There are lots of books about travel out there in the shops. These are my favourite travel books and a little bit of information about each of them. If you need help deciding on a book for yourself or as a gift then this blog post is for you.
How To Pack For Any Trip
I bought this book whilst I was in Australia. It is the book that taught me to roll my clothes when packing rather than folding them to save space. It is full of brilliant tips for what to pack for every destination and holiday type going.
It's a pretty small book, so it's light to carry with you and has lots of pictures in it too. It not only suggests new ways to pack, but also makes very valid packing suggestions for whatever type of holiday you choose, be it a beach holiday or going to the Antarctic. It's a book that you really can get engaged with and helpful if you are planning a big trip on minimal luggage.
This book really does have everything in it and is definitely a useful resource for those who like to try and pack the kitchen sink or going somewhere super adventurous. As books go, this is a fun and practical little book which could really make a difference to the way you travel.
This book is a must have for anyone who packs too much or is embarking on a new type of adventure.
This is published by the Lonely Planet.
This is published by the Lonely Planet.
Where To Go When
This was a Christmas present which I absolutely love. It has a chapter for each month of the year with suggestions on where to go for each. Each place has symbols for what type of holiday it is good for (culture, food, wildlife etc) to help you pick something that suits you. The book is full of pictures of some of the best things/places. Every month has a flowchart at the start too in order to help you decide where to go based on what you want to experience. I am very excited about using this book to help me plan my next destination.
This book is published by the Lonely Planet.
36 Hours in Europe
This was given to me when I left the job I was doing after I had taken my career break. It is a brilliant book. It covers all the popular cities in all the countries of Europe. It gives you a break down of the things you can do to make the most of a 36 hour city break. You can either use it for inspiration, follow it in detail or mix up the different options.
The book begins with a map, breaking up Europe into different sections to correspond with a chapter of the book. It is really easy to use and comes with maps and pictures for each city it covers. Most cities have more than one 36 hour guide to allow for different tastes. Barcelona, for example, has a popular timeline and another for art lovers. It has genuinely helped me make sure I visit some of the 'must see' sights when I am on a short city break.
This book is a must have for anyone who plans to travel in and around Europe.
The Travel Book
I bought this online from the Lonely Planet when it was new out. It has a page for every country in the world, along with some facts and pictures. It's not great for holiday planning, but it does contain some fair information and very pretty pictures. I have to say it is not really worth what the RRP is, so look out for a 2nd hand copy to save money and still enjoy the pictures.
This book is published by the Lonely Planet.
Travel Guides
There are a whole range of different travel guides out there, so it really does come down to which style you prefer. I love the little guides that come with a very useful pull out map, as they are easy to take out and about with you. I find Lonely Planet travel guides are good, but much more in depth and thorough than I am looking for. I discovered Marco Polo guides after I was given one as a gift and these are up there with my favourite travel guides to use pre-travel. I find the layout and contents more relevant to what I want and it comes with a map at the back. Travel guides come in a whole range of publications, so it really is a bit of trial and error to see which brand works best for you. If you like saving money, like me, then look out for relevant guides in places like charity shops and make the most out of whoever wrote it. Then if you so desire you can either leave it at a hotel abroad or return it to a charity shop when you have finished your adventures. Be open minded about travel guides, sometimes the local free ones from tourist information are pretty useful too.
