on my previous trips, and while they were bulky (and pricey too!), I didn’t mind at all. I used to flip through the pages enthusiastically for interesting places to visit over the next weekend or in the near future.

I still have my old collection of all sorts of travel guides and brochures until now!

Travel guides are my trusty companions

Travel guides add to my sense of confidence when I’m stuck in an unfamiliar place. I remember arriving in Austria for the first time, I hurriedly went to the nearest bookstore to buy a city guide and map.

A trusty guidebook sure can bolster my sense of direction and empower me to explore unfamiliar places with ease. Whether I’m navigating the streets of Munich or venturing into uncharted territory, these colorful souvenirs provide a comforting roadmap.

Online travel guides and apps

These days, I realize I don’t have to purchase physical travel guides on my next trip. There are so many travel community websites and smartphone travel apps nowadays.

One can simply go online to research about a destination, view maps, browse through guides and reviews, and create trip plans and travel itineraries. Plus, there are a lot of tips and recommendations one can learn from fellow travelers who eagerly blog about their trips, upload travel photos and share their own travel musings and stories, insights and reviews.

Online travel community

Travel forums and social networking sites are great venues as well, where travel enthusiasts can exchange updates on great holiday packages or deals, share ideas on new travel stuff and rave (or otherwise rant) about their latest trip adventures.

Technology is surely a big help for travelers, and the Internet is a huge source of information on everything related to travel and destinations. Trip-planning gets even easier with first-hand recommendations on shopping for the latest travel gadgets or trendiest outfits to wear for your next adventure.

Travel guidebooks vs. travel apps/websites

I haven’t bought a real physical travel guide lately. My phone has become my trusty virtual guide for my adventures. Flight updates, trip itineraries, driving routes, location maps, weather, and more information can be easily accessed from mobile apps.

Does this mean I am totally giving up on them and turning to virtual information found on the Internet or my mobile app? I realize it is more practical and smart to go for virtual guides as they are currently updated, and thus more accurate.

Of course, one needs to be careful with the travel apps and websites used, oftentimes technology can mess up too. For instance, getting errors in location apps or reading fake dining reviews. The location app can be unreliable sometimes, telling you to drive through a road being repaired or a no-entry area.

How about you, where do you get inspiration, ideas, and information for an upcoming trip or vacation? Are you still flipping through the pages of physical travel books and guides or browsing virtually right from your travel app or website?