Frommer's print editions go the way of the horse and buggy

On my bookshelf at home, I have a copy of Frommer’s Paris 2009, which provides a comprehensive albeit somewhat conservative guide for any traveller visiting the City of Lights.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to rely on new Frommer’s editions in the future thanks to Google’s decision to halt publication of these handy guidebooks this year.

All of the major attractions, museums, and shopping districts are covered in my Frommer's guide, as well as the city’s artistic and architectural history. There’s even a section on side trips to Versailles, Disneyland Paris, Fontainebeau, and other destinations.

Without it, I would have had a much less enjoyable visit.

I’m not one of those who scorns Frommer’s, Lonely Planet, and other publishers who try to make travel a little easier for the rest of us.

It's easy to see that with so much material available online, Google saw no loss in dumping future print editions. But I've always found it a lot easier to rely on a guidebook to find an address for a taxi driver rather than pulling out an electronic device and working in a second or third language.

If you’re one of those who longs for future editions of Frommer’s, you’ll probably enjoy travel writer Meg Nesteroy’s “A Personal Lament To The Death Of Guidebooks”, which appeared on the gadling.com site.