For the last 20 years, I've always used the Lonely Planet guidebooks, in addition to Rick's guidebooks. We often travel to places that are not covered in Rick's books, and that helps us to avoid going in blind. I noticed that Rick is selling the Lonely Planet Italy guidebook in the store (the 15th edition), but because it is easier for me to order things through Amazon (1-click shopping and all of that), I ordered my copy there. When I went to buy the book, Amazon told me that there was a new edition, and would I like that?
Sure, I thought.
When I got the new version (16th edition), I was very disappointed. The guide has been redesigned in a very modern, picture-heavy format, and I found that much of the information that I relied on (transportation, directions, lodging, dining) had been removed or moved to small sidebars or footers. I ended up returning the book and reordering the 15th edition (the one that Rick stocks).
If you are thinking about buying the 16th edition, I'd encourage you to look through it first (at your bookstore or library) before you buy it.
Posted by
Southeastern US
2622 posts
Lonely Planet isn't what it used to be.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, US
468 posts
Wow--didn't realize they had made such big changes to their books. I also often buy Lonely Planet in addition to RS, and sometimes Insight, Time Out, and Moon guides. I just bought the latest San Francisco guidebook from LP and it seemed "normal."
Posted by
Illinois
21 posts
That’s a shame. I’ve loved LP. A few years ago, DK Eyewitness Guides changed their format, with a cheaper look and inferior content. At least the most recent editions of their guides with the old formats are on eBay.
Posted by
539 posts
It’s too bad but I think they’re just adapting to what customers want