Free online travel information and guide books

Use these free online travel information resources to make the most of you time abroad. Doing a little background reading before you go away can really help you get the best from your time.

Check out the free travel information available on the following websites. Not only will do they provide useful information, they will help you decide which guide to buy should you decide you need one.

Web based travel guides
Most of the well-known travel guide publishers have websites that provide detailed information on holiday destinations for free. These sites offer information on hotels, restaurants, nightlife, local customs and a few handy phrases in the local language.

Lonely Planet - aimed at younger 'travellers', this site has plenty of useful features and information.

Rough Guide - provides comprehensive and up to date coverage of around 200 destinations worldwide. The country and regional guides include in-depth information covering a range of budgets. City guides provide comprehensive coverage, including where to stay, eat and places to visit. Overall, we think these are the best guides.

Time Out - not so much a travel guide but more of an in-depth review of entertainment in over 30 major cities around the world, with the main focus on Europe and the USA.

Frommers - an American content-oriented travel site aimed at the cost-conscious traveller, it contains information on and recommendations for a wide range of destinations. The 'Destinations' section is easy to use and contains one of the most comprehensive City Guides we have found.

Fodors - another American site but has a less formal feel than Frommers. The 'Expert Advice' and 'Resources' sections contain useful general travel information.

Tripadvisor - the American version of a travel social networking site (the UK version does not have as much information on it). Other travellers post views on hotels, restaurants and things to do. Beware though, some restaurant and hotel owners post positive reviews of their establishments. Look for places reviewed by lots of people.

Visit London - 4london.info is a london travel guide. If you're going to london, it can help you plan your trip to make the most of your time there.

Where to buy a guide
There are two schools of thought about buying travel guides. The first says that you should buy them before you travel then read as much as possible before you go. This gets you in the 'holiday mood' and, when you arrive, you 'hit the ground running'. The second says that you should wait until you arrive and then buy a local guide and map since they may be more up to date.

We go with the first. If you're about to go on holiday, we suggest that you invest a few pounds to buy a good quality travel guide and a map to get some background information and advice on your destination before you travel.

Travel guides are an inexpensive way of getting valuable tips and suggestions about places to visit (or not), where to eat (or not) and how to get around. Many travel guides also include a local map and street maps of central city areas.

Each of the web sites listed above will sell you their own travel guides, in addition to maps, phrasebooks and even music. However, you can buy the guides much cheaper than on the publisher's own site at Amazon - the daddy of all online booksellers. They provide a comprehensive listing of books and maps on almost every destination at prices we found to be around 20% cheaper than the publisher's own websites. It is also worth giving ebay a look, as many people sell their guide when they return to the UK. Make sure the guide is the latest version though.

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