julies

We leave this week for Paris, and once again my husband is griping about the number of books we are taking. I'm the researcher, organizer, and tour guide for our trips. We have a fantastic library system here, so usually I get a ton of books out from the library and then xerox intersting pages from a number of them. But, then there are still those books that I buy or borrow and want to haul along.

For our upcoming week and a half in Paris I am currently thinking about taking 3 guidebooks. Time Out--I like the candid comments. Rick Steves--he has great suggestions for the nitty gritty stuff and I like the way he rates attractions by 3, 2 or 1 star. Rough Guide--an overall good guide book. In addition, I am also planning to take Paris by Bistro which is an intersting eating guide for those of us who aren't into spending a ton on food.

Other than an occasional walking tour, we do things on our own and don't take organized tours. Am I the only one out there who takes this many books? Or, am I being overly compulsive about this? It just seems that I can never find just one book that has everything I want. When we start to pack it usually seems we can get the amount of clothing down to a very reasonable level, it is the other stuff that starts to add up.

CotswoldScouser

What's the point of going to an interesting place without being able to look things up while you're there? Having fewer books than you need is the ultimate false economy.

Anyone who thinks they can compress all the information they need into two PDA files simply lacks intellectual curiosity. I'm impressed with your self-restraint.

You're missing just one thing: a list of decent Parisian bookshops where you can top up. If your luggage is too heavy for comfort, hire a porter.

Robespierre

I typically have about 80 guides and histories, plus a few dozen columns I cut and paste from Fodor's - things like restaurants and walks. Also about 300 of my favorite books and plays, as well as several thousand highway and street maps and public transit route plans of every European country and city. I guess I'm just "lacking in intellectual curiosity" (there's another kind?)

If your luggage is too heavy for comfort, maybe you should consider hauling binary digits instead of dead trees.

TamaraEden

I have a number of books I bought on Amsterdam, Bruges, Belgium for my upcoming trip. Every time I went to the bookstore, I was grabbing more books. Now I look at the pile and see 8 books, ranging from size, "That's way too big, what was I thinking! to "This one is going to be perfect!". So, I decided I'm bringing ALL the books for the flight. The giant one I will possibly tear out pages that I might need (I might decide to forego taking that one altogether). The rest I'll bring and my travel partner and I (since we live in different states) will go through the books on our long flight.

I will definitely take the maps and info the Belgian Tourist Board sent.

lyndash

I'm so glad to see this thread as I thought I was probably the only one to travel with a library!! I just returned from my 1st trip to Paris and carried way too many lbs. of books but can't figure on what I would have left home. I even carried a book on art symbols and subjects because my trips are all about the art experience [and food too if I'm honest!] lynda

Woody

<< I am currently thinking about taking 3 guidebooks. >>

Travel light and leave the guidebooks at home. Take photocopies of the places you will visit, and discard them when you are through.

Woody

cls2paris

I take 2 or 3, similar to your selections. But one that I always take that you don't mention is a menu translation book. I have a small that I have used many times and found it invaluable. I also photocopy and print a lot of paper and carry that but toss it out when I am done with - more room for my fun purchases! Have a fun trip - sounds like you are very prepared!

abram

I love to read multiple books and visit multiple websites, but I compile the information I want into ord document of a couple of pages per city, plus a xerox of the restaurant pages if I don't have time to make a resataurant chart.

julies

I didn't even mention the menu translation book and the teeny dictionary or phrase book (depending on the destination) I always take because their size in inconsequential.

I can't always plan ahead and xerox the info on every place I plan to visit because we don't plan out trips out to the minute. We like to be more spontaneous, and even though I always have a general idea in mind about places I plan to visit, there are always those last minute thoughts and changes I want to be prepared for.

suze

Zero. I use guidebooks for planning at home before the trip. And take notes into one small 3x5 spiral pad.

I do buy or copy a couple good maps. When I arrive a new city I pick up free information from the hotel lobby and/or tourist bureau.

suze

I do always carry a phrase book and sometimes a small dictionary.

cls2paris

Hi julies - most of what I make copies of is what I compile here and what isn't in the books I bring. For example, for my Paris trip in Sept. I'm printing out all of Degas' walks. I also have a file that started with the Top 100 things to do in Paris and I have just been adding to it. Before I leave, I'll print that out so I can check things off as I do them. I am not a structured travel person - my plans are usually - two of my must-see/do and maybe a restaurant nearby for each day. The rest of the time is what I stumble across - on purpose or by chance. Have a fun trip!

tod

Always a hard decision to choose from my variety of Paris Guides as each one has something I would like to look up on the trip, SO, I am going the Robespierre route so that I can take more info than I will ever need.
Robespierre I know you get asked about PDA's alot and if you see my post maybe you can tell me if I should consider an I-Mate K-Jam? Many thanks. Tod

katzen

bookmarking

mjs

I buy alot of guidebooks before I travel and even buy books for places I am considering for travel. Just bought some books on Peru, Argentina, Thailand, Croatia, Prague and Budapest. I tend to carry only a few small books as I tend to travel fairly light and xerox off the parts of books I do not want to carry. I do bring if available the Lonely Planet condensed guide as I like the size and the easy to use map while I am wandering around. I too bring a language/menu guide as well. The other book I tend to bring is a guide book to food. I have the Paris Zagats and the Bistro book and the Patricia Wells book and the Gustafson food book as well as the Lonely Planet eat out Paris. Tend to bring the Zagats with notes from the Bistro book and the Gustafson book due to the small size. Do xerox off the Bistro book and Gustafson book sections for the areas of Paris we may be in. We rent an apartment while in Paris so only tend to eat out once a day so for a week visit we only need about 7-10 restaurants and bringing more than one dining guide seems unnecessary. The Time out guide is also fairly good but although I have some of these I do not seem to use them much. Rick Steve is not a bad book to have for nitty gritty type stuff.

Robespierre

tod - I'm not planning to acquire any integrated phone/PPC rigs for a while. The setup I have lets me link my cell with the iPAQ via Bluetooth for internet access - I just leave the phone in my pocket.

When the price gets more to my liking, I'm planning to acquire a Fujitsu P1000 that can do the same trick. The sub-notebook addresses all of the shortcomings of both a full-sized laptop and a Pocket PC.

Having a separate phone and computer means I can upgrade one or the other without having to buy the rest of the electronics again, which is the case when they're all in one package.

Real Soon Now, the world will discover that carrying one computer the size of a hardback book is simpler and easier than schlepping around pounds of paper.

Barbara_in_CT

I prefer to travel light but I'm taking two guide books this trip. I have them bound with that plastic comb binding. I remove any page that does't apply. Many of the notes that I take from Fodors are in my PDA or on fairly large post it notes which are attached to my guidebooks. I will take a couple of printouts of Degas' walks but I'll toss those as soon as I've finished because I have saved them in a word document. I will also take a printout of restaurant suggestions that I've accumulated and sorted by arrondisements.

I think you should be able to take with you whatever you can carry. I wouldn't expect my husband to carry it.

gertie3751

I'm a compulsive book-buyer too. However I think everyone has one guidebook they feel most comfortable with and which they take and leave the others at home (having read them from cover to cover). Mine is Rough Guide.

julies

Next question. My husband has a new PDA and we've downloaded Degas' Paris walks to it. Is it much nmoe manageable to just print them out instead?

Does anyone know if the Timeout book is downloadable?

Mjs--we're also staying in an apartment so I won't need lots of restaurant info.

wilees

Yeah. I like to have lots. But I don't like carrying them. I am currently in a bit of a dilemma. Going on an extended trip and I have 7 books I want to take (for 6 countries) + I want a Rome special one and a greek myths one. Might just have to photocopy some of the pages. Else hubby will get sore shoulders from carrying them all around!!

We will post home / ditch some of them as we leave counties