Lonely Planet Spain (Country Guide) [Paperback]

Damien Simonis (Author)

Book Description

Series: Country Guide | Publication Date: March 1, 2007

Discover Spain

Spot a nesting falcon at the top of Barcelona's soaring La Sagrada Familia.
Squelch in the warm mud baths by the beaches of the wild and beautiful Illa s'Espalmador.
Watch the sun set over the Sierra de Guadarrama then bar-hop the medieval streets of Madrid's La Latina district.

In This Guide

Ten-page pilgrim's guide to walking the Camino de Santiago.
Seven authors, 59 years of living in Spain, 146 detailed maps.
Incorporates over 300 travelers' tips and suggestions.
The only guide to Spain that also includes coverage of Andorra.
Content updated daily: visit lonelyplanet.com

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lonely Planet guides are a must-pack” --Toronto Star, February 2006

From the Publisher

Who We Are
At Lonely Planet, we see our job as inspiring and enabling travellers to connect with the world for their own benefit and for the benefit of the world at large.

What We Do
* We offer travellers the world's richest travel advice, informed by the collective wisdom of over 350 Lonely Planet authors living in 37 countries and fluent in 70 languages.
* We are relentless in finding the special, the unique and the different for travellers wherever they are.
* When we update our guidebooks, we check every listing, in person, every time.
* We always offer the trusted filter for those who are curious, open minded and independent.
* We challenge our growing community of travellers; leading debate and discussion about travel and the world.
* We tell it like it is without fear or favor in service of the travellers; not clouded by any other motive.

What We Believe
We believe that travel leads to a deeper cultural understanding and compassion and therefore a better world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 918 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet; 6th edition (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1741045541
• ISBN-13: 978-1741045543
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #949,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS GUIDE, November 22, 2005

By 

Marlow "Marlow" (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lonely Planet Spain (Paperback)

I've purchased and relied on several Lonely Planet Guides. Unlike the other guides, the Lonely Planet Guide to Spain was not useful or helpful. Although I travelled to Spain in 2005, the 2005 edition's information concerning prices for lodgings, food, transportation and attractions was already out of date. One wonders when it was last updated. Moreover, the book is bulky and poorly organized, making it difficult to pinpoint information. Finally, information concerning secondary cities and towns is impressionistic at best. The Lonely Planet Guide to Spain was a disappointment, poor value and--most importantly--a poor guide to Spain.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 2009 Edition: Solid, Practical Travel Guide, July 22, 2009

By 

K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Country Guide Spain (Lonely Planet Spain) (Paperback)

This nicely practical guide (2009 Edition) makes a solid companion for budget and other travelers visiting the enchanting land called España (Spain). Lonely Planet (LP) specializes in readable, easy-to-use, information, and this is no exception. Readers get at-your-fingertips information on hotels, travel hostels, restuarants, bars, museums, parks, tourist sights, etc. I particularly like the solid information on airports, train and bus stations, plus how to get to and from them (and other locations) via public transportation. There is also useful information on the language, local customs, flavor, prices, manners, etc. You are never travel blind or alone when you have your LP guide, and this updated version does the job. I took this book along during my recent two-week tour (first time in Spain) and was generally quite pleased. Travelers should do themselves the same favor.

This solid guide isn't perfect. A couple maps are lacking, and when they can't list every lodging in town, they should say about how many exist. Also, I'd rate Madrid's Reina Sofia Art Museum (photos permitted) ahead of also-impressive Del Prado and Thyssen (no photos). Hey, no guide is perfect, but this LP guide is well worth the price - just ask the traveler that tried to buy mine on a train from Toledo to Madrid.

Note: Oddly, Amazon lists up front reviews of the long-defunct 1997 edition. This review is for the current 2009 edition.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference, April 17, 2007

By 

The Journeyman "A Traveler" (Rhode Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Spain (Country Guide) (Paperback)

I am amused by some of the comments made knocking this Lonely Planet Spain publication. Comments such as those indicating that their hotel was not listed show ignorance of the way I think this book is designed and intended. Spain is a large, historic and diverse country and visitors are there for equally diverse reasons. If one can only take one reference publication to cover the country, this is the book to take. I travel to small towns as well as larger metropolitan areas and I am amazed at the coverage provided in the text. Do I stay at their recommended hotels all the time? No, but I always check them out on-line before leaving home and some of them are the best I can find. Do I end up in places that do not appear in other guides? All the time and this book has never let me down.
I find the book to to be well written and researched as is the Lonely Planet Italy by the same author. (For a really lame publication I'll refer you to Lonely Planet Switzerland!)
If you are a Tourist visiting only large cities and magnet tourist spots, then other publications may have added value for you, but if you are a Traveler seeking out of the way venues in addition to the normal sights, then this is an excellent reference! . . . ignore the other whining commentators.