John Noble | Andrew Dean Nystrom | Morgan Konn | Michael Grosberg
1 Very Helpful
I just got back from backpacking around Oaxaca and Mexico City, and found this book extremely useful. Great recommendations, correct information, and generally helpful in choosing what to see and visit. The prices are a bit lower than I found on the trip, but not enough to make a real difference. Highly recommend this book - all the people I met who were using it were very happy.
2 Some inaccuracies (9th edition)
Oftentimes I found the maps were mislabelled (places they had in one spot were in reality somewhere else). The prices are all underestimated, especially for bus transportation (if the book says your trip should cost $25 it's gonna be more like $30). But all in all it is a decent guidebook and will get you around OK - which is all they are supposed to do.
3 7th edition worked great for Jan'05 trip
Lonely Planet has once again served us well. We just returned from 10 glorious days in central Mexico using the older 7th edition of the Lonely Planet Mexico book. We found this older edition to still be spot on - despite a 5 year old text (prices had changed, of course). The bus info was very reliable. Of course, we also relied on some web research to make sure the hotels we wanted to stay at were still there, or find better hotels for our needs. We visited Cuernavaca, Taxco, Tepoztlan, and Puebla. Another great product from good old LP.
4 Pretty good, considering
Actually I think some of the criticisms are overdone. Of course it is nearly impossible to cover such a country as Mexico. Ideally, you need a book per region.
I have the 1998 version and it has served me very well for four visits (1999, 2001, 2003, 2004).
The country will always evolve (especially somewhere such as Chiapas - the mid 1990s LPs would have said don't go, there's a war on! I went in 2003.)
And because of us the prices will rise, and you will find ever more Americans (yes gringos, it's a terrible shame to see so many of you - but I salute your taste in this regard.....)
My book is pretty dog-eared - but I always take it.
5 Lonely Planet is too lazy or [penny-pinching]...
Lonely Planet seems to be too lazy or [penny-pinching] to keep their guides truly updated. Oh, they may have a 2002 edition, fine, but is it truly updated? Has someone actually GONE to the hotels and checked prices? Has someone actually had a meal in the recommended restaurant in this decade and reported back? Unfortunately the answer is no.
The prices in the book are WAY off! I realize there can be some fluctuations, but I mean, we're talking 40-50% more than the books say, which leads me to believe no one from Lonely Planet has actually GONE there to ask prices in the past 2-3 years!
Also, some of their recommendations, for example in Guadalajara, for hotels are terrible. Lousy overpriced hotels. Meanwhile, I found one on my own (the Don Quixote) that was very nice, and reasonable.
I think this book is okay if you want a general idea of the places and culture and etc. of Mexico, but for specific recommendations of restaurants and hotels, it is mostly useless!
6 Great book... but extremely outdated.
This is a great book, don't get me wrong.
I've been living in Mexico for over 15 years and I've been using this book in all my travels ever since I got it. The problem is that this edition is from 2000, and things in Mexico change a lot. The prices are all wrong (much, much cheaper than they actually are), the directions on getting to places are outdated (there are over 1000km. of new highways and the conditions change drastically from season to season), the hours are not always right (museums, archeological sites, churches, etc.).
This book used to be a great source for the budget traveler as well as the a-little-more-money one, unfortunaltely it has not been updated in a long time. Now I use it only as a reference on interesting places and things to do wherever I may be going. If you're interested in getting "off the beaten track" this book has little to offer, it's main focus is on the "touristy" Mexico.
Lonely Planet makes great books, they just should keep them updated more frequently. Hope this helps.
7 Feels like an encyclopedia of practical information.
OK, you'll get tons of practical information with this one, with pages of hotels sandwitched between listings of restaurants and yellow pages of bus lines. But beyond that, this book definitely lacks depth. If you want to learn about Mexican sights and understand their historical or cultural significance, you may want to look at Bruce Whipperman's guides or Alexandra's Travelogues serie.
8 MAPS & SITES GOOD - RATES & SCHEDULES BEWARE
I am an American Living in Mexico and as such find my Lonely Planet Mexico guide of much help. Basically it is (1) instrumental in getting my bearings in most cities where they include maps; (2) helpful in locating some hotels and tourist destinations (museums, other sites, etc.). But (3)understandably at some level, the hotel rates and bus schedules are grossly underestimated. Most lodgings are at least $10 more or even double the least-rate published for a particular listing, and you need to add an hour or more onto their bus times between cities. My guess is that the LP reps are asking the desk clerks for schedule information. The clerks always lie as the bus companies are very competitive and they want to you to buy a ticket from them. So for example, LP says that it takes 2 hours by bus to go from Zacatecas to San Luis Potosi (which is true by car), when actually it is ALWAYS 3 - 3.5 hours by bus. Also, I am not certain how LP aquires hotel rates. Unless you walk in "Undercover" and actually rent a room, you will not get the actual rate. For example, LP has Pasada Acueducto in Queretaro listed as $15/17.50 in the budget category, when in fact the cheapest room is over $30. The Hotel Operators lie to get LP to list at a cheaper rate to drive tired tourist to their destinations first. So Beware, use the maps and destination listing, but ignore any rate or schedule info. Unfortunately, LP does not have a subscription companion site, where listing info could be updated and customer comments shared. Their website is basically a storefront for their products and not of much help. I'd gladly pay more for a companion subscription site.
9 I have ahouse in jalisco, mexico
I have a house in mexico and travel there 1 or 2 months per year . I also speak spanish less than fluently. I have found the lonely planet guides to be very useful. As with any guide there are mistakes and shortcomings. But overall, these are the best guides for those who whish to travel on a low to medium budget.
10 Still One Star after all these years
I reviewed this book a while ago and didn't like it one bit. I just got back from three week road trip driving from Mexico City to Huatulco and back. I brought three books with me: a borrowed copy of LP Mexico, my out-dated copy of Joe Cumming's Mexico Handbook (Avalon / Moon), and Bruce Whipperman's Oaxaca Handbook (Avalon / Moon)... The trip reconfirmed what I have always said about LP: they are over-used, under-researched, and too many people rely on them as if to travel without LP is a sacrilege. Some LP titles might be very good, but LP is now a huge multi-million dollar publishing house with hundreds of titles, not all of which are of equal quality. This is not to say that Avolon's huge, 2 inch thick super Mexico handbook is great either. There is too much brevity in the Mexico Country Handbook... too much editing and cutting. For Mexico I have come to the conclusion that you cannot write a 5 star guidebook and try to cover the whole country. There is simply too much to cover in one book. I live in San Diego and so I appreciate the other reviewer's comment that not including Puerto Nuevo and Rosarito in the LP book is a MAJOR oversight. The best book by far was Bruce Whipperman's Oaxaca book: it was incredibly detailed, covered the entire state, and left practically no stone unturned. I have some criticisms of that book as well (see my review), but if you are going to Mexico, unless you plan on covering the entire country, buy Avalon's Moon Handbooks for specific regions (Oaxaca, Pacific Coast, Mexico City, etc). They are much more accurate, newer, and more complete in terms of the number of attractions covered and the details about each one. The only problem is that there are not enough regional titles to cover the entire country. good luck!
11 Very mediocre
Very uninteresting guide to Mexico. I was shocked to see that Rosarito Beach and Puerto Nuevo were not even in the book.
Seems kind of thrown together and not very well organized. Graphics don't stand out well, and info was very hard to find.
I don't recommend this book.
12 Good for the young, first time traveler
I've just returned from a two-month trip with this Lonely Planet guide and also the Mexico Handbook by Avalon Travel Publishing. I have to agree with other readers that the LP guide is inferior and horribly out of date. Reading through the other reviews I find it amusing that the people that like this book start their entry by saying "they had the Lonely Planet book as always" or that they owned a business in Mexico (I bet it was listed!).
Lonely Planet doesn't even need to spend money marketing these books anymore, it's all done by naive travelers who ironically call themselves "independent."
I talked to many young travelers in Mexico who were clutching the LP Mexico book to their side, swearing by every word, and dismissing the Moon guide out of hand, mostly for its unfamilarity I guess. What they probably don't realize is that the Moon Mexico book is written by one of LPs most experienced and respected authors. Maybe they think he all of a sudden can't write, or maybe in their haste to hit the road they follow like thousands of "sheep" before them, to grab the LP book, then post a review here how they would never use anything else.
13 well done travel book
I took this book with my while traveling Mexico in the Fall of 2001. I found it to be uncalculably helpfull. The detailed information, maps, and suggested excursions were great.
By the time I used this, there were some things outdated, but overall, Lonely Planet has proved time and time again that they are the best at travel guides.
14 Read these book reviews carefully
I have only limited contact with the contents of this book - borrowed copies and people I have run into on the road who are using this book. What little I read is enough to make me want to pick up one of the many excellent Moon Handbooks on my next trip to Mexico. Some of the other reviewers site the fact that this book is terribly outdated. I would add that it is over-used... and the hotel owners and waiters whose establishments are listed in the book know it. If you are new to independent travel and have never heard of Taxco or Guanajuato or you want to feel like you are really beating a new path but still want your restaurant menus in English, maybe this book can help. Otherwise, consider one of the amazingly well-researched and up-to-date Moon Handbooks, such as Pacific Mexico, Archeological Mexico, or Colonial Mexico.
15 You can't go wrong with a Lonely Planet guide
I have just returned to Norway after backpacking around in Latin America for a year (of course accompanied by the Lonely Planet book). I do not claim to be an expert, but I do know what I am looking for in a travel guide.
The Mexico guide is a good, complete guide. Filled with information, history and beautiful pictures about almost every corner of this gorgeous country. Reading the whole book gives you a good update on your history and geography knowledge! (Something to do if you are trekking around by bus like I did!)
I have always been satisfied with the LP guides. The information given is good, just what you need to get around. The only negative with this book (and the reason I give it 4 and not 5 stars) is that it was completely outdated on prices etc. Another thing (that goes for most of the travel guides) is that many of the hotels that are listed in the book has gotten so much (too much?) business so that the service is down to a minimum. This we found especially in Isla Mujeres where the price was the double of what the book said, and really lousy customer service, if any.
16 Better than ever!
(From Planeta Journal) - The seventh edition of this guidebook is better than ever. One of the most popular country guides, this book provides detailed information for readers who want to visit destinations beyond the tourism resorts. It includes up-to-date information on Mexico's national parks and reserves. This is a great resource for any independent traveler -- for hikers and art lovers alike! A plus -- it features a 24-page handicrafts section and 161 detailed maps. It's hard to get lost in Mexico if you have this book!
17 Great resource for any independent traveler
(From Planeta Journal) - The seventh edition of this guidebook is better than ever. One of the most popular country guides, this book provides detailed information for readers who want to visit destinations beyond the tourism resorts. It includes up-to-date information on Mexico's national parks and reserves. This is a great resource for any independent traveler -- for hikers and art lovers alike! A plus -- it features a 24-page handicrafts section and 161 detailed maps. It's hard to get lost in Mexico if you have this book!
18 Best information source to travel trough Mexico
I have a backpacker lodge in Mexico City and there I have had the oportunity to check most of the travellers guides for Mexico, in french, spanish, english and some in other languages. I can tell by my own experience, because I travel a lot in Mexico and use the LP guide, and by the by the experience of those guys staying at our lodge, that this guide is the most complete, acurate and updated of all guides. There you might find data that not even in the mexican tourist information centres could be found. The maps are excellent.
19 a good guide headed south
I just got back from a month in Mexico. The book was probably quite impressive back in the early 90's. However, many of the hotels and restaurants listed in the book have gotten so much business that they have lost what good attributes they originally had. Also, many of the prices quoted in the book were way off. The book prices were frequently one-half what the concierge or waiter quoted. The peso has not changed enough for a 5 dollar hotel room to become 12 or 15. Perhaps that is the risk one finds with any guidebook.
Museum hours were consistently incorrect, especially for Mondays, weekends and evenings.
This book might keep you out of trouble, but it is not the guide for a budget traveler.
20 As good as it gets!
This is as good as the guides of Mexico get. It is a big country and things can change fast (hotels, resturants go out of biz ect.). Overall I think this book covers the country as well as can be expected, it will lead the novice to some great places you might not otherwise find, but old hands will not get as much use out of it. I recommend a person buy guild books that specialize in certain areas of Mexico, i.e. there are some great books on the Yucatan.
21 Some useful info, some not
Although generally a fair travel guide, the book is incomplete in some areas. As a resident of Mexico, I found lonely planet often does not contain the places which are the best values in each of the cities listed. However, I prefer it that way, since many of Lonely Planet's listings feel they can suddenly increase prices. Although some out of the way places are listed, not many of them, and we have Lonely Planet to thank for destroying such sanctuaries.
22 disappointing - Mexico is probably too varied to cover
I've been reading Lonely Planet Guides before every trip abroad to Europe and Asia and I found this guide the least useful for anyone who has already been to Mexico a couple of times. The information for each location is too general. I would suggest getting one of the regional books which can delve more into the meat of what you are after: off the beaten track locations, lodging, activities etc.
23 A little bit disappointing...
In comparison to the LP guide for India ( an old edition I used in 1989 ), the mexico guide is rather disappointing.. at least for DF and Oaxaca state. Firstly, this is still the current edition for 1999, when it was compiled in 1997. The info on coastal Oaxaca is pre-hurricane Pauline, and often cannot be relied on, i found on a recent trip ( November ). A more serious flaw is that there is almost NO info as regards hiking and other outdoor activities. Just places of interest and shopping.
Travel information is incomplete. For instance, for getting to the Pacific coast from Oaxaca city, only the direct buses are listed, which are few in a day. The hourly ordinarios find no mention. Of course one could find this out on reaching oaxaca, but it would help planning if this info had been included. Maps sometimes disappoint too. The map of Oaxaca city could have been slightly larger in range. Mexico City maps are practically useless for travelling around, except Map 1 which shows the entire metropolis region. The other maps are of selected areas. What would be useful is a map of DF that is larger in scale, maybe a foldout. I had to purchase a map as the LP ones were of not much use. Other reasons for disappointment are more subtle.. again in relation to that old India guide which had fantastic humor and an understanding for the country's sociocultural mileau. Not so here.. some of the Oaxaca perspectives were very clearly "gringo-ish".
It is still a very useful guide, however.
24 great information
Hi my name is Jason: your book was great.But as I was visiting in Acapulco during the Easter weekened many people like myself were in trouble trying to find a place. I was and three other people were saved by this wonderful canadian women who runs something like a bed and breakfast in Acapulco. She only charged us 80pesos's per nite and had everything we needed to be comfortable..kitchen facilities, beautiful scenery of the ocean and the Acapulco bay..I would say she has a beautiful manson on the hill..just above the famous cliff divers. Her name is Heather and she can be reached in canada 1-450-297-1256 for reservations in advance and herself she will be arriving back in Mexico in November sometime.Her phone number there is 82-33-22..She is a very kind and generous person.Please add her to the Lonely Planet..Her address is 24 la mira by the famous Quebrada..Thank you very much Jason Please if there is anyone else that stayed at her house help her out..If you are planning a trip please keep her mind. Just a reminder her home is your home. Home away from home..
25 Accurate and Very Helpful
I used the 6th edition during a 2 week trip to Mexico City, Zihuatanejo, and Guadalajara in September, 1998. The restaurant and hotel descriptions were incredibly accurate and definitely pointed us in the right direction of what to do, how to get there, where to stay, and where to eat. The maps and historical background information were very helpful, accurate, and interesting. These LP books are truly the best.
26 Dont leave home without it
Lonely planet guides are absolutely invaluable for the independant adventurous budget-minded traveler, and LP Mexico is no exception. Included are informative sections on pre-departure info, cultural tips, etc. I travelled extensively throughout Mexico with the 5th edition last year, and it really got me to explore some of the remote places I otherwise wouldn't have found- such as the silver towns of Guanajuato, Zacatecas and Taxco. Plus, out of the way beaches, hard-to-find ruins, centotes, you name it. They're covered. Don't borrow you'r friend's old dog-eared copy of the 3rd of 4th edition. Spend the money on the latest edition, because price info is almost always out of date within months after printing, and an older edition is usually hopelessly out of date. I found myself disregarding their accommodations recommendations, because once a place finds its way into the LP Guide, their visitor traffic usually increases exponentially, the staff gets surly, and prices go up. If you're just going to Cancun, Mazatlan, etc, skip this book, but if you're not afraid to venture out into the 'real mexico', grab it.
27 I'm from Mexico and I use this guide to travel in my country
I looked several guides and I decided for this one; I think is the more complete. I use it a lot to travel arround and organize my trips.
28 Mole, Ole, and Sultry Oaxaca
Lonely Planet's Mexico coaxed my boyfriend and me to unusual local eateries, zany salsa hideouts, and unforgettably steamy bungalows in Oaxaca. Any guide book can list destinations, but this one was rich in precise and witty descriptions that seemed written with my particular taste in mind; priceless for a first time traveler to Mexico.
