The idea for Just Go Guides was born whilst travelling, naturally, when once again the out-of-date information in our guidebook led us to a hotel that had been closed for a year. As you or anyone else that has ever travelled independently will probably know, travelling with a guidebook leaves a lot to be desired. Out-of-date info can lead you to establishments that are no longer worth visiting, and make you miss out on places that are well worth going to but aren't mentioned in the guide. The hotel and restaurant listings are very limited and are only in the guide on the recommendation of one person. The ones that do get mentioned tend to fill up fast, mostly with fellow guidebook users.

After months of dragging around numerous guides, and becoming increasingly frustrated by how futile they were turning out to be, we realised that there had to be a better way.

That better way turned out to be Just Go Guides, created to bring a constant flow of up-to-date information to travellers. Information that is readily available, from a source that is easy to access, wherever you are in the world, something that has been notably lacking until now. We count on “City Ambassadors”, local information providers who know their town well, to update the guides.

The guide is web-based so space is not an issue. It can be downloaded onto your iPod or mobile phone, you can print out the sections that you need, or have us print them out for you and bind them into your very own, personalised guidebook.

Why is it better?

Just Go Guides hotel and restaurant listings are exhaustive, including many out of the way places that wouldn't get a look in a normal guidebook. All establishments can be reviewed by anyone that visits them with our 5-star rating system, meaning you get the honest and unbiased opinions of a large group of travellers. We also offer local businesses the chance of creating promotions, which is good for you (free stuff and getting to know new places) and for them (getting as much custom as possible from the travellers visiting their area).

Helping local communities

Helping the local communities of the places we travel to was something else we wanted to do. You've probably realised that when you travel, most of the money you spend somehow finds its way into the pockets of large, multinational companies, usually in America or Europe. This is especially true if you tend to go on organised or group trips. We wanted to help the traveller give something back to the people that really need it, so we came up with a couple of solutions that benefit everyone.

Firstly, our booking service: our operators will make a hotel or restaurant booking for you, wherever you are in the world. You will pay between 2 and 3 Euros for this service, depending on where you are, and around 60% of that fee will go directly back to the local people. The more you use the booking service, the more money gets generated for the community.

Secondly, the promotions and discounts system: these great deals are offered by local businesses to attract customers. When you take up these offers, not only will it save you money, but it will also raise money for the local people as a percentage of the businesses earnings will be given to the community.

Just Go Travel Guides are good for:

THE TRAVELLER: Just Go Guides is like having a friend in every city. You get all the latest info on where to go, where to stay and where to eat, our local operators will take care of your reservations and you'll also get that warm, fuzzy feeling of doing something good for the local community.

THE LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS: Just Go Guides offers a chance for all businesses to get some attention, not just those along the main tourist street. Draw customers in with some appealing promotions and discounts.

THE OPERATORS: Just Go Guides operators are local people, situated in the places you'll be visiting. They'll take care of your reservations and a large percentage of the cost of your call will go to them. The more reservations you make, the more income you will generate.

THE CITY AMBASSADORS: Our ambassadors are local people based in every city we cover. They provide the latest information on all the things included in the guide. A percentage of any money generated by the services you use in the guide will go straight to them.