Posted on June 27, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

The days of lugging cumbersome guidebooks around town are numbered as guidebook book guru Lonely Planet today launched its new mobile phone service.

Car hire customers down under will be the first to benefit from the new technology as Lonely Planet has chosen Australia as the first country to receive an m-site accessible via Telstra 3G mobiles and Big Pond. 

The m-site allows travellers to find the closest restaurants, clubs, hotels, shops and sites at a current or planned location. 

Tourists enter a street, city or postcode so that the service can determine their location. 

Commenting on the breakthrough in technology Lonely Planet spokesman Chris Boden said:

“It enables us to make our services available any time, anwhere, because your mobile phone is with you all day.”

Regions covered include Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America.