This Popular Item Is Less Useful Than Travelers Realize (And What To Use Instead)

Packing mistakes people make when going on vacation often involve packing too much, which applies to more than just clothing and toiletries. Packing and trip planning definitely go hand in hand. However, this does not mean you have to bring trip planning materials in your suitcase. Thick guidebooks could provide reading materials on long flights, but they can weigh down your luggage. As the common saying goes: there's an app for that.

In today's age of smartphones, more and more travelers are utilizing apps before and during their trips. Among the apps that help plan and manage your trip's itinerary is Rome2Rio. Avoid packing any big fold-out maps that come with guidebooks, because apps like Google Maps and Rome2Rio allows you to plug in your point A and point B. Then the app will show possible routes. Rome2Rio takes the planning a few steps further by helping you compare types of transportation and the costs of each so that you can find the best options to fit your desires. You can check out hotel and car rental options with Rome2Rio as well and can even save your trip itinerary within the app.

Travel apps can help with much more than preplanning and logistics. The app Visit A City has information on activities and attractions in over 7,000 destinations worldwide. Simply type in your destination and let Visit A City show you activities, tours, and places to see in that location. You'll even find travel guides created by experts, but on your phone instead of in book form. 

Another way to get the benefits of a guidebook without packing one is to check out websites made by locals. The benefits of these locally made websites are that they offer an insider's perspective on your destination, perhaps revealing hidden gems or restaurants with more authentic cuisine. After all, a major theme in the messaging of travel guidebook writers like Rick Steves and Pauline Frommer is going where the locals go. To get something similar but in app form, try Spotted By Locals. As the name implies, the app's suggestions on where to eat and what to do come from locals. The app's contributors want to help travelers avoid contributing to overtourism by suggesting things off the beaten path, too.

Remember that not all apps have offline modes, meaning you will need to have internet or cellular data. Some apps at least allow you to save things like routes you've already put into the app, but if you are worried about this caveat, perhaps bring a paper map or write down directions between important places like your hotel and transportation hubs. These will still take up much less room than an entire guidebook.

Rick Steves continues to advocate for guidebooks, and not just because he writes and sells them. "A guidebook is the work of a trained researcher who, year after year, visits many alternatives to assess their relative value," Steves states on his website. However, recommendations in outdated guidebooks could lead you to since-closed businesses. Be sure to get one with a fairly recent publishing date. Even those at used bookstores could still be pretty new. Get ideas from guidebooks while you are planning your trip and maybe take some notes, but don't bring the entire guidebook on the trip itself.