Guidebooks

This may seem an obvious item to bring, but I have met several people who didn’t take a guidebook to Europe. They weren’t sure if they would need one and were sure that they could buy one easily in Europe if they did. Generally, I met them when they tried to buy my guidebook.

Needless to say, you should bring one. I have traveled both with and without a guidebook, and it is much easier and simpler to have one with you. If you lose yours, you can fake it for a while by using tourist offices to locate places to stay, major sights, and so on, but if you get an opportunity to buy another, you should. There are some travelers who disagree with me, who say guidebooks can become law books, and travelers tend to follow them as if they contained mandatory statutes on what to see and where to stay.

There is some truth in this, and it is indeed possible to follow your book too slavishly. However, if that becomes a problem, just stick your book in the bottom of your pack and forget about it until you really need it. On the other hand, if you do need a guide and don’t have one, you will be out of luck.There are an incredible number of guidebooks available for every possible tiny corner of Europe - the amount is truly unbelievable. Some thoughts on this literary tidal wave: