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IN BRIEF
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Icon of travel on a budget since 1973, the Guide du Routard embarks on a new era with a discreet but symbolic change of direction: it officially joins the Hachette Livre house, which has already been supporting it behind the scenes for decades. Born from a travel notebook and becoming a backpack companion, this totem of “light packing” promises more adventures, combining free spirit, savvy tips, and desires for new horizons.
Le Guide du Routard turns a page in its history: born from a travel notebook scrawled on the “road to India”, becoming the star of smart and free travel, it changes hands today while remaining within the Hachette Livre galaxy that has accompanied it for decades. From its beginnings to recognition, from the emergence of Internet to the rise of sustainable tourism, this new era promises to merge heritage and editorial renewal, with very concrete impacts for travelers — from organizing trips to the little practical details that make a big journey.
The handover that’s making waves
Icon of “French travel” since 1973, the Guide du Routard changes hands. The symbol is strong: the collection, already published and distributed by Hachette Livre for a long time, fully joins the house. The agenda includes a promise of increasingly practical tools, without relinquishing the rebellious spirit and the companionable tone that have made its legend. We are talking about a real adjustment of course: more synergies, more innovation, and — hopefully — the same cheeky freedom of tone that makes one want to pack their bag and escape as early as Friday evening.
What this means for travelers
In practical terms, this change in direction could accelerate the updating of information, modernize the digital ecosystem, and expand the France/Europe offer, where Routard is king. Better equipped, authors and editorial teams should navigate more quickly through new developments, whether they concern overarching trends or micro-events that disrupt our travel habits. We think, for example, about the debates on the change of stays from Saturday to Saturday during the high season, or the evolution of rail — right down to the change of SNCF seats — which influence, subtly, our comfort and our way of traversing the Hexagon.
From backpack beginnings to entering Hachette
The road to India, the spark
It all begins in 1970 when Philippe Gloaguen, backpack on and a hunger for the world, writes his travel notes towards India. His account inspires an article in the magazine Actuel, this breeding ground for free ideas where the word “routard”, popularized by Jean-François Bizot, becomes a standard of a generation that travels quietly, but with an inner compass.
1973: first guide, wide spirit
With Michel Duval, Gloaguen publishes in April 1973 a guide like no other: no organized tourism, but savvy tips, lively language, plans for small budgets, human addresses. The DNA is there: a promise of free travel, curiosity, and encounters that make as much of the journey as the destination.
1975: the big leap with Hachette
Starting in 1975, publishing and distribution are organized at Hachette. A few “continent” titles and, very quickly, a lasting success: the Manuel du Routard becomes cult, the collection expands, and the public follows. The alchemy is sealed: editorial pragmatism and wandering spirit can coexist harmoniously.
The Success and Rise
France, also a playground for adventure
In the 1980s, the Routard looks out its windows and discovers that France is a continent. Weekend getaways near home, beautiful escapes, and detours that are no longer: suddenly, Brest, Ajaccio, Lille, or Strasbourg take on the air of the end of the world when explored with curiosity.
1990s: recognition and the Internet bet
In the 1990s, the Routard establishes itself as the leading collection of French-language guides. And, visionary, it ventures onto the Web as early as 1996 to speak directly to travelers. Information, forums, and that teasing yet companionable tone, which explains why we follow its advice as we would listen to a savvy friend.
2000s: focus on responsible tourism
The collection gains cultural depth and brings subjects to the forefront: sustainable tourism, responsible travel, carbon footprint, and common sense on the road. Useful advice but also a travel ethic: respect for places, people, and seasons. Not just departing, but departing well.
2025: a handover and very concrete challenges
From museums to climate, the new travel narratives
Traveling in 2025 also means understanding how the world is changing. Cultural institutions are reinventing themselves, and some are tackling the climate issue. In this regard, the overview of five museums that discuss climate change shows that our itineraries benefit from mixing the joy of discovery with reflection on the times. The Routard is accustomed to these intelligent bridges — learning while strolling, being moved while cultivating oneself.
Practical, practical, practical: what is changing and what you need to know
Travel is also a matter of details that aren’t just details. The adjustments of schedules during high season, with the famous return to Saturday to Saturday stays, can disrupt your prices, your routes, your arrival times. On the rail side, the change of SNCF seats reveals a comfort in mutation, worthy of close monitoring for long journeys. And on the ground, even the address of a tourist office may change in the name of excellence: best to verify before arriving with your backpack. The Routard, in its new format, has every interest in centralizing these small pieces of information that change everything.
Budget and accommodations: new rules of the game
Standards are evolving, and with them your budget. The taxation of tourist rentals in 2025 reshuffles the cards on the side of hosts, with a potential impact on the offers and rates. An updated guide is doubly useful: to find the right address AND to understand the economic context that explains the displayed price. Transparency, tips, and the little phrase that helps you avoid paying full price: everything we expect from a savvy guide.
An inheritance to preserve, a modernity to invent
The tone of the Routard: sharp, neighborly, companionable
You open a Routard like you send a message to a friend: “Got a plan?”. Ideally, the new team maintains this direct, sometimes cheeky, always practical voice. The secret: to tell about cities and roads with humor, without posing, highlighting what resonates — the little diner around the corner, the bistro where you chat, the walk that makes you forget the time.
From paper to digital, one same compass
No matter the medium, it’s the spirit that counts. Paper in your pocket, app on your smartphone, website in favorites: a modern guide combines maps, up-to-date data, and feedback from the field. In this game, the heritage of the Routard — its community, its flair, its network — is a tremendous fuel. The new era can turn it into a hybrid engine: full of stories, packed with good plans, responsive to changes.
France, Europe, world: the art of intelligent detours
Looking close, seeing far
From Paris to Lyon, from Nantes to Nice, from Bordeaux to Toulouse, familiar destinations become thrilling when you know where to look. The Routard has built its reputation on these clever detours. Its new life should amplify this art of opening doors where only a wall was seen — and whisper to you the address that wasn’t listed yesterday, but will matter tomorrow.
Staying curious, always
The world is changing, and so are guides. Between new mobilities, climate challenges, shifting tax systems, and reinvented offices, the road is read differently. The big bet of this new era is to stay true to the adventure while illuminating it better. A guide that makes you want to leave, but also provides the means to do it right — that is the promise.
