Swapping your guidebook for a good map

Travel question of the week

Dear Rolf,

I am eighteen and in my second year of college.  I have been planning to "disappear" for a few years in Europe/Asia when I finish college.  I really don't have a clue as to where I will end up; all that I know is that I am starting in Budapest.  I don't really like guidebooks because they take the discover out of discovery.  That being said, what is a good world atlas (or Europe/Asia in particular) to buy?

—Weylin, Cheyenne, Wyoming

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Dear Weylin,

Before you buy anything, I suggest you go to your campus library and spend some time in the map and atlas section.  I'm sure the atlas publishers won't like this advice too much, but it seems that studying a world atlas at this point in your travel preparation will mainly serve as inspiration (instead of direct guidance), so there's no need to buy one just yet.  Thus, for the next two years, I suggest you spend lots of quality time in the geography section of the library to whet your appetite for travel.  In time, you'll learn plenty about maps, and the regions they represent.

Once you've graduated and saved up the proper amount of money, I suggest you fly off to the destination of your choice, and buy local maps as you go.  If possible, check the national geographic office in each country for official topographical maps (I did this in Laos, and the maps they sold me took me to some amazing places).  In time, hunting for local maps (and judging their relative accuracy or inaccuracy) will become part of the adventure.

On a final note, I'll mention that I love the notion of traveling by map instead of traveling by guidebook.  That said, however, guidebooks can come in handy — if only for cultural, historical and safety information.  Thus, I suggest you buy one general regional guidebook for your trip (say, a "Let's Go: Europe," or Lonely Planet's "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring"), and stuff it in the bottom of your pack.  You needn't bother using it for your itinerary, but it's worth digging out from time to time to check up on local customs, regional history, travel scams, and the like.