What's new

Lonely Planet OR Rough Guide

Hiroshi66

先輩
17 May 2004
525
14
28
I am anticipating a trip to Japan and I was wondering what travel guide is better between the two I listed above. I own the Lonely Planet Japan guide, but have recently checked into the Rough Guide and am considering buying that as well. Which guide is usually more accurate and better, in your opinion? Thanks for your help.
 
Take both !! I currently have the LP guide for Beijing, it's very useful and I think it contains more info than the other ones.But to be sure pick both :?
 
Lonely Planet and Rough Guide are the two most recommended guides from what I've heard. I'm sure you'd be fine with one or the other. I like to stand by my Lonely Planet guide (I like the overall layout and they way they list accomodations based on price), but I'd recommend taking a look through the Rough Guide to make your own opinion. I'm sure each has a slightly different take on things, just as I can see between Lonely Planet and Frommers (which is what a friend of mine uses).

And if you so choose, indeed, you could carry two. I just like to pack light :)
 
Lonely Planet seems to be not so accurate from what I've heard. It looks good to be but isn't that easy to read if you want to get an overview of what there is. Rough Guide seems a bit more.. fundamental and nicer looking too. I dunno. Thanks so far.
 
I've always liked rough guide more than Lonely Planet, though I do prefer Lonely Planet's layout to Rough Guides... but, I'm not much for travel books.
 
I used to always use the LP. Then I bought the RG because the LP was old and I couldn't wait for the new edition. When the new LP came out I bought it because I thought it would be more detailed. However the details are much better in the RG even though the LP is a bit bigger and so a bit more comprehensive. One of my major pet peeves about LP is details about transportation. The RG will give the approx cost, time, frequency to a given destination for each type of transport. The LP will often say something like, "There are boats/train/buses from A to B sometimes. Ask the tourist office." Gee thanks LP, I couldn't have thought of that. I have a guide book to give me general details to help me plan, I know I eventually have to confirm and book it all myself. If I have to call the tourist agency for everthing why do I need the LP. Also the chapter for the city I live in is pathetic so it is hard to believe the others are very good.
 
If you are looking for sightseeing information as well as historical and cultural background (or even transport information), I'd recommend JREF's own Travel Guide. It is more detailed than either book, as I compared the content in both LP and RG, searched for more information on other sites (JNTO, Wikipedia, regional government websites...) + my personal experience to write JREF's guide. We also have more info about history, religion, society or culture in general than LP and RG. So these guidebooks will be most useful for accommodation and restaurants. There is not a huge difference between them I think.
 
I am a huge fan of LP....I have always bought LP books on the countries/cities I have travelled to as a tourist. I especially found the Shanghai-guide very informative and useful.
 
Thanks for your replies, guys.

Many have said on Amazon.com that LP usually directs you to places where tourists are many while RP offers more quality places that anybody can go to.
 
I'll give you an example of how crap LP is. Look on page 403. They list 16 restaurants in Kobe. The first one they list is a Yoshinoya. I have nothing against Gyudon but you don't have to list Yoshinoya or Macdonalds, we all know about them. Maybe in the introduction but in the city chapters tell us what is special and worth going to. You have to know Kobe a bit to know how crap it is but that Yoshinoya is not convenient, neither is it really close to the Shinkansen station or Sannomiya or anything of interest
 
Yeah. Mangaman, I have heard similar things from Amazon. And when I looked at the Rough Guide, even though their geographical layout wasn't THAT good, their content seemed to be better than Lonely Planets. When I go to Japan, I don't want to pay that much for a vacation to go eat Americanized Japanese food with Westerners.

The only problem with Rough Guide is that they are sort of like limited editions, so they're not as readily available at bookstores as much as LPs are. Also, they don't have guides to Taiwan or Korea.

Thanks guys.
 
I like to use travel guides more to get general ideas, which is probably why I can't say I mind Lonely Planet. I'm planning for my first time to Japan, so I'm just looking for an outline of what's out there. When I get there, then I'll see for myself what's there, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants sort of thing :)
 
Yeah. Another trend I noticed in Lonely Planet is that they seem to have this sort of superior air around them. For example, "Japanese condoms tend to be on the smaller side, so bring your own condoms from home."
 
Hiroshi66 said:
Yeah. Another trend I noticed in Lonely Planet is that they seem to have this sort of superior air around them. For example, "Japanese condoms tend to be on the smaller side, so bring your own condoms from home."

Absolutly, probally the most important thing in my view. Its just not possible to use a Japanese condom, i have tried and i have failed. When i go for my year abroad study this summer i plan to take quite a lot with me.

My advice would be to do all the reading up online as you will get more informtion there then anywere and then take the guide with he best maps that have had the best areas marked on by you.
 
Thank you Maciamo and Tim. I shall do more research on the subject but will probably go with the Rough Guide.
 
I help the guide of Japan.
however .
Since the menu of cooking is not written in English, please study an order method etc.
Keep in mind that how depending on which a bus rides is also different in Tokyo and a district.
When you take escalator, please give by left-hand side.
Please vacate right-hand side.
Opposite in Osaka
 
Arigatou, Nagashima-san!

So desu ka? Omoshiroi wa ne (That's interesting?) I didn't know that the styles of escalators were different in Osaka and Tokyo, Domo arigatou!
 
Various things are different in Tokyo and Osaka.
Electric frequency is 60Hz in Osaka. In Tokyo, it is 50Hz.
Taisho Era.
The electric power company of East Japan imported the dynamo from Europe .
The electric power company of western part of Japan imported the dynamo from the United States.
 
Hiroyuki Nagashima said:
Various things are different in Tokyo and Osaka.
The electric frequency is 60Hz in Osaka. In Tokyo, it is 50Hz.
Taisho Era.
The electric power company of East Japan imported the dynamo from Europe.
The electric power company of the western part of Japan imported the dynamo from the United States.
Wow...didn't know that! In Sapporo, it was also 60Hz/220V. But my teacher who comes from Tokyo said in Japan it's 50Hz, now I know why ;)! 面白いですね!
 
I've got all LP guides concerning Japan: Japan, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiking In Japan. All of them are pretty informative on most of the things u need to know. haven't really looked into the rough guides. may do.

If you're looking to go scope out the nightlife in tokyo, look for the TimeOut guide to Tokyo. Not sure if this is only exclusive to the UK, but it's definitely better than the LP on said topic.
 
Back
Top Bottom