Guidebooks: a travel book required or outdated?

Is it necessary to purchase a guidebook or we can we get similar information from other resources? Has “the digital era” made the guidebooks outdated or are they still required?

Ten years ago, when someone planned an independent trip, they went to the bookshop to pick up travel guidebooks because they provided us with a lot of information about our destination but, with the arrival of the Internet and the applications (apps) for smartphones, things began to change. 
Travel guidebooks created websites (for instance, “The Thorn Tree” by Lonely Planet) for travel advice, maps, … In this way, we can read and print out the information to for our travel instead of buying guidebooks.

In spite of that, travel guidebooks are in the bookstore. Why? Let’s take a quick look at the  their advantages and disadvantages of theirs.

On the one hand, travel guidebooks offer us a lot of information about historical, cultural and geographical references of the country where we are planned planning to go. Besides, we can learn some phrases that we can use during our travel, and guidebooks provide us information about where to eat, what to see as well as where to sleep. What is more, they are very easy to use because they have an index and follow a logical format. In addition, a travel guidebook, which may be a paperback or e-book, comes in handy while we are travelling. We can have easy access to these books because they don’t require batteries, internet access or cell phone coverage! We shouldn’t forget that in a rural area or in a developing country there isn’t internet access.

On the other hand, the information provided in guidebooks is limited; for instance, we (can) might want to know something that may not be in the guidebook. For that matter, travel guidebooks can be outdated and we might be using outdated information about timetables, hotels, restaurants, shops or any information relevant for us our travel plans. Moreover, guidebooks are heavy to carry them everyday and besides, they can be expensive compared with travel websites or free information available on line.

In conclusion, I believe the key aspects are what kind of information we need and if we are willing to pay for it. If we need only basic travel information it isn’t necessary to purchase a guidebook but if we want detailed and oriented information, we may be need one or two guidebooks. Moreover, in spite of travel websites and apps, I think travel guidebooks nowadays are an important and essential information source.

Congratulations Mayte!! Very good composition in terms of structure and you have included lots of connectors as well.
The vocabulary you have chosen is very appropriate and you prove you know how to use it in the right context.
The arguments 'for' and 'against' are well supported with examples and I can see the writing flows.