Travel throwback: A Day in the Life of a Guidebook Researcher 📚

A behind-the-scenes look at the rewarding and unpredictable life of a guidebook researcher in Italy

I wrote this post originally in 2016 and recent came across it while trip planning. It made me smile thinking about how much my work has changed in the years that have passed, but also how even the smallest things in travel are constantly changing.

I hope you enjoy this travel throwback as much as I did when I rediscovered, and be sure to let me know if you like this kind of post!

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I’ve changed gears here in Italy, just having finished two tours, one of Sicily and one of Venice, Florence and Rome. My next adventure is in doing a bit of research for the Rick Steves guidebooks. More than 16 years ago, I was a frustrated young architect who was unhappy in her profession. One evening, my mother-in-law asked me what I would do if I could do anything; my answer, “Oh, I don’t know, work for Rick Steves as a guidebook researcher?” I didn’t actually think that was a job, but I sent in a resume on a whim and, many years and many miles later, here I am.

Guidebook research sounds like a dream job, and it can be. Driving through the Umbrian countryside with the wind in my hair, sampling wine and pasta in adorable little villages. Meeting interesting and hilarious people at every turn, all of whom are thrilled to meet the girl from Rick Steves.

But the other part, the non-glamorous part, can be tough. Waking up early and staying up late–there are actually not enough hours in the day for this work. Walking and walking and walking, with no time to stop. Constantly refusing offers for coffee or lunch with a polite “Mi dispiace, io sono in fretta” because it’s true, I’m always in a hurry.

Combing the text a thousand times over to make sure I haven’t missed a single detail. I know the readers are depending on us for accurate information, and that’s a big responsibility. The knowledge that no matter how many hours you put in, you wish you could have done more. Hours of phone calls, emails, proofreading, sore feet, exhaustion. It’s all a part of the job. But even so, for me it’s fantastic. You never know what will happen.

Here’s a little peek into my typical day. Every researcher for the guidebooks goes through these same steps. We’ve all been trained by Rick and have followed his method for years.

Morning