There are likely two things that come to your mind when you hear mention of the words travel and guide together.
You either think of those individuals who take groups around places, showing them sites of interest and giving them facts etc. or you think of those brochures that give the lowdown on travel destinations.
For the moment we are going to focus on the book, pamphlet and brochure variety, similar to the brochures you'll find on sites like Freedom Destinations, as opposed to the tour guide.
These kinds of travel guides are ideal if you want to learn more about where you are heading.
You will find that they generally feature important information and details about facilities and amenities in the local area like restaurants, hotels etc.
These are normally highlighted along with their prices and customer ratings.
If you are travelling on a budget, a travel guide can be indispensable for telling you where you can go for the best money-saving deals.
What if you know exactly where you want to go but have no idea what you want to do when you arrive?
You can consult a travel guide and find out the different points of interest and tourist attractions the location has to offer.
Many travel guides are written and designed for a specific kind of travel.
For instance, some focus their attention on one specific element of traveling in a certain location, like the best things to do if you are travelling as a family with kids, while others may focus on people who are travelling for business reasons and the advice and information they would find most relevant and practical.
If you have a lot of time on your hands to plan out your trip, you should consider speaking to the travel and tourism office of the destination you are considering visiting.
They will often send you out a pack that contains everything you need to know about the destination, and some even include some useful money-saving coupons and vouchers.
Yet another great resource for travellers, especially if you have access to the internet, ican be found by typing “travel guides”
The results will show numerous sites that offer online, digital travel guides that can be printed off, or physical guides that you can order that will be shipped out to you for free.
As noted at the outset, there are two types of tour guides. We want to spend some time talking about the second variety.
That is, those individuals who are hired to take single travellers or small and even large groups around a particular location, showing them the best sites.
You may not need to use this type of service if you are travelling within your own country.
However, if you are visiting somewhere abroad, they can be invaluable for helping you get around and prevent you from getting lost.
Whether you are going to use a human being travel guide or an actual book, you should also invest in some kind of maps.
Many paper-based travel guides feature a map, but it is also wise to invest in an actual road map too.
When used in conjunction, travel guides and maps can help make your trip more enjoyable and less stressful.
