Traveling Outside Of Europe? Here's The Guidebook Series That Rick Steves Swears By

Prominent travel guru Rick Steves has built a career out of guiding people around Europe, from Portugal to Russia and Spain to Norway and every country in between. For decades, he's shared his unexpected secrets to explore Europe and insights on his public television shows, YouTube channel, website, podcasts, and through his dozens of guidebooks — which are updated frequently. So what guidebook series does this preeminent travel expert recommend for tourists traveling beyond Europe?

Steves favors the Lonely Planet guidebooks, according to a post he authored on his website. It's the "worldwide standard for a solid guidebook," Steves writes, adding that this brand offers "comprehensive, no-nonsense facts, low- and mid-budget listings, and helpful on-the-ground travel tips." The company, as its name suggests, prints guidebooks for countries all over the world, including in Asia, Africa, and the Americas — something Steves doesn't offer through his series. 

Most Lonely Planet guidebooks cost between $20 and $30, an amount Steves — a guidebook enthusiast — would say is an important investment in trip planning. "Guidebooks are $25 tools for $4,000 experiences. As a writer — and user — of guidebooks, I am a big believer in their worth," Steves writes on his website. "With this tool, I can travel like an old pro, not because I'm a super traveler, but because I have reliable information and I use it."

Lonely Planet offers a collection of more than 800 guidebooks, each of which gets a refresh every two to three years. Stephen Gollan, author of the Uncharted Backpacker blog, notes that he also prefers the guidebook series because of their vast amount of content, wide variety of countries covered, and detailed maps. "In my experience, I have found that Lonely Planet has helped me through the darkest confusing situations while traveling," Gollan writes.

Different guidebook brands have different pros and cons, Steves explains. In addition to Lonely Planet, he routinely uses guidebooks from other publishers, including Frommer's Guides, Fodor's Travel, DK Eyewitness Travel, Rough Guides, Michelin Green Guides, Bradt Travel Guides, and Blue Guides. Arthur Frommer is the "granddaddy of travel publishing," Steves writes, and Frommer's Guides focus more on older, budget travelers. He describes Fodor's as being "more encyclopedic than inspiring," and DK Eyewitness Travel focuses on photos and illustrations, rather than written content.

Steves wavers on whether physical books or ebooks are the way to go when traveling with a guidebook. With ebooks, tourists can carry multiple at once without adding weight to their luggage, and they can be bought on the go. However, it can be difficult to find information quickly in an ebook, and maps don't appear as clearly on screens, Steves explains. "Until the perfect digital solution arrives, I believe a printed guidebook remains the most practical format."

Steves' other research tips for planning your next vacation include using a map and seeking information from both large travel sites and platforms local to your destination. In some cases, it's helpful to splurge on hiring a local tour guide, he advises.