Lonely Planet Mexico, 6th Edition [Paperback]

John Noble (Author), Tom Brosnahan (Author), Scott Doggett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1998

Mexico is a country of grand ruins, picturesque colonial towns, spectacular scenery and miles of glorious beaches, and this best-selling guide covers it all. Includes lots of places to stay and eat, details on not-to-miss destinations ranging from tropical beaches to bustling cities, cultural and historical background and a Latin American Spanish language section.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years, and as a result has experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

Lonely Planet has done a superb job of capturing Mexico's diverse offerings in one totable book. Whether you're headed for Baja or Chiapas, this is an essential reference with excellent coverage of Mexico City, regional arts and crafts (including how to buy handicrafts), helpful Web sites, and a useful traveler's Spanish language section. --Kathryn True

Product Details

• Paperback: 976 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 6th edition (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0864424299
• ISBN-13: 978-0864424297
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,239,220 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dont leave home without it, January 19, 1999

By 

R. Ritzman "sfseals" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lonely Planet Mexico, 6th Edition (Paperback)

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.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A little bit disappointing..., December 14, 1999

By 

A. Saha "martes" (Brasilia, Brasil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lonely Planet Mexico, 6th Edition (Paperback)

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.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a good guide headed south, July 20, 2000

By 

W. Veale (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lonely Planet Mexico, 6th Edition (Paperback)

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.