I tend to choose Lonely Planet over Rough Guide simply because I prefer the typeface and layout of their books which I find makes it easier to read.

RG probably has the edge when it comes to tourist information, but with the basics like campsites and eating they tend to be similar (based on a quick comparion of RG and LP Ireland books). These books are a similar size but RG manages to get 900 pages into it whilst LP only manages 730.

You pay your money, you make your choice.

baswacky.

One press report .. from a travel writer (at lest that is what is claimed :)

Death of the guidebook: lost in a cutthroat world - News - Travel - smh.com.au

Think that is a fair representation.

Maps .. in guide books are a fair source of information .. and the local library has a guide book section - take them home photo the map and take that with you .. saves the weight of the book, and once you have used the map you can free the space for another photo.. Teh map might be 'old' but it is a tourist map .. not likely to go out of date too much.

use it as a basic info book when needed.. nice to have when u are 500 miles away at night in the middle of nowhere and was wondering (in general) what resources u have access to at "somepoint" down the road.. not the only place to look - but a place to start to look at "unitil" u get where u are going.. and if times against u - well u have some info right at your hand.. etc etc..

plus if u don't speak the local lang.. can't find english print material... it can save your asssssssssssssss! not just LP but any paperback info book..

that said - I am buying footprint and rough guide books as backup now.. new to motorcycle travel.. but old caver/long dist packpacker/bicyclist.. LP saved my ass coming out of the wild in the 70's after a 4 months hike!! a lot of info in one place!

Of some use, but our needs are different
 

I left my LP of Argentina in a hotel, and went back to what I did before someone gave me them. (Ecudor/Peru/Bolivia/Chile/Argentina) that is ride up and down the main drag checking out the hotels and if there are none pay a local taxi to take me to one. In Argentina/Chile/Uruguay most towns have budget hotels. As long as the bike is safe I can take the bed bugs and cold water pipe sticking out of a crumbling wall in the corner of a room.

With Smellybikers map in my Garmin now I can find petrol (most important thing)and hotels in many, but not all, countries now. (How times change, I once posted that Satnav was an idle luxury!!)

With the wealth of knowledge we have on the HUBB we should be able to put together our own M/C versions. Did I see a post somewhere requesting this info?

Hi D!

Keep on riding Stagb.........bloody brilliant! Your recent hammock photo says it all!

Good roads!

See thread......
 

Maybe we can start something. See thread Accommodation list for South America dowwnloadable

Yes there is a move here to have a GPS tracks (andPOI)? thingy .. The issue though is that maps are brand specific so HU may not produce maps as they don't cover everyones gps .. just tracks and waypoints that can be translated between brands by GPSBabble.. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tripplan/routes/

But I think you'll find most of the Wanderlust Map users are bikers .. and as such are adding data of intreset to other bike riders ... I know I am. If 'we' keep geting updates each year (or near year) the map will be just so good ... !!! Version 2 - due out soonish .. with topo info... This will I think be the world map of choice for bike riders .. I'm adding petrol station where they matter ie where it is over say 100 kms from one to another.. in Australia.

On side note, I pop into the LP head office, just over the water in Footscray, a mate is in one of the ED's, any hoo, the building used to be an abandoned warehouse, were i used to go for slightly large raves, (non-drug user :-)...
kinda funnny the other week when i road round the back and thought.. i know this joint...

the reception does have a very nice complete example of all there books.. would look good in a lounge..

cheers al

p.s. i use the guide books to get the info, a MIO PDA with in built gps running tom tom, worked great in Berlin and random places around AUS.

as an old vagabond - I have to be honest and say it's all an adventure!

It's just a part of where u are at in the way of adventure! Everyone had to start somewhere doing something! Some travel by motorcycle, others by bicycle - then theres the hikers, long dist hikers (PCT 2600 miles/ AT 2100 miles), and yes the college kid using a LP guide... The main thing is they had a dream of getting away from whatever! Over time they may or may not "come back" to adventure.

Theres a lot more as to why some may go one way or another in travel and the mode they use! For the lone woman - it may be safty! Others ????? Etc, Etc...

As for true travelers - I think the one hiking the PCT 2600 from Mexico to Canada by foot/pack is truly an adventurer! The Bicyclist doing a RTW - my hats off to them!


peace!

I always enjoy Lonely Planet's unbiased history section.

If you step in dog shit during your visit to Bolivia, this is because the damned Yankee Imperialists in the US failed to fund the United Nations Dog Shit Mitigation Program.

Aw come on!

You're not trying to make out that LP has an anti US bias? Or could LP just be reporting unpleasant US foreign policy accurately? If you step in Bolivian dooda dont blame others, blame yourself - or the "Munroe Doctrine".

All that said, I found the Rough Guide to Pakistan absolutely brilliant. Mostly it depends on the author, rather than the brand.

There is no RG Pakistan (did you mean LP? looks suspiciously good to me). But as you say it's very much down to good authors not brands. The original post was about one of the less good authors (or an LP publicity stunt).

Did anyone ever try the Trailblazer Asia Overland? What a fantastic book ...
It's amazing how people still go on about that book years after it's long gone - but it's also unlikely to happen.

Seriously, if anyone knows of a guide book series that is more useful to us with private vehicles, I would like to hear about it.

There isn't one AFAIK because it's still a minority way of travelling (esp in Af, Asia and Lat Am) compared to fly-ins, backpackers etc. Still, it would not take much for updaters to mention fuel stations, secure parking, road conditions etc. After all they must get around somehow.

I just travelled in south Morocco testing both LP and RG among other things and I can see why users get irate. The gaps or outright guesswork in some places where updaters haven't been/been for years is shocking. How hard can it be in Mk?
It was interesting comparing the series head to head for the first time. In Mk's case the lighter LP felt more modern, in touch and user-friendly. Generally it's said LP are better in Asia, RG in Europe and for South Am get the Footprint.

Some guides are better than others. I understand the bitching, but do suggest remembering these aren't tablets brought-down to you from The Mountain...

That about sums it up. For the typical 15 quid they cost they're worth it in the planning/getting ideas/early OTR stage after which you just dip in once in a while but generally follow your nose.

Ch

See now you're blaming us for dog shit in Bolivia as well.

And it is Monroe not Munroe. A doctrine worth supporting as it opposes European Imperialism in the New World whether it be Soviet Imperialism in Nicaragua or the Brits attacking Argentina.

Granted it went astray with the Roosevelt Corollary.

erm... we own the Falkland Islands, they were invaded by Argentina and Britain acted entirely within the confines of the Geneva convention when we defended our territory (we hardly 'attacked' the falklands).
Now invading a soveriegn nation without any sort of international approval would[/I][/B] have been a different matter, but what civilised country on earth would do that..........

I found them 'city-centric' (is that a word?). I'd take one if I was flying in for a few days on a £10 Ryanair special. I got a handful from the library for the countries I might pass through - a bit out of date maybe, but good enough to get an idea.

Just a thought on the 'sheep' thing mentioned earlier. If we were THAT independent, why are we here?