It’s been a while since I’ve bought a Lonely Planet book and to be honest, I miss it a little. At the beginning of this trip we were traveling in really nice hotels, which is fun, but there’s something special about staying somewhere a bit cheaper, where you’re more likely to meet young people your age. As I’m now planning to head to South America in 6-8 weeks, I’ll be buying a Lonely Planet and starting from the bottom in Buenos Aires and working my way up. If you’re interested in grabbing a Lonely Planet, check out the travel books from Bookworld
Offline Access…
There’s nothing worse than desperately trying to use WIFI to figure out where you should go when you’re in a third world country and the connection sucks. The great thing about a Lonely Planet Guide is that you can use it anywhere, any time and it has all the details a taxi might need to get you there without too much hassle.You’ll Meet Other Travellers
You’ll meet other people who are reading the same Lonely Planet as you as they’ll turn up in the same places you do. Likewise with the accommodation suggestions, you’ll meet other people there too.
Different Sections for Different Budgets
Each part of the Lonely Planet guidebook is broken down into different sections so that you can plan your trip according to your budget. It means that Lonely Planet Guides cater to all types of budgets (well, except maybe those who have no budget) and are something you can use when you revisit a place.
A Map
There’s nothing worse than arriving somewhere new with no map, no clue where you are and no address or phone number. The Lonely Planet Guides tend to have maps for the most popular areas, so you can see where the accommodation is, great restaurants and any other attractions they have recommended.
The Cons
Too Many People
Sometimes hidden gems become a lot less hidden because of the Lonely Planet. Too many people turn up and it might be too hard to book a room or to get a table. Sometimes this can be really annoying, but on the flipside it generally means the place they suggested is really good.
Too Dependent on the Guide
Sometimes it’s nice to arrive somewhere with no plans, no idea what you’re doing and just explore. I think sometimes people become too reliant on the Lonely Planet book and find themselves forgetting to explore.
All in all I have really enjoyed the Lonely Planet Guide books during my travels and am looking to becoming familiar with them again for my next adventure!
Do you use a guide book when you travel?
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I can relate to all this. For quick trips like a long weekend, I don’t buy a guide book. But if I’m going on a big “travelling” trip where I’ll visit a lot of places, I like to get a Lonely Planet. I find that reading them really helps me get excited about a new destination too. But they can be out of date very quickly. Even with the most up to date copy we’ve sometimes been on a hunt for a restaurant that locals told us closed 3 years before..!