Digital guides help you to see where it is you want to go

November 26, 2006|GOOD TO GO, Lylah M. Alphonse, Globe Staff

The only thing more frustrating than not being able to find a guidebook for your destination is discovering, once you get there, that the one you do have is hopelessly out of date.

Thanks to Schmap.com, that might never happen again. Its free, downloadable, digital travel guides are updated constantly, and each one features photos and reviews for hundreds of hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, and other sights and attractions, as well as links to local online content, transportation, weather, events, and activities.

Plus, all of that information is dynamically integrated with the company's detailed, full-color maps. Using the Schmap player that you can download for free at the website, you can plan nearly every detail of your trip, bookmark the things you like best, and then print out your own custom-made, up-to-date guidebook to take with you.

Bringing a laptop with you? Since all of Schmap's content is online, you can edit your guide on the road. With about 175 international and US cities to choose from, you may never get lost -- or bored -- again.