lonely planet v rough guide

SpottedLeopard_2

Another LP vote, for ease of use and succint information that doesn't overload you. Would always search for user reviews of potential hotels on the internet and then make a shortlist before booking somewhere, just to get an idea of general consensus!

agrinnall

I don't think it's possible to say definitely that one is better than the other. While one or other might be preferable for a specific destination I would suggest that in advance you try to look at both for the places you intend to visit and pick the one that you like best. One thing I would say is that the more localised you can get the better the information will be - for instance, if you're visiting Barcelona, get a Barcelona guide rather than a Spain one.

My own preference has swung towards RG in recent years, I'm not very keen on the tone taken in LP nowadays, but for factual information a combination of both (and other sources) is best.

gwernybwch

I think that it really depends on the author(s) rather than the brand. When I travelling through The Philippines I was discussing the relative merits of both brands of guides with a restaurant owner. He said that he could remember the Rough Guide author; he was dressed like many other backpackers, came in, ordered and ate the meal and then made the owner aware that he was a RG reviewer. He then compared that with the LP reviewer who immediately announced who he was as soon as he came in. Naturally the LP author got a great meal, but whether it was acruate review of the restaurant, that's another thing.......

Personally, I hate the undertones and snobery that you can pick up in LP Guides.

sshnuke

I use both but if I was forced to choose I'd use Rough Guide as it tends to be more reliable. As others have mentioned LP is has a better layout and it is easier to find information.

Definitely a good idea to check out both before buying. I usually base my purchase on a) the most recent and b) which one has more info about my particular interests.

Good luck choosing and hope you have a great holiday.

BusinessStudent

I recommend LP for pre-trip research and DK eyewitness travel guides for the duration of the trip. I prefer DK eyewitness travel guides as they have lots of good photo's and maps inside.

BusinessStudent

Mr_Wang wrote: »

Can I just add the new LP guides are awful! Talk about ruining an excellent guide book

What is different about the new LP guides that you dislike?. I have been browsing on Amazon and have seen that the front covers are slightly different with a different font. Not sure about how the inside is different as I have not been able to look?

I usually buy older editions of LP from Amazon market place. I know some of the information may be out of date but I manage to pick many books up for £3 delivered :-)

Mr_Wang

BusinessStudent wrote: »

What is different about the new LP guides that you dislike?. I have been browsing on Amazon and have seen that the front covers are slightly different with a different font. Not sure about how the inside is different as I have not been able to look?

I usually buy older editions of LP from Amazon market place. I know some of the information may be out of date but I manage to pick many books up for £3 delivered :-)

Gone is the nice high quality map at the front of the book. The paper quality is now similar to Rough Guide, the city maps that used to be really succinct are now very basic with most roads missed off and the inclusion of leisure places (like bike hire etc) which is fine, but to fit these on they have taken off things like accommodation which additionally in the book is no longer listed in price order.
No more quick reference on the inside of the cover.
No more page referencing, i.e on itineraries it doesnt tell you where the page info is.
The book looks and feels cheap, the maps are now useless and finding anything quickly is simple not possible any more.
I am heading back to India and surrounding countries in July and for the 3rd year I am taking my old trusty India LP book. I doubt the new one would withstand one trip.

On Thorntree someone commented that it was now like a gift/guide book you would buy someone who would never travel. In other words all the practicality that made LP great has gone as they branch out to the larger market of those who dream of - But never actually travel.

markandkate

I agree that it is usually better to find out which one is the most current for the destination that you are going to. You can reserve the books from the library and if there is not one at you r local library they can usually get one from another branch.

it is also worth looking on ebay as I have often sold my latest copy once I have used it if I know I am not likely to visit the destination again in a reasonable amount of time

whatyadoinsucka

LP for me, better transport information

markandkate

If you are not planning to keep the book and its not from the library then you can rip the few pages out that you need to look at for the place that you are visiting and then you don't need to carry the book