India (Lonely Planet Country Guides)

Prior to setting off on my three month stay in India, I decided to buy India Lonely Planet. This books contains a vast amount of information and advice that so far I have found extremely helpful. I will of course carry it with me to help plan my route...accommodation..places of interest..places to eat..train travel and so much other facts

Very useful for bus routes, train times and sightseeing. Accomodation recommendations were very hit and miss.

"The Bible", as my Dad used to refer to the LP when he was alive - an experienced traveller who had travelled many times in India. I personally spent 6 months overlanding from south to north, west to east via local buses and trains. Always had the LP with me, although mine was an earlier edition which personally I prefer to the newer, seemingly "dumbed down" format. Yes, a book weighs a bit it's true - but it won't break down and doesn't need charging up. If you're halfway serious about travel and don't spend your entire time stuck at a resort hotel, you'll want this. Although have a look at slightly older editions if you can before splashing out on the newest - unlikely much will have changed, only prices going up a bit!

BIG Guide book!! Lots of information but not sure if can face lugging it with me to India!! May just use it for research prior to my trip? I will see how it feels once I'm packing and if I have room/weight to spare!

Contrary to other comments I am finding it quite easy to navigate - you just have to practise! However, the 'click here' links for more information on topics do not work - they just take you to another random page. This is very disappointing. Also be aware that although the maps are included, there are no pictures. The maps are very small scale and even when enlarged they are not easy to read. Some of them are split up to make them more legible - better, but fiddly trying to work out where you are in the grand scheme of things. You can bookmark pages but again it's a bit fiddly - I'l get the hang of it eventually. In spite of this it beats carrying around the paperback version.

I have used Lonely Planet guides for years and have always found them a sound base on which to build a trip. However they are not always as well researched or as accurate as you think they are. On a recent rip to India the guide said a local temple was off limits to non-Hindu's, so we didn't plan to visit it, as much as we wanted too. We later spoke to a local man who said that we could go in with no problem, which we did, and had a fantastic experience. This change was not a recent development, so it just confirmed what is common sense really: any guide is just that, a guide. Always check things out yourself. Some of the hotel and restaurant descriptions are limited or inaccurate, but again, these are guides. They can't research every hotel or eatery, and the wealth of information contained in these books makes them an absolute must for all but the most experienced traveller. A great guide to build the foundation of your trip, and really does give a sense of security when in strange places, but don't be afraid to go beyond it's recommendations regularly : ) Overall, highly recommended, and still the only guide I'd use, or that I ever see in the hands of other travellers.

I love the way they describe things, everything is very well explained and understandable. The guide is a bit big a heavy but perfect if you need the info to travel around the whole of India

Must have for everyone travelling to India.