Mexico (Country Guide)

Just came back from three weeks in the Western Central Highlands of Mexico. My first impression, what a joy to travel with this guide book. As an experienced budget traveler, I look for the following in guide books (1) detail city maps, (2) budget hotel listings, (3) detail information on getting from the bus station to the interesting part of town. After all, it's easy to arrive in a bus station and hail a cab; it takes a little more effort to take public transportation. This guide gave me the information needed to do this, plus the money saved will easily pay for this book and heighten your travel experience.
I look at this book like a good friend giving me advice on the best places to go and the experiences not to miss. Kudos to the "Highlights" that LP has incorporated into each travel section, it made me read those sections more thoroughly. In conclusion, the writing is fresh and full of emotion along with the accurate travel details listed above made this the best Mexican travel book I've ever used.

Its OK, I guess, but to me a bit dissappointing compared to previous Lonely Planet Guides that I have purchased. You can tell that it was written by different people. Not up to the usual standards as far as reviews of lodgings and night clubs, restaurants, etc. Lonely Planet has changed -and not for the better.

this is an excellent over view of mostly mainstream Mexico,with a few off-the-wall eclectic destinations and side trips..all and all an excellent introduction to Mexico travel,but for detail you need some back-up..i.e.,Footprint's Mexico/Central America Handbook and esp. Moon regional guides ,i.e. Northern Mexico and also ,Oaxaca handbooks..much needed are guide books and references for the less developed and wilder south-west Sierra;particularly the Cordillera in Michoacan,Guerrero ,and Chiapas... those interested in this project and or travel to this(or other magic) region[...]

I have about five editions of Lonely Planet Mexico. All previous editions (this is the 11th) were better, if not a lot better. They have quit pricing in dollars, so you have to convert to pesos (admittedly not too hard when the exchange rate hovers at $10M to $1US) for hotels and restaurants. (Forget that travel guides for high inflationary countries are obsolete the day they are distributed.) Worse, they have ceased categorizing hotels as "Budget," "Mid-range" and "Top End," instead using a listing in ascending order of price (no help if the lodgings remodel and go up in price). Worse still, they continue to avoid money saving tips, like staying in San Juan del Rio (which they oimit entirely) when hotels and restaurants in nearby Tequisquiapan are out of sight: the latter caters mostly to rich "Chilangos" (Mexico City people), who go over for a weekend getaway. Some of the comments are downright absurd, e.g. calling Orizaba an industrialized dump, while praising the pricier, relatively boring Cordoba. All in all, this is a B- effort. I am considering taking some other travel guide next trip. In L.P.'s favor, I must admit it still covers small, out of the way spots that are in reality must see's: Rio Atoyac for its tasty, garlicky langostinos and Cuetzalan, Puebla, for its charm.

Just got back form Mexico, great guide. Every question I had I found answers for.