The Best Resources For Researching Your Next Travel Destination, Per Rick Steves
Planning a trip can be one of the best or worst parts of a vacation. Travel expert Rick Steves encourages considering multiple aspects before diving in. Travelers will find countless ways to research a destination, especially with social media and the advent of travel influencers; however, too much of anything can be a bad thing.
On his website, Steves suggests not attempting to pursue every avenue of research ahead of a trip. Instead, he says to figure out what you want and go from there. "While information is what keeps you afloat, too much can sink the ship," he wrote. "So winnow down your resources to what best suits your travel needs and interests. WWII buffs research battle sites, wine lovers brainstorm a wish list of wineries, and MacGregors locate their clan's castles in Scotland."
Ensure you've collected recent information or that the resource has at least received updates for accuracy. Steves advises his readers not to discount the helpfulness of (up-to-date) guidebooks. Steves has an understandable soft spot for this type of resource; however, he encourages his readers to conduct their research in whatever manner they wish — as long as it serves their needs as travelers. If you've just started gathering inspiration, consider utilizing Steves' tip for planning a successful vacation.
Guidebooks: Under-utilized resources
Rick Steves loves guidebooks. This passion fuels his travel-centered business, which, to the surprise of no one, produces guidebooks in addition to his other ventures, like leading tours. His writer Cameron Hewitt even wrote a post on Steves' blog about how to methodically cut apart a guidebook to take on a trip, only bringing the pertinent sections along. Since Steves himself has said that he prefers paper guidebooks to digital, Hewitt's packing hack makes so much sense.
What matters most of all, however, is choosing an up-to-date book. Otherwise, you might as well carry around the Yellow Pages. "Before buying any guidebook, check the publication date," Steves advised on his website. "If it's last year's edition, find out when the new version is due out. Most guidebooks get an update every three or four years. Only a handful of titles (including my most popular books) are actually updated in person with regularity. When I'm choosing between guidebooks for a certain destination, the publication date (often on the copyright page) is usually the deciding factor."
Steves stated that using an out-of-date guide, even one from just a few years ago, could easily derail a trip. He noted that he picks up an up-to-date guidebook to help lead his trip if he heads somewhere completely new to him.
Other valuable planning tools recommended by Rick Steves
Even though Rick Steves loves a good guidebook, he doesn't discount other research methods either. In fact, Steves suggests using these apps when planning your trip, among other options like local websites or even tourism offices. He wrote on his website that he also likes planning maps, which combine guidebooks with helpful maps for getting you where you need to go.
Although Steves doesn't oppose planning around traveler reviews online from sites like Tripadvisor, he does advise taking these accounts with a grain of salt. Businesses can easily pay to play, bumping other places lower in the rankings. You may have a hard time locating lesser-known destinations by relying heavily on user reviews, and skipping these spots goes directly against our top travel tips from Steves.
"The most helpful crowd-sourced ideas for travelers usually come from the categories for tours, sightseeing experiences, and entertainment," Steves wrote. "But also keep in mind that guidebook writers have already done that for you. I see review sites as a useful complement to a thoughtfully updated guidebook. If something is well-reviewed in a guidebook, and also gets good ratings on one of these sites, it's likely a winner."