In our March competition we asked our Mobal Newsletter, Twitter and Facebook Subscribers what their favorite Travel Guide or Blog was and why. Below we have included some of our favorite responses. Thank you to everyone who entered!
Rick Steves
“My favorite travel guide is RICK STEVES. He goes to places the main travel guides do not go and gives you a great view of what the people in other countries are really like. RICK has a TV program on public television in the United States.”
“Rick Steves – Because our likes are similar, he does a lot of things, goes to a lot of places, and writes about things that I like.”
“My favorite travel information is from Rick Steves. I find his books very informative with up to date and relevant information. I also love his free podcasts for tours, his website for info and to answer questions, and his videos to show exciting places to visit!”
“Our favorite travel guide for Europe is Rick Steves. We like the range of hotels his books present, as well as the walking guides. His advice is practical and the way he writes is down to earth. It is easy to decide where to spend our time when we review his books.”
“I like to use Rick Steve’s Travel Guides. He is thorough with his research. He travels extensively and his information is easy to follow and reliable. I am a thrifty traveler and appreciate the budget dining and hotel suggestions. I like the Walking Tours he offers through his website. Wherever in the world I go, I take Rick Steve with me!”
“Favorite is Rick Steves’ Europe because it focuses on places I’m most interested in and covers all the bases as to travel , accommodation, sights, etc.”
“I always rely on the guides from Rick Steves. I get good advice on when and how to visit tourist sights and have saved many hours of waiting in lines. His accommodation recommendations are also spot on!”
“I’m probably just one of thousands of people who will say that Rick Steves is my favorite travel guide. When we’re going to Europe we get Rick’s guide for that specific region. He has not only been to all of these places that he writes about, but he returns to them to update his books. We love his tips on hidden treasures. Of course after he has written about them they’re not hidden anymore. For example, when we were Italy, it was Rick’s book that led us to Cinque Terra. He told us how to get there, how to enjoy this coastal area, and where to eat. Yes, there were a lot of people there because they had read Rick’s book also. But we wouldn’t have known about this charming area had Rick not written about it.”
“Our favorite travel guide for Europe is Rick Steves. We like the range of hotels his books present, as well as the walking guides. His advice is practical and the way he writes is down to earth. It is easy to decide where to spend our time when we review his books. For the US, our favorite guide is lonely planet. They also have great options and plain language, like Steves. Both books highlight small, out of the way, interesting places not found in some of the other guidebooks. Their advise is accurate, and we were rarely disappointed!”
The above entry was selected at random as the winner of our March competition! Congratulations!
“My favourite travel writer is Rick Steves. His information is always useful, and descriptive enough so that the reader can judge whether it matches his/her own interests. He gives travel ideas that are off the beaten track, which I enjoy.”
“Rick Steves because he keeps his info updated and current.”
“Anything Rick Steve’s writes or shows on PBS helps me plan my trips and helps me know so much more before I travel.”
“My favorite travel guides are those by Rick Steves. They are very clear in detail and easy to read. His blogs, emails and television shows are also excellent. I take his guide with me to each country I visit. And his staff will answer email questions.”
“Favorite guide is Rick Steeves’ guides. They are more folksy than the Rough Guides and always seem to be of a guide than Frommers which I have found to be somewhat dated in the past. They seem to get you closer to the inhabitants of a country of city and more interesting. Although I don’t travel as light as he, if I were I wouldn’t take any other guide with me.”
“My favorite travel guides and newsletters and travel TV show are those by Rick Steves.”
“MY favorite travel guide is: Rick Steves Italy I’ve found it to be continually valuable in my many trips to Italy over the years. The updates are informative and his practice of dropping recommendations that have changed is very important.”
“Rick Steve’s Good accurate, complete information is given as to what you might want to see and do and where and how to do it.”
TripAdvisor
“I use Trip Advisor to research destinations I’m considering traveling, here at home or overseas because it provides practical information from real travelers.”
“Trip Advisor because you get a whole spectrum of thoughts and observations from all over the world, and then you have to use your own intelligence and intuition to determine what is credible.”
“Favorite travel guide/blog: TripAdvisor Why: “Real” people rate hotels, answer questions, provide photos, and chronicle their travels!”
“My husband and I always check Trip Advisor for reviews of hotels, rentals, activities, sight seeing at destinations we want to go.”
“I always check hotels, restaurants, destinations through Trip Advisor. I love the comments and feedback from people who have experienced it, rather than reading a review in a magazine. You get the good, the bad and the in-between account. I’d love to win a Moto Smartphone for travel. Right now we use our domestic smartphone or Ipad for information and use the “old” World phone for calls.”
“Favorite travel guide; Trip Advisor…uses traveler reviews and photos to give an unbiased view and opinion of attractions, hotels, and restaurants.”
“My favourite travel guide is TripAdvisor because it’s reviews are written by real people, and it’s available online at a moment’s notice. We travel on a budget so getting an unbiased review means more to me than a corporate promo.”
“I like TravelAdvisor a lot. The personal comments and ratings about lodging, cruises, activities are great. The businesses comments and pictures and responses to client comments are great. The unique tidbits of information that can be gleaned are at times extremely useful. The irate, “bee-in-her-bonnet” responses are usually discernible and can be mentally discarded. TripAdvisor has been my go-to travel help since the early 2000’s!”
“Hello, I like Trip Advisor since they rate a number of things – restaurants, hotels, etc. That way I can review a restaurant or hotel I’ve never been to and know whether or not (by the ratings) I want to try it. Thanks”
“My favorite travel site is TripAdvisor. I have used it many times and fine that if I read the recommendations that I am consistently led to wonderful places to visit and fun places to visit while there.”
“Tripadvisor hands down! I find that reading through the entries on Tripadvisor — both the good and the bad — give me a fairly accurate picture of what to expect when booking hotels and restaurants when I am traveling.”
“My favorite travel guide is tripadvisor.com It offers suggestions and reviews from the travelers themselves who will often present a more objective view of accommodations and activities. It also offers variety of accommodations to chose from including private rentals by owners where you make your own rental agreements as well as various hotels, BnBs, inns, lodges, restaurants and resorts. The reviews are especially helpful in my mind….I love coming to my own conclusions after reading some of the best and worst comments by the travelers.”
“Tripadvisor is far and away the best. Every review has been on the mark. We planned two longish trips overseas and a number of shorter trips in the states as well as dozens of dinners using Tripadvisor and have been very happy with the results. We will probably go back to Scotland this summer (maybe Ireland and Iceland too)- we will use Tripadvisor for the whole thing.
BTW – MOBAL is best thing ever (next to Tripadvior) for going overseas – service is excellent – value is excellent.”
“TravelAdvisor is my favorite guide because it features interesting places, helpful reviews, and easy access via its site or the app. I also like the periodic email updates.”
“Our preferred site is tripadvisor through their forum we get a lot of travel information. Hope we win the phone for our next trip.”
Lonely Planet
“We use Lonely Planet guides. They have down to earth suggestions. Recently came back from Bhutan using their guide for information.”
“We always use “Lonely Planet” guides. They are detailed, up to date and easy to follow. They include information about the types of places we like to go in a country. Last year we toured Newfoundland and this year it will be Italy with our Lonely Planet guide. We check them out on the web too.”
“Lonely Planet: best practical and budget travel advice.”
“If there is a Lonely Planet guidebook for the place I’m visiting, that’s my first reference. The lodging and food suggestions are the right amount of cheap. Also, LP gives pronunciations and the spelling of place names; it’s good to know in advance that Delphi begins with a triangle and Venice is really Venezia!”
“Lonely Planet because it gives basic information useful to all travelers, and stresses economical travel.”
DK Eyewitness
“I like the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides for these reasons:
1. The Eyewitness guidebooks are portable and easy to carry. Lonely Planet and Frommers guidebooks are too big to carry with you when you are actually sightseeing.
2. The Eyewitness guidebooks have a modern lay-out with eye-catching graphics that help explain visually what the guidebook is talking about.
3. The Eyewitness guidebooks are well edited to provide the essential information the traveler needs. Other guidebooks contain information overload that the reader forgets by the next day.
4. The Eyewitness guidebooks are an excellent value for the money.”
“My favorite travel guides are the DK Eyewitness Guides. They are so full of information that no other guides are necessary.”
“My favorite and go to travel guide is the DK, Eyewitness Travel Top Ten series. These are my favorites because of their street and district maps including map(s) of the and/or bus routes, useful numbers and ideas on how to spend a day. These guides are organized to give you the top ten must see site,s hotels, restaurants, tours and shopping etc which makes it convenient to get the most in a short time.”
“My favorite travel guide is the DK Eyewitness Top 10 guide. It’s pocket size so I can bring it everywhere. And since our vacation times are usually 2 weeks or less, it narrows down what really needs to be seen. Pictures are great and information is just enough without going into too much detail.”
Other
“My favorite travel guide has always been the series of red and green books put out by Michelin. We have planned literally dozens of trips to Europe around their recommendations, and have never been disappointed.”
“I receive IrishAbroad.com. It is for the overseas Irish. There is a travel section that is good for people wanting to go there on their own. There are political and sports updates as well. I like ,also, the links to Irish language (Gaeilge). Check it out.”
“My go-to for travel info is usually CruiseCritic.com. Most of the traveling we do is on cruises and Cruise Critic keeps me up to date on everything in the world of cruising. I also like the forums where I can ask questions to fellow members of the site.”
“My favorite site currently is Smarter Travel http://www.smartertravel.com/ It covers helpful tips. links to air travel sites, guides to products, andmany more topics, all in one. I have traveled by air since 1971, and I am still learning things every week.”
“Our favorite travel guides are our friends. When we get ready to go overseas, we check with friends who have visited the country we plan to visit. They always have advice on do’s and dont’s, places to eat, unusual out-of-the-way places to visit. And often they put us in touch with their own friends or family overseas who offer to show us the sites.”
“I love the blog that recommends the must have smartphone apps for travel abroad. This is extremely helpful to me. I am fairly new to smartphones but I can definitely see the advantages of quick information at the touch of a button. It can make life not just easier but can increase the quality of any trip. This is particularly relevant when visiting unfamiliar places and countries that speak a different language. I certainly appreciate advice ahead of planning a trip.”
“My favorite travel source is “My Switzerland” We are independent travelers who prefer to take a vacation rental apartment for several weeks to a month and spend time hiking the fabulous Swiss Alps using the fantastic Swiss transportation system to take us swiftly and effortlessly from place to place . At “My Switzerland” we can find lists
of hundreds of family owned apartments in towns across the breath of the country. This Swiss source also has great ideas for hikes and all the other information one might need for an enjoyable Swiss vacation.”
“Alert Diver magazine because I want to dive when I travel.”
“My favorite travel blog is http://www.davidlebovitz.com/ Although the primary focus of his blog seems to be food and cooking, he advocates for a broader sensitivity to the world and it’s peoples, to explore other cultures through their cuisines and to enjoy life not as a tourist but as a member of the human race.”
“My favorite travel help is LondonTown.com I most frequently visit London and the surrounding area. I can look for hotel, restaurant, entertainment and other activities or special information all in one spot and am given an update of special interest news for each month in time to book or inquire.”
“Amylaughinghouse.com Funny, and travel that is actually within reach of normal people. An outstanding travel writer.”
“My favorite travel guide is Janice Waugh’s Solo Travel Advisory. I travel as a solo most times and her newsletters give the latest in help for traveling alone.”
“My favorite site is “AirfareWatchdog.com”. They always post interesting questions and answers along with great fare sales from numerous airlines.”
“My favorite travel guide is anything published by Fodor’s. Before I visit a new location, I always invest in a Fodor’s guidebook applicable to my destination. When I visited London a few months ago, I referred to my Fodor’s guidebook before every journey on the tube or museum visit. The information they provide is invaluable and I would be lost without it. They also have Kindle versions for many of their publications which makes it even more convenient. Their website includes valuable information contributed by other travelers and the featured top news items are a must read. Fodor’s is awesome.”
“My favorite travel guide recently has become Wikipedia — because I can get to any of the other information about where I’m going, but also because I can learn a bit about the history, culture and people where I’m going to be going. Here’s hoping I win the phone — heading on a trip to France in April!”
“My favorite travel blog is journeywoman.com because I am a woman who often travels on my own.”
“My favorite is www.saltwaterblogged.blogspot.com It is my favorite because I write it. Thank you”
Thank you very much for all of your entries to our March competition.
If your favorite Travel Guide or Blog isn’t included in this blog post please let us know! Tell us in the comments which is your favorite and why!