Discover the World „à la Carte“!

March 1, 2010 - PRLog -- Conventional tourist guidebooks are similar in their setup, outdated and impersonal. Most of them are unpractical or too informative to be truly useful. Furthermore, most maps in guidebooks are too small – especially if there are 100 little numbers indicating recommended locations splattered all over them. City maps on the other hand are often unhandy, financed with paid advertising and made of cheap material.
A la Carte Maps provides a unique approach to traveling by combining guidebook, tourist map and a piece of art in one. Travelers can now discover a location plainly “à la carte” by following the insider tips of a local guide on what to see, feel, do, and experience. The concept is simple: Imagine you had a local friend in exciting cities all over the world. Not only will this friend provide you with the most important information about your city, he or she will also reveal the city's best-kept insider tips by writing them on a hand-drawn map.
Want to know what to do on rainy days?
Where the locals like to party?
Would you like to experience things "off the beaten track" (that may require a little courage)?
Or are you looking for extraordinary restaurant tips?

No matter what you're looking for, our local guide knows where you can find it. With the purchase of a "My City à la Carte" Map, customers will further get complimentary access to the comprehensive online database of their chosen city which provides the latest updates and allows them to create their own personalized itinerary.

All local guides are anonymous. A la Carte Maps prides itself on a strict “no tea money” policy: We don't accept any paid advertising, free services/products, goodies, bribes and so on. All the things and tips on our maps are there, because we like them. As simple as that.

A la Carte Maps aims at „flashpackers“ – backpackers that love to journey in style. Flashpackers are independent, clever, curious, adventurous, passionate and sophisticated. Instead of just seeing things, they want to experience them. Flashpackers don’t have a fixed itinerary, love the uncommon and are not afraid of the unknown.
Flashpackers don’t backpack because they have to, but because they want to. Even though they enjoy splurging a little money now and then, they don’t want to spend their entire vacation in gourmet restaurants, shopping streets or posh clubs that are more or less the same all over the world. Instead, flashpackers seek an authentic travel experience off the beaten track: Wherever they go, they never go there as “tourists”. Whenever possible, they try to grasp the city’s spirit by breathing it. Living it. Embracing it like the locals do.

For creative souls, A la Carte Maps offers the "Create your own City à la Carte" Map: This map allows travelers and locals alike to share insider tips, write recommendations, draw paintings, mark personal favorites and much, much more. How about a romantic map for your loved one to document your journey together? Or: Why not prepare a treasure hunt for the next corporate social event? You could also use the map as a travel diary marking all the places that you liked. Or.... or..... or. There are no limits to your imagination!

A la Carte Maps come in a handy format (42x70cm) and can easily be folded to 10x21cm. All maps are made of high-quality material and are additionally matt-laminated which makes them moisture-resistant and durable. All the maps are designed by talented young artists trying to capture the spirit of the city making each map unique in its appearance.

A la Carte Maps was founded by two young Swiss entrepreneurs: As dedicated flashpackers, we understand the problems and needs of our target audience very well. It is our ambition to create a unique product which not only fills a gap but “revolutionizes” the traditional way of traveling. Furthermore, we take Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously: 10% of every city map’s profit will go into a social project in that city. No when, no if, no but.  


A la Carte Maps: Discover the world à la carte.

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A la Carte Maps provide a unique approach to traveling by combining guidebook, tourist map and a piece of art in one. No matter whether you travel for business or for leisure, with our "My City à la Carte" Maps you have a local friend in exciting cities all over the world. Not only will this friend provide you with the most important information about your city, he or she will also reveal the city's best-kept insider tips by writing them on a beautiful hand-drawn map.