Best Canada travel guide: Recommendation for your road trip through western Canada

There are countless travel guides for Canada that are aimed at different types of trip. That’s why, from our point of view, there’s no single best guidebook, only the right one for your style of travel. In this article…

• Let’s take a look at five travel guides for Canada
• Find out which type of trip they are actually intended for
• Give you an assessment for each guidebook as to whether it’s suitable for you

Canada travel guides compared – what’s on the market?

There are quite a few guidebooks for Canada, yet only one that really fits your specific type of trip. For this reason there’s also no single clear recommendation, just an overview of the different focuses. You can decide for yourself what appeals to you most and then deliberately choose your perfect Canada travel guide.

WILDLIFE TOUR GUIDE travel guide Canada: For self-drivers with the best wildlife spots

First of all, there is the wildlife travel guide for Canada. It’s aimed at travellers who want to explore Canada on their own and see nature and wildlife. Alongside the top sights you’ll find the best outdoor and wildlife spots in western Canada.

What makes this guidebook special?

• You see wildlife in different places throughout the year, so the wildlife spots each come with the optimal travel time.
• Various route recommendations that include all the top sights while still taking you past the best outdoor and wildlife spots.
• Up-to-date information, tips on accommodation, campsites and routes are available via the free online access (Kanada+) or in the app

The guidebook comes in magazine format with 112 pages and costs 29,99 EUR. You can buy the guidebook here.

MARCO POLO travel guide Canada: Compact for city travellers

Are you looking for a guidebook for Canada that you can easily slip into your trouser or handbag? Then this small and compact guidebook for city travellers or those on group tours might be ideal for you.

What makes this guidebook special?

• The compact format makes the guidebook perfect to take with you.
• You get a brief overview of the most important facts for a city break. That may well be enough for you if you have a tour leader anyway.
• There are also restaurant and accommodation recommendations included.

The guidebook has 144 pages in a 10x20cm format and costs . You can buy the guidebook here.

LONELY PLANET travel guide Canada: Ideal for backpackers

Do you like travelling independently and love the freedom of backpacking? Then you’ll certainly know that Lonely Planet is known for exactly this style of travel. Lonely Planet offers one guidebook that covers the whole of Canada.

What makes this guidebook special?

• Extreme train journeys and surfing the waves are what you’re after? Then in this guidebook you’ll find the best places and providers for activities with an adrenaline kick.
• You’re looking for budget-friendly accommodation? Lonely Planet lists inexpensive hostels.
• There is also a selection of restaurants for larger towns and cities.

This guidebook offers you over 1,000 pages and costs . You can buy the guidebook here.

REISE KNOW HOW travel guide Canada: For the knowledge-hungry

You want to know things in more detail? Then this Canada guidebook is certainly something for you. This way no detail will pass you by and you’ll definitely come back from Canada knowing more than when you set off.

What makes this guidebook special?

• You’ll find lots of information on geography, culture and history.
• Over roughly 100 pages you’ll learn everything about planning, preparing and organising your trip to Canada.
• Do you also want to travel on to Alaska? Then you’ll find this region covered in this Canada travel guide as well.

This guidebook offers you over 700 pages and costs . You can buy the guidebook here.

CONBOOK National Park Route Canada: Route-based travel guide for Canada

If you’re looking for a ready-made route that you can travel independently, then this route-based guidebook may be just right for you. A detailed itinerary takes you from national park to national park.

What makes this guidebook special?

• The authors offer you a fully worked-out route over 2,800 kilometres. The starting point is either Vancouver or Calgary.
• Recommendations for accommodation on campgrounds, in hotels and in motels.
• Information on other topics – from medical help to customs regulations.

This guidebook has a total of 448 pages and costs . You can buy the guidebook here.

Canada travel guide recommendations: What suits you?

You can already see that there are many great travel guides for Canada. That means you’ll find the perfect companion for your individual style of travel. In your position, we’d make the choice as follows:

• Nature and wildlife: Do you want to travel independently, not miss the most beautiful sights and see lots of wildlife along the way? Then the Wildlife Tour Guide travel guide for Canada is perfect for you.
• City breaks: Do you feel at home in cities, want to have your guidebook with you at all times and see well-known sights? Then grab the Marco Polo travel guide for Canada*.
• Backpacking: Are you a passionate backpacker, looking for budget places to stay and activities with adrenaline potential? Then get the Lonely Planet travel guide for Canada*.
• Informative: Are you hungry for knowledge, want to learn something about history and return from your trip well informed? Then pick up the Reise Know How travel guide for Canada*.
• Ready-made route: Do you want to travel independently, follow a tried-and-tested route and focus mainly on seeing the sights? Then the route-based travel guide for Canada* is ideal for you.

What should you look out for when buying a Canada travel guide?

First of all, the criteria for buying have changed. While in the past insider tips really were hidden gems, today they’re generally well known thanks to the internet.

You also no longer necessarily need a paper map to navigate Canada. Google Maps, Apple Maps or another map app not only offers current information such as opening times and traffic alerts, but is also ideal for navigation.

In addition, information on the country’s history, population and exchange rates can easily be found online – and is usually much more up to date.

So what should you look out for instead? Nowadays it’s easier than ever to make a purchasing decision.

• How up to date it is: Make sure the guidebook is current. Opening times, prices and even sights can change. The Wildlife Tour Guide travel guide shifts all current information into a free online area. That way it will still be up to date when your Canada adventure begins.
• User ratings: what do other travellers say? A look at the ratings can be very revealing and give you an idea of whether the travel guide delivers what it promises.
• Specialist knowledge: are you an adventurer, do you love travelling with a backpack or are culture and history really your thing? Simply choose a travel guide according to how you prefer to travel.

Because it is precisely this specialist knowledge that is what counts in a travel guide today. Are you interested in data and facts? Do you love the backpacking lifestyle? Would you like to see lots of animals? Whatever is at the top of your list, there will be a perfect travel guide for you.

Should you buy more than one Canada travel guide?

It can make sense to go for two Canada travel guides. You now know that the different providers have specialised. And that has to be the case, because after all you can't fit an infinite amount of information into a single book.

So it can definitely make sense to take the best from different worlds. If, for example, you are planning to spend a few days in Vancouver and then want to see animals, you can combine the specialist knowledge of a city trip guide with the specialist knowledge of a wildlife guide.

Online vs book: why digital is on trend

Do you remember the times when we used to lug heavy travel guides around in our rucksacks? Times are changing. With the rise of digital travel guides we now have the option of having all the information we need literally in our pocket. Digital is practical, up to date and environmentally friendly.

But digital is not just digital! Here is an overview:

• PDFs: first, there are travel guides that can be downloaded as PDFs. These are often offered by bloggers, as they can be created without much prior knowledge and are easy to sell. They are also practical for you because you can use them on all devices. One disadvantage, however, is that PDFs have a fixed size and are therefore often hard to read on a smartphone, for example. They are also just as inflexible as a classic travel guide.
• eBooks: eBooks have an advantage over PDFs. While they are just as little interactive as a PDF, they are easier to use. The eBook format adapts to your eBook reader and can easily be adjusted (e.g. through different font sizes, line spacing, etc.). But here too you get a rigid concept where it is hard to flip back and forth. In addition, the information quickly becomes outdated.
• Online travel guides: online travel guides, on the other hand, are designed as digital products. And as with websites and apps, there are no limits here. They are often much more extensive, interactive and adapt perfectly to the size of the screen. Tours can be booked, activities nearby can be found with a tap of your finger and exciting experiences can be saved. In addition, unlike PDFs and eBooks, the information is always up to date. Real-time information is even possible.

An authentic online travel guide that is designed as a digital product is something we only know from Wildlife Tour Guide. The product "Kanada+" includes all the content of the travel guide plus additional content such as current wildlife sightings in the surrounding area, a digital wildlife viewing board and direct links to tour operators. The online travel guide is available as an app for your smartphone. Access costs a one-off 19,99 EUR. You can get access here.

Our conclusion

A good travel guide can make the difference between a good trip and a great one. It saves time in planning and leads you to places you might otherwise have overlooked. And in such a large country as Canada, a good travel guide can make all the difference.

Now that you know how valuable a good travel guide can be, it is time to plan your next trip to Canada. Whether you prefer vibrant cities or peaceful nature, with the right travel guide at your side your trip will be an unforgettable experience.

We hope that this selection has helped you make up your mind and that you have found the best travel guide for your Canada adventure.