Paper is so last century, time you STOPped using it. Look for apps to use on your i-thing or Android.

I am old and like skimming through pages of a book. It is much harder to find something in an electronic version. And I am given to marginalia, which no matter how it is provided in an electronic version, loses its immediacy and context.

I an online junkie. My husband takes an iPad now on every trip, and as soon as we get WIFI anywhere, I'm on my Samsung Android phone looking things up.

But we both say as we are packing our carry-on only bags that we need to have space for ONE PAPER GUIDE BOOK or their significant parts. My Lonely Planet, Moon and Rough Guides have been particularly great to tear apart because they tend to have detailed maps of strange towns with locations of laundries and post offices.

NewbE--I TOTALLY AGREE with the two-copy trick. But then again, I'm a birder :)

Thank you IMDonehere and Christina, for particularly noting the excellence of the Fodor's Spain guide. I will make sure to buy it for our next trip.