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View Poll Results: What is your favourite travel guide?
Rough guide 1 4.17%
Lonely Plannet 9 37.50%
Berlitz 1 4.17%
Footprints 0 0%
Fodor 0 0%
Frommers 1 4.17%
Time Out 1 4.17%
other 7 29.17%
depends on where I go 4 16.67%
I never use guide books 0 0%
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll

Raileurope.com: See Europe by train
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Old 10-20-2005, 05:04 AM   #1
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I was just curious. I always liked lonely plannets phrase books-I have the German one. I used Berlitz for China but they only covered big places it seemed-at least they did not cover where I was.
Also I am planning a little backpack trip around Brazil/Argentina/where ever so I need some good guide books.
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Old 10-20-2005, 05:32 AM   #2
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I like Lonely Planet for countries but sometimes get tired of it as EVERYONE has it so you know many places will be popular/frequented by travellers.....

But for cities, I really like the Time Out guides.

For Argentina, I used Lonely Planet and got around just fine. It's actually Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
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Old 10-20-2005, 10:59 AM   #3
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Problem with guidebooks is that they are already so out of date by the time they go to print...I have gotten used to Word of Mouth which seems to work best for me.
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Old 10-20-2005, 12:11 PM   #4
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I'm a big fan of Rick Steves. I know he doesn't concentrate on the backpacker but I love his view of Europe. I also took his advice in buying a couple of different guidebooks and ripping out the parts that I liked from each and I made my own guidebook. Lets Go for hostels and youth stuff, Lonely Planet for general info, and Rick Steves for off the beaten path stuff.

Hope that helps

Jason
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Old 10-20-2005, 12:53 PM   #5
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TimeOut rules. It's young, it's hip, it's constantly updated - and it's got a lot of good "insider" hints in the sidebars, which often prove to be invaluable. But, like U2Fan said, they only do cities, and big ones at that...

Otherwise I like Lonely Planet a LOT, but I don't use them for suggestions of particular places to go, for the whole crowd reason. I find their content to be excellent for general planning and to get a good feel of what to do/not do.

Rough Guides definitely has the spirit, but their content just isn't up to snuff.
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Old 10-20-2005, 02:57 PM   #6
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Depends on where I go. I have footprints for South America 2006 and it is VERY thorough and being in its 82nd edition means its been around a while. I have read a chunk of it and it looks very good.

Ben when will you be in South America? I am going to Brazil on Jan 11 and returning Apr 5 having made a full circle. If you happen to fall in this category let me know maybe we can meet up somewhere.

I also like Lonely Planet if there is nothing else available. I get all my hostel suggestions off of hostelworld.com since the reviews are plentiful and I can check out real time pricing.

Foo

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Old 10-21-2005, 01:21 AM   #7
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I search for the bits and pieces I need. Usually skim through a few books and take notes and search the web and ask around
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Old 10-21-2005, 01:42 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally posted by foofiter@Oct 20 2005, 01:57 PM


Ben when will you be in South America? I am going to Brazil on Jan 11 and returning Apr 5 having made a full circle. If you happen to fall in this category let me know maybe we can meet up somewhere.

[snapback]82365[/snapback]

I am hopinh *touch wood* to be going with a friend arounf Jan/Feb and for about 6 weeks. I will explore Brazil and Argentina but also Chillie and Uruguay. I wanted to see the north but I have been warned about Columbia theres a lot of drug gangs and nasty people. Lets see if we can have a beer together
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I have been to: Canada, USA, Iceland, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Germany, Sardinia, Switzerland, China, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Morocco.

Do to list: [color=blue][color=black] Australia, New Zealand, Austria India and Bolivia.

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Old 10-21-2005, 07:22 PM   #9
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I do the same as Anthon pretty much. I'll hit the library and check the travel section. Usually they have at least 4 books on any given country or major city. I'll skim through them and copy any super interesting parts (on portion of LP gave awesome advice on camping outside Mexico City near valcanoes). I'll jolt down the cheap hotels/motels/hostels and see if they're still in business. Then I'll make sure the info is still good via the web. The other thing I do is hit up Borders travelogue section and check for any ones from the countries I'm and see if anything interesting is there.

I use Travelpunk for most my info though. Whether the boards or the guides.
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Old 10-22-2005, 10:56 PM   #10
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dude six weeks is not enough time for argentina let alone chile, brazil and Uruguay!

Just a suggestion but I would rethink my itenerary if I were you, I think the other punks that have been there will agree with me....



On another note I took two guide books to brasil with me and only used them for historical info and the map. I ditched them about half-way through and they did me absolutely NO good when I ventured into argentina. I have decided for all future trips to read it in Borders and then go without it. *unless of course I am driving, then the more junk the merrier!
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Old 10-23-2005, 02:01 AM   #11
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Think so? Yeah I will rethink. Nothing is really set in stone not even my destinations but after traveling as an ESL teacher I really wanna get out and do some backpacking again and Argentina sounds cool. Of course flights to India are cheap so ya never know!
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Old 10-23-2005, 02:45 AM   #12
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I read a variety of guidebooks, too, checking them out from the local library rather than buying them. And believe or not, the higher end Fodors guidebooks are great for telling you about the sights. Other than that, I also like to read a Lonely Planet, Let's Go or Rough Guide. They're more realistic, and will tell you if something is too touristy, while Fodors will "wax poetic" about it. Still, Fodors DOES do a great job of letting you know what there is to see.

And I read a Footprint guide for Syria and was very impressed...

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Old 10-24-2005, 09:12 PM   #13
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Rough Guide preferably, but I'll take Lonely Planet too!
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Old 10-24-2005, 10:45 PM   #14
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lonely planet is the way to go

im the current high bidder on ebay for Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring 12th ed
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Old 11-25-2005, 12:45 PM   #15
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let's go worked well for me...
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Old 11-25-2005, 03:00 PM   #16
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I have to agree that while I've tried many books for my different trips. LET'S GO has always come out on top... it's written by 20 something year olds for 20 something year olds and just seems so perfectly geared to what I'm looking for in travel...

It's very personal I think. <---- I love this guy
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Old 11-27-2005, 01:58 PM   #17
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Lonely Planet seems to work well for me, but i only use it for the maps really, and sometimes for the things to do section if i don't know anything about the place i'm in. Word of mouth is definately the best way for choosing what hostel to stay in. I had a rough guide for Mexico and Central America and i have to say that it didn't really do it for me, it was ok, but the LPs that i looked at were far better. I had the South America on a shoe string while i was in Argentina and Brazil and it was perfect, but i did only go to major touristy places, don't know how well it would go for off the beaten track type stuff.

Quote:
I am hopinh *touch wood* to be going with a friend arounf Jan/Feb and for about 6 weeks. I will explore Brazil and Argentina but also Chillie and Uruguay.
Dude, jake is right, if i was you i would only go to 1 or 2 countries, otherwise you will only get to see the capital cities and main touristy places and miss out on the real experience. But i can't talk, i was in South America for 2 months and went to Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina....but that's why i offer the advice i do, because the only country i really got to know was Peru, no regrets though, just means i will have to go back again

Quote:
I wanted to see the north but I have been warned about Columbia theres a lot of drug gangs and nasty people.
I have a few friends that have been to Columbia recently, they reckon it was bloody fantastic, one of the safest and niceist places in South America. There's drugs and nasty people everywhere you go in South America, you've just gotta be sensible and there's nothing to worry about.
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Old 11-28-2005, 03:48 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally posted by LostFarmboy@Nov 27 2005, 09:58 PM

I have a few friends that have been to Columbia recently, they reckon it was bloody fantastic, one of the safest and niceist places in South America. There's drugs and nasty people everywhere you go in South America, you've just gotta be sensible and there's nothing to worry about.
[snapback]89987[/snapback]
-- Could be, my friend. I haven't been there, and the thing that is scaring me away is tourists HAVE been targetted and killed there. Plus, the chance for just stumbling into the wrong place at the wrong time down there with an insurgency/drug war going on, seems to increase the risk.

It's just one of those things...everybody makes their own call. My friends are still clucking and shaking their heads over Syria, but after doing research, I found it is really quite safe.

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