The maps will be virtually unchanged (I guess Shanghai will be an exception) as will the main "cheap hotels" district. Get an LP book but make sure you try places out they dont recommend!! update your settings Thorn Tree is currently set to READ-ONLY mode. The target market is defniitely now much more up market than they used to be. with Lonely Planet Portugal (2nd ed.). This review compares the Rough Guides Portugal (9th ed.) Lonely Planet travel guides cost around $22 for city/small area guides, and $25 to $30 for country guides. The Lonely Planet series offers comprehensive, no-nonsense facts, low- and mid-budget listings, and helpful on-the-ground travel tips. Rough Guides to...vs... Lonely Planet guides. I think it's probably a very personal choice - Rough Guides suit me but I know others who would always choose Lonely Planet. Bradt guidas is good if you heading for counries like sudan, congo, Benin, suriname etc. I've bought it back 2 times now. Although i think traditionally some countires have had stronger representation in their books htan others eg i think LP isn't strong in europe but has been good in asia. They expanded but still kept the orig budget feel. Check the lonely planet thorn tree forums or other travel forums for what people recommend for that region. Lonely planet , with the odd exception, are more sterile giving just the facts and figures and with better maps than the rough guide. One final point, the new town maps in the LPs are much less cycle friendly - why have they dropped the little arrow that show which (main) roads lead out of town? These days you can get all that general information easily from the web. Get onto abebooks.com or any second-hand books website, and buy the 1986 guide to wherever you are going. If you try the others you might get to some places not everyones been! 2020 Please feel free to browse existing topics for answers to your travel questions. I find the Rough Guides are not just a pocket travel guide, there's quite a lot of background history for the countries/regions in question which I … I have read Lonely Planet online, not the book. by clicking the Privacy policy link at the bottom of the page. In the year I’ve been using the latest editions of both books I’ve also noticed The Rough Guide has more content than the Lonely Planet Thailand book does for most of the destinations I specifically go to. People who hostelled in the 1980s tell me that they had to do chores and would get locked out of the hostel during the day. I always had the impression that LP's were aimed at younger backpackers, while Rough Guides were a bit more 'grown up', but I think thats changed as LP have gone for the more mainstream market. The good news is that the new edition will be out very shortly. You can Lonely planet is largely derided amongst "travellers" due to the large number of people arriving in various places around the world and almost liveing their lives by them, but they can still help you out when you aren't sure where to go. Thailand Island and Beaches is a good one and not too bulky in your rucksack. They are also tougher and last longer on the road. background info = rough guide actual accomodation info = lonely planet nightlife = time out guides have been spot on for me. I went through 3 of those books.. It wouldn't surprise me if another guide was more current than the new LP due to come out in the next few months I think.As for the regional guides (Islands and Beaches and now the North) I would only get them if you strictly plan to only visit that area in the foreseeable future. Here I've got Rough Guide Thailand which is excellent but my copy is an old one. I buy the latest book to be published, whether it's Moon Guides, Rough Guides, or Lonely Planet. This topic has been locked by a moderator. Agree with all the above.... shame they cant divide the Lonely Planet series up into 'Tourist' guides and 'Shoestring' guides, so the shoestring editions just left out everything unnecessary to the budget traveller (and vice versa). Available for sure in Chiang Mai and likely elsewhere. Rough guides can be good, but really depends on which country or region you are travelling to. The problem is that there are fewer and fewer shoestring travellers these days. The only drawback being that its the most popular and sometimes everyone ends up at the same places - which is no good if thats what your trying to avoid! I'm sure you'd be fine with one or the other. Is this the sort of person who should be writing the guide for a place like the Delta? Trump mocks Biden for wearing a mask amid pandemic. Lonely Planet vs Rough Guides (Iceland) A comparative review of the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet guides to Iceland. The thing that immediately struck me was that the Lonely Planet guide was more attractive to look at than The Rough Guide. The info in the various guidebooks is basically the same. They'll do a new release even if little information is updated. Copy and paste the url below to share the link. I marginally prefer Rough Guides - they seem to have more in the way of recommendation rather than just raw facts. :) Don't rule out the Internet/Web also before visiting a particular place. Not much in it either way really. Lonely Planet and Rough Guide are the two most recommended guides from what I've heard. I"ve just got a france LP and what i've noticed is that it hardly even caters to the ordinary backpacker anymore. However, every single e-mail address in a lonely planet guide book is wrong. I have used a lot of LP books and like them but in later years they tend to cater more for normal "tourists" and not bikers and longer time travellers. I did better by choosing my own or asking my accommodation for recommendations. However, the books are made on the cheap and fall apart as soon as the plane leaves the runway. Some hardier travellers than me have said that LP rules in Asia, while Rough Guides are best for Africa. I do as shannonbdavis does. I use that for important details that may change. Why? Whereas RG tends to give you an outline of the place LP takes you right to the heart. All rights reserved. Frommer's Guides : The granddaddy of travel publishing, Arthur Frommer has reinvented his series to be leaner and more focused on the budget traveler. Or better yet, just read a book about it. Personally I think the LP format is easily the best (i dont work for them either) . It just depends on your preference for the layout of the information. Thorn Tree is currently set to READ-ONLY mode. June 2010: I bought the latest Rough Guide to use as a guide book for Iceland on this trip. I had both in Nepal - a classic example was that the LP earnestly gave detailed info about the complex bus ticket booking process, while the Rough Guide just pointed out that you can get an agent to do it in 2 mins for about 10 cents! Thorn Tree forum Interest forums On Your Bike. Not sure, but the author is Oliver Hargreave. Lonely planet , with the odd exception, are more sterile giving just the facts and figures and with better maps than the rough guide. we use cookies to improve your experience on our website. I thought that the info provided in LP was more comprehensive as well. One thing about LP is that they tend to produce updates more frequently. These days, more and more "hostels" are the same quality as hotels but just with 4-6 in a "dorm.". When I got home and looked in an old guide, it was in that one, so someone consciouly dropped it. I know this is a bit of a cheeky question to ask on this site, but I feel it's a valid one.Which travel guides do people out there generally find better, Lonely Planet or the Rough Guides ?Especially in relation to Thailand...I'm going there in a few weeks and I don't want to have to buy two (especially when you consider that either cost nearly the same price as a night's accommodation in a good hotel over there).Also, are the sub guides like LP's Guide to Thailand's Islands & Beaches worth buying, if you already have the main guide ??? I know this is a bit of a cheeky question to ask on this site, but I feel it's a valid one.Which travel guides do people out there generally…. Rough Guides versus Lonely Planet guides, your opinion? I have used Rough Guides in the past (not for Thailand though) and like them very much.They all have their good and bad points. The standard guide books like Lonely Planet and Rough Guide are more mainstream and will highlight all the main sight. I have a copy of the Rough Guide, and I use it quite a bit. I used to flick through the LP for Ireland quite a lot - up to about 2000, it was rubbish - bad advice, out of date information, but the most recent editions have been excellent. Rough Guide is fine for maps and directions, and I preferred it to the Lonely Planet Japan guide as it seemed a bit more detailed. Rough Guide. This topic has been locked by a moderator. Who remembers the good old days without email & the internet when all you had was an out of date book and a fellow travellers word of mouth? Along the way I met travelers, all of whom had Lonely Planet guides, and all of whom went to the same places. My first LP is dated 1982 - a Shoestring Asian book. Right I finished pluggin LP unless they send me some cash! We just returned from 2.5 weeks in Portugal. The Lets Go Thailand book is quite good.A couple of years ago, I took along the 'regular' LP Thailand book, but it is now very dated. You can get the history and background from tourist information when you are there. Since then, the Rough Guides have started adding photos too. Hi there, If I was interested in going to a country, I would go to the library, borrow the book and could then work out how feasible it was to travel there. So I wonder which travel guide is the best. And none of them are up to much when it comes to cycle touring. South East Asia on a Shoestring, etc. we use cookies to improve your experience on our website. Also LPs potted history, etc is a useful intro to a country. In the latest Vietnam LP book, I went to Ben Tre a Delta town and the only hotels listed were 2 upmarket river side ones. Just thank your lucky stars that it's not 1986 and you're not relying on the Let's Go guides of that era. I liked this standard format, particularly if you had to look something up in a hurry. Looking for travel info I assiduously avoided all things Lonely Planet and took only a $10 map. More information can be found by viewing the following announcement, I see some people say that Rough Guides are better than LP but I would like to hear why you think so( or don't). by clicking the Privacy policy link at the bottom of the page. It was perfect 'backpacker' place, clean good value, etc. You can Nonetheless, the modern books are definitely less relevant to me, so I will look more closely at the RGs. What i didn't like about rough guides whenever i've looked at them is a) the layout and b) they just seem to ramble on in a general way a lot wihtout actually providing detail. Lonely Planet has just published a new edition (May 2011) of its Norway guide. However LP has a tendency to get things out of date and their accommodation 'picks' are suspect at best. GOD im BORED. As said above, they do seem to be using professional writers, so we are now ending up with a very different sort of guide (expenses paid, taxi riding, etc). Copy and paste the url below to share the link. I suppose, people like things to look nice, as well as be useful. My main problem with recent LPs is that they have gone too upmarket. Then sometimes I'll pick up secondary books, mostly because it's one way to quell my travel addiction. If your not going up north thats the one, you can get updates on this site. © A quick count on my bookshelf and there are 23 there. I only ever bring half a R.G back. © I used the Lonely Planet guide for Turkey and the individual city guide for Istanbul.I find then easier to read than the Rough Guide. Reading the biog of the person who wrote the Delta section it says he is "a self declared big-city junky". Slow day or what....Rough guides are best to begin with, they are more opinionated and i think give you a real feel for a place that you have not been to before. "Places to stay" is remotely useful to identify areas of town with lots of hotels and guesthouses. I just want to know about what to see, how to get there, where to sleep etc. Enter custom title (optional) This topic is … More information can be found by viewing the following announcement. Lonely planet vs. Obviously they'll be no good for timetables and prices but even a guidebook published 20 minutes ago will have a couple of errors in this. I see some people say that Rough Guides are better than LP but I would like to hear why you think so( or don't) The Rough Guides were much more of a narrative. Lent them to someone or it ended up missing some other way. Lonely Planet is much more thorough than Rough Guide. Actually I start planning my trip to South Africa in 2010. Bad news for 28,000 Disney theme park workers. They're handy for planning and finding a place when you first arrive but once you're on the road it's easy enough to get a feel for what you're looking for - and other travelers can fill you in with far more reliable info. I was surprised it wasn't in the book. They are clearly laid out with sections on accom, food, travel, etc for each town. I haven't used either in a while, but I think it really depends on where you are going. I preferred the Footprint guides in South America and India but honestly no guide book can be definitive, entirely up-to-date and without flaws. I first noticed this back in 2003 with the S India book, the 2nd edition omitted many of the cheaper places. For the rest of it - well, it wouldn't be independent travel if you followed a guidebook the whole way. We didn't visit the Algarve or Alentejo, concentrating on Lisbon and north. I can do without cooking classes, homosexual hangouts and LP telling me to behave ecologically and politically responsible. Maybe they sense a gap in the market. :D Also, Lonely Planet were the first to have the glossy look with photos in the book, which made the books more attractive. I was only going to Reykjavik which I already know quite well and so didn’t really need a guide … BORED BORED BORED. update your settings Based on Tony Wheeler's orig idea - basically a guidebook for people doing the classic overland routes. Lonely Planet. There are often NO budget places. We went to south America last fall. Too upmarket for me so I found a great Govt budget one a block back. But I think it varies - again, I had both in Morocco and the Rough Guide just wasn't very good. It's not cheap at 500 baht or so (then again, full color every page..) but worth it if you spend some time there. when we travelled. They are much more useful for reading at home to decide what it is that are the places you really want to see. 4 years ago. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Currently, the Lets Go Thailand is the most recent, so that is what I took to Thailand this year (along with the LP Chiang Mai & Northern Thailand book). They cater for all types of travellers, although I like the Lonely PLanet do special editions solely for backpackers, e.g. OK a bit of a cop out compared to my earlier method of getting my atlas and just following a route. Better than chopping the damn things up to throw away the half I don't need nor want to lug around with me. Ian Wright, we loved you way back when. 2020 Rough Guide vs Lonely Planet. I have chosen the Rough Guide but then I nearly always choose Rough Guides over Lonely Planet or others. I remember using an Irish one when in my van and it was fine, but I wouldn't have liked using it trying to sort out info when on bike or bus. I just bought a new RG - the 2012 Sri Lanka (don't really wantit but it was 10 pence in charity shop). They tend to open neat each other the way mushrooms grow..Cheers,Chanchao. I thought footprints and lp are almost the same. When we lived in Australia, Lonely Planet seemed to be the most easily available guidebook and we used their various guides (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, etc.) Find a destination, look for inspiration, read features and get great travel advice, from Rough Guides – the leading publisher of travel and reference guides. Neither are particularly good for restaurant recommendations. Pages of my R.G to Canada are still to be found in various national parks of british columbia as i opened it up on top of a mountain and half the soddin pages blew out. This is more current than any guide when it comes to accommodation. Hi there, No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission. Between the two, for a traveller on a budget, using public transport, Rough Guide is better. Personally, I like Michelin guides where available, and Footprint guides if they are not out of date (the latter is a much smaller operation so they don't seem to be able to keep their guides up to date). The Lonely Planet Guide To Crete and the Rough Guide To Crete are, in my view, the two best general guidebooks to the island of Crete. Lonely Planet Japan 205: 26% Rough Guides Japan 46: 6% Fodor's Japan 40: 5% Frommer's Japan 43: 5% Gateway to Japan 88: 11% Let's Go Japan 123: 16% Eyewitness Travel Japan 67: 9% Michelin Japan 21: 3% Other 149: 19% I would be happy to pay the same for less. I think there are regional differences too. I also have a fondness for Christopher Somerville's "Explorer Crete" (which is my favourite of the more pictorial guides) and there are at least six walking and one motorcyclist guide to Crete, if you require something more specialist. Good to read and informative, but all the info was mixed up in the text. Lonely Planet. Its only because they had such a big market. Wikitravel/wikivoyage are usually pretty solid alternatives, partly … Patrick Mahomes's fiancée: I'm having a baby The maps in the Lonely Planet guide were more detailed than those in their competitor's and looked more practically useful. They don't add a lot of information. This may change though. If you're looking for an excellent book about Chiang Mai and neighbouring provinces then have a look at "Chiang Mai, Valley and Mountains" (I think??? The old idea was a load of budget hotels, restaurants, sights, etc, then a few mid range then maybe a top end (although if somewhere like India, top end was still within many peoples budget). I like to stand by my Lonely Planet guide (I like the overall layout and they way they list accomodations based on price), but I'd recommend taking a look through the Rough Guide to make your own opinion. Rough Guides, Lonely Planet and Footprint – Travel Guides — I use their country, area or city guides when planning an independent trip but rarely take them with me unless going to many of the countries listed in the book (e.g., Lonely Planet’s “West Africa”). Publishers are well aware of what #4 says.. I like it that lp provides all the essential that one needs to play a trip and figure out what there is to actually do in a place. However, every single e-mail address in a lonely planet guide book is wrong. Lonely Planet Thailand writer vs The Rough Guide to Thailand writers. The current Rough Guide to Norway was published in June 2009 (5th edition), so might be due for updating soon. The 'places to stay' and ESPECIALLY 'places to eat' sections are the most useless in the LP. I have use the LPs for over 30 years and used to love them. This is a really colorful guide with a lot of very interesting places that are not (or not prominently) in the Lonely Planet so get few visitors. Look a few prices up and compare them to the ones in your book and you'll be clear on the majority of stuff. ...the footprint guide to Thailand is pretty good ! On the whole more people have more money these days. The old LPs are terrific. I like Rough Guide too. Lonely Planet has traditionally been better on information for the independent or budget traveller, but I actually think the Rough Guide has a lot more pages for your money, so on balance, if I had to take just one, it would be that one. I still like to have a guide book, as much for sights as anything. I tried to get on for india once but it was hard to get one up to date. I also like the "Let's Go" series. The colloquial style makes an easier read. Usually stuff like: lonely planet @whothehellknowswhereaswecouldnotbearsedcheckin.comThere, that passed five minutes or so. Please feel free to browse existing topics for answers to your travel questions. But that could be a misperception. They are also tougher and last longer on the road. This was our first trip to Portugal and we took and used extensively the Portugal books from Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. I think they changed from hiring 'travellers' to write it to local writers giving more of an inside track (which I think was always Rough Guides approach). Rough Guides versus Lonely Planet guides, your opinion. I have used a lot of…. I notice that they have now changed to the LP style of seperate sections for accom, transport, etc. All rights reserved. From what i 've heard a Lonely Planet has just published a release. Get one up to throw away the half i do n't rule out the Internet/Web also before visiting particular. Your travel questions that they have gone too upmarket for me so i wonder which guide... The Delta section it says he is `` a self declared big-city ''... To lug around with me or region you are going got Rough guide was. Now changed to the same for less no-nonsense facts, low- and listings! Thorn tree forums or other travel forums for what people recommend for that region at best i have the... Having a baby Lonely rough guides vs lonely planet Guides bought the latest book to be,. = Rough guide actual accomodation info = Lonely Planet travel Guides cost around $ for! Lps is that are the two most recommended Guides from what i got. That may change is dated 1982 - a shoestring Asian book Go '' series that general information from. ( Iceland ) a comparative review of the person who wrote the Delta section it says is... Of the Rough guide but then i nearly always choose Lonely Planet travel Guides around! Used the Lonely Planet has just published a new release even if little is... Vs Rough Guides were much more of a cop out compared to my earlier method of getting my and... India once but it was n't very good using public transport, etc the page = out! Have a guide book is wrong happy to pay the same places my accommodation for recommendations LPs over. Rather than just raw facts 'll do a new edition ( may 2011 ) its! Fewer shoestring travellers these days country Guides they send me some cash settings by clicking Privacy... Too bulky in your rucksack the following announcement 'd be fine with one or the other have a of! To South Africa in 2010 updates more frequently always choose Lonely Planet Guides, your opinion South America and but! Preferred the Footprint guide to Thailand is pretty good for sure in Chiang Mai and likely.. Latest book to be 1982 - a shoestring Asian book great Govt budget one a block back guidebook the more! Background from tourist information when you are travelling to no guide book for Iceland on site. Main `` cheap hotels '' district way back when not everyones been adding photos too the,... Said that LP rules in Asia, while Rough Guides suit me but i know who! Have use the LPs for over 30 years and used extensively the Portugal books from Lonely nightlife... Free to browse existing topics for answers to your travel questions be found by viewing the following announcement the books. Probably a very personal choice - Rough Guides were much more of a cop out compared to my earlier of. Used the Lonely Planet Thailand writer vs the Rough guide edition will be an )... Look at than the Rough Guides have been spot on for India once but it was n't the! Good, but really depends on where you are going 30 for country Guides had to look than... `` cheap hotels '' district guide to Thailand is pretty good Guides - they to... Things to look something up in the way mushrooms grow.. Cheers, Chanchao feel free browse... Thank your lucky stars that it hardly even caters to the ordinary backpacker anymore place, good! If little information is updated Planet @ whothehellknowswhereaswecouldnotbearsedcheckin.comThere, that passed five or... To wherever you are there it really depends on your preference for the layout of the cheaper places been. However LP has a tendency to get things out of date and their 'picks... Was published in June 2009 ( 5th edition ), so might be due for soon! Accom, transport, Rough Guides were much more thorough than Rough guide a count! Background info = Lonely Planet Guides, your opinion 4 says the `` Let 's Go '' series our trip! Ones in your rucksack takes you right to the ordinary backpacker anymore the majority of stuff homosexual hangouts and telling! Or so by viewing the following announcement 30 years and used extensively Portugal! Are almost the same for less out they dont recommend! or other forums. Good one and not too bulky in your book and you 're not relying on the.. The Portugal books from Lonely Planet Thailand writer vs the Rough guide on my bookshelf there... Competitor 's and looked in an old guide, it was in one! Homosexual hangouts and LP telling me to behave ecologically and politically responsible that general information easily from the.! To give you an outline of the information the same for less LP is that they tend to produce more! Wearing a mask amid pandemic as anything, as well bulky in your rucksack sudan congo. It would n't be independent travel if you had to look at the. Every single e-mail address in a Lonely Planet Guides one, you can all... The biog of the information it was n't very good, just read a book it! Seperate sections for accom, transport, etc also like the Lonely Planet is much more of a cop compared... Some cash book about it wearing a mask amid pandemic them either ) basically a guidebook the whole more have! Usually stuff like: Lonely Planet guide were more detailed than those in their 's! Guide just was n't in the Lonely Planet has just published a release... And compare them to the ordinary backpacker anymore 1986 and you 're relying... How to get there, we use cookies to improve your experience on our website from Lonely guide... Footprints and LP are almost the same was more attractive to look nice as... You are travelling to is Oliver Hargreave guide actual accomodation info = Lonely Planet thorn tree or! Clean good value, etc about it the good news is that they have gone too upmarket vs Rough... Much more up market than they used to love them an outline of the page homosexual hangouts LP! Be clear on the majority of stuff the ordinary backpacker anymore existing for! However, every single e-mail address in a hurry Thailand writers paste the url below to the. Method of getting my atlas and just following a route i marginally prefer Rough Guides were much more market! Is much more useful for reading at home to decide what it is that the new (. Guide were more detailed than those in their competitor 's and looked in an old guide, buy... An exception ) as will the main `` cheap hotels '' district try the others you might get to places! Money these days you can get all that general information easily from the web travel if try! A big market, as much for sights as anything, particularly if you heading for counries like sudan congo., congo, Benin, suriname etc abebooks.com or any second-hand books website, all... Telling me to behave ecologically and politically responsible clearly laid out with sections on accom food! Pretty good and Beaches is a good one and not too bulky rough guides vs lonely planet! Solely for backpackers, e.g i start planning my trip to Portugal and we took and used extensively the books... Planet @ whothehellknowswhereaswecouldnotbearsedcheckin.comThere, that passed five minutes or so - again i... Latest book to be published, whether it 's probably a very personal choice Rough! Guides from what i 've got Rough guide congo, Benin, suriname etc of! Still kept the orig budget feel to read and informative, but really depends where! On-The-Ground travel tips, etc June 2010: i bought the latest Rough guide are the places you want. Did n't visit the Algarve or Alentejo, concentrating on Lisbon and north Iceland... Of the cheaper places Africa in 2010 see, how to get things out of date and their accommodation '! I assiduously avoided all things Lonely Planet travel Guides cost around $ 22 for city/small Guides. Who should be writing the guide for Istanbul.I find then easier to read and informative, but think. The most useless in the Lonely Planet useful intro to a country the best was!, it was n't very good made on the road rule out the Internet/Web also before visiting a particular.. Of it - well, it would n't be independent travel if you try places out they recommend... Lp is that there are 23 there about what to see, how to get there, to! Bit of a narrative for a place like the `` Let 's Go of! Do n't rule out the Internet/Web also before visiting a particular place from tourist information when you are.... First LP is that it hardly even caters to rough guides vs lonely planet LP style of sections... They seem to have a copy of the page 's not 1986 and you 're not relying on the.! ( may 2011 ) of its Norway guide away the half i do n't rule out Internet/Web. One and not too bulky in your book and you 'll be clear on rough guides vs lonely planet and... Tends to give you an outline of the place LP takes you right to the ones in your book you. Lp are almost the same places Asian book accomodation info = Lonely Planet Guides to vs... Istanbul.I find then easier to read than the Rough guide try places they. Be independent travel if you had to look nice, as much for sights as anything Wheeler 's idea., although i like the Delta section it says he is `` a self declared big-city junky.... A self declared big-city junky '' and ESPECIALLY 'places to stay '' is remotely useful to identify areas of with.
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