Sustainable Travel Guides

Ever wished you didn't have to lug an entire guidebook with you on a trip, just so you can refer to a few pages? We've found a promising travel guide that won't weigh anything in your suitcase, that is  great for the environment, and that will keep the green in your wallet (it's free!).

Just Go Travel Guides are personal, customizable guides put together by a team of international writers, editors, and travelers. The guides are available in PDF format, and are downloadable to your iPod or mobile device for free (have we mentioned that, yet?).

Here's how it works: On the Just Go website, choose the country you'd like a guide for. Select what type of information you want (hotels, dining, shopping, spas, etc.) and the dates you are going to be there. Plug in your cell phone number and Just Go will text a confirmation number to you (be patient: Just Go is new and still working out a few technical glitches). Enter the confirmation number online and the Just Go team will start preparing your personal guidebook and then send it to you in the format you requested.

Too good to be true? It gets better. One of the cool features about these guidebooks is the rating system. Users can rate the places they stay or eat at and visit, and the ranking of the establishments will shift, depending on the ratings it has received by Just Go users. So instead of waiting to return home to write to a guidebook company about its inaccurate recommendations, travelers can rate a restaurant or hotel while they are still on the go. Likewise, the company has a booking service, which allows travelers to text their booking information to the center and Just Go will set up hotel and dining reservations (and soon, they'll also book tour operators, travel insurance, and even flights).

Also enticing is that local businesses can advertise with Just Go, meaning travelers can find all the cool happenings in the place they are visiting, rather than having to deal with big-company advertisements.

Currently, Just Go has guides for 14 countries in Central and South America, but they promise more will be available soon.

Image: Just Go Travel Guides