Lonley Planet Books.... - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**Canadian Dude** · 06-04-2003, 09:50 AM

What do you folks think of the Lonely Planet travel books? I have used them numerous times in the past and found them to be pretty helpful? I know some die hards think they are crap, just wondering what you folks think.

**travelpunk** · 06-04-2003, 10:14 PM

I found the one on Europe (all of Europe) to be helpful on my first trip, but to lighten the load of my pack, I ripped out ONLY the countries that I was backpacking to. I wasn´t going to ALL of Europe, just western Europe at that time.

I was a new backpacker so it was helpful, now I´m not so sure...because part of the thrill in backpacking is making your own little discoveries that the whole backpacking community isn´t aware of -yet.

For touristy info- they´re great, but so is a lot of info that you can now get online- for free!

**Canadian Dude** · 06-05-2003, 03:53 AM

Ya, good point, the good thing about having a book though is, with lonley planet anyway, the pages of the book and the binding are pretty durable, so they could take the abuse of being in a pack in the hold of a bus. I had the big book on Europe and it weighs like 2lbs, so it is a heavy mother....they do have books for western and eastern europe which are about half the size. I found that I did not use it as much in europe as I thought I would, but in Australia and Cuba, and in Canada I have used it more.

**travelpunk** · 06-06-2003, 03:54 AM

i wouldn´t mind so much if it was broken down like that, western Europe and Eastern Europe. I was just given the one with all of europe in it and I didn´t need the whole thing for my trip. I really haven´t bothered to keep up to date with all the travel guides out on the market.
Guess it´s because I can get any and all info on the net, then I can just put it all together on Microsft word and print it out if I have to. Save myself a good chunk of chang that way...

**TheJake** · 08-03-2004, 10:12 PM

i bought two guide books for brazil the lonely planet one and the Let's Go one... I plan on taking both and then more than likely ditching one of em after I figure out which one is better... I am gonna try to sell the one i dont want to some poor backpacking sap like myself...

**ScarlotteDorian** · 08-03-2004, 10:21 PM

seeing as i spend alot of time in borders just reading all the travel books for free, i'd have to say that i think that lonely planet does some of the best travel books out there.

but nothing beats getting lost if you have the time.

good idea on making your own little travel book with media from the web TP. i'll have to remember that one.

**MolsonGirl** · 08-04-2004, 02:40 AM

I'm a fan of Let's Go and Lonely Planet if nothing than just to have something on me in case of emergencies. I like to wander off and find stuff but knowing that if I get really lost of just plane tired I can open the book up and normally finds soemthing to help me out.

artgreen · 08-06-2004, 08:42 PM

Got mine today well worth the $35