What is a Guidebook?

You probably know what a guidebook is, but many many Americans simply have no idea. While updating guidebooks for Lonely Planet, I've met many people -- often working in various tourism sectors -- who think a "guidebook" is a magazine, or one of those ad-filled brochures a state tourism department puts out seasonally. Some think it's a TV show. Some may be confused by online "travel guides" offered by various online magazines, airlines or travel communities, where the "guide" frequently is the collected postings from random travelers.

All that's OK. But I can't help but think that Americans might get more out of their trips if they planned them on their own a bit more. Perhaps it's time to explain what a "guidebook" is, and isn't: