I does depend on what kind of travel you like to do. Lonely Planet is
my favorite, for traveling in the middle of the cost spectrum.
My thoughts on Mexico guidebooks are below.
MEXICO GUIDEBOOKS
You will find that everyone has their own favorite Mexico
guidebooks. I will give you my view, based on 15 years of travel
and tourism in Mexico, including more than 20 of the 31 Mexican
states.
General Mexico Guidebooks
1. Frommers Mexico on $35/day. It's best feature is that it
lists several hotels, restaurants, and museums, and then puts a
star next to their favorites. 700 pages, $17 US. This is the
one I use the most. One of the reasons that I like it is because
my travel style and budget are similar to that of the author.
Unfortunately, this guidebook has not been updated as often as it
should be.
2. Lonely Planet travel survival kit for Mexico. Covers some
areas in much more detail than Frommers. Can be out of date,
especially prices. 900 pages, $20 US.
The above guidebooks are very practical guides, not armchair
reading, and I would be comfortable traveling in Mexico with
either of them. On some trips I take two, though the weight does
add up. Note that neither is really a student guide, although
all three will list hotels down to $15-20/night or so. Some
people swear by student guides such as Let's go Mexico, or the
Berkley guide. I confess that we normally stay in three star or
four-star hotels, with a goal of traveling comfortably, but not
extravagantly. You should pick a guidebook that matches your
style and budget.
The only guide book I have found on the web is the Rough Guide,
http://www.hotwired.com/rough/Mexico/index.html
There is some information on the lonely planet web site,
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dest/cam/Mexico.htm
A good bookstore will have 20 or more different Mexico travel
books. It is easier to find travel information about Mexico in
the US than in Mexico, in most cases. However, while in Mexico,
be on the lookout for inexpensive pamphlets that give detailed
information about particular local sites.
Mexico is a very large and varied country, so the general
guidebooks listed above are large, but cannot a cover everything.
There are specialty guides that cover limited areas or specific
types of places. Some of my favorites are the Richard Perry
series on mission churches, Joyce Kelly's Archeological guide to
the Yucatan, and M. John Fayhee's Mexico Copper Canyon Country
(hiking and backpacking).
Mike Nelson has written a series of books with mile-by-mile road
logs for those driving from the US or elsewhere. (I have no
personal experience with these books, but they are reported to be
useful for those traveling by car).
The best map of Mexico that I have seen is a road atlas, similar
to the US Rand McNally atlas, the "Guia Roji por las carreteras
Mexico." The Pemex road atlas is not as good, although it has
some information in English. The AAA map of Mexico gives you the
big picture, but it is not as detailed as a road atlas.
For those planning to live in Mexico, one of the best sources for
information, especially on the cost of living, is the AIM
(Adventures in Mexico) newsletter. It has a practical focus,
with each issue covering a different town or area. $19 per year,
Apartado Postal 31-70, Guadalajara, Jalisco, 45050, Mexico. (My
2002 renewal included an envelope addressed to 1761 Hotel Circle
S, Suite 100, San Diego, CA, 92108, USA). Ask for the back issue
list.
The forums on www.mexconnected.com are also a very good practical
resource on living in Mexico, and worth the money for anyone
serious about Mexico, especially for answers to your questions.
For the real devotee of Mexico who reads Spanish, I suggest a
subscription to Mexico Desconocido magazine, to learn about more
obscure parks and places. $55 per year in the USA, PO Box
371656, San Diego CA 92137.
Have fun, and enjoy Mexico!
Richard Ferguson raferguson@att.net May 11, 2003
King wrote:
>
> Hi,
> Thanks everyone for your opinion. I know everyone has their favorite
> guides. They're probably all good in their own way.
> How would you rate,
>
> Fodor's
>
> Frommers
>
> Rough Guide
>
> Lonley Planet
>
> other? |
