Lonely Planet’s “On A Shoestring” guides are the best travel guide for backpackers. Europe, South East Asia, Central & South America… Ready for your trip?
I’ve tried all of them extensively and recommend them as preparation material and travel guide. Bring one with you on your next backpacking adventure!
The 4 Lonely Planet “On A Shoestring” Travel Guides
South East Asia On A Shoestring
Find it on Amazon.
South East Asia is amazing as a starting destination.
Get started with Thailand and Malaysia, and make sure not to miss jewels like Philippines or Indonesia.
For the more adventurous, Laos, Myanmar… It’s all nice and great.
Europe On A Shoestring
Find it on Amazon.
This new edition of the European guide has been compressed and now avoids the country-by-country approach into sections like Balkans, Central Europe, etc. Makes Europe a lot more understandable for first timers.
Europe is extremely diverse, but one can group it into areas such as Mediterranean, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Balkans.
One trip won’t be enough!
South America On A Shoestring
Find it on Amazon.
This massive guide for a massive continent is a great travel companion.
South America is YUGE and you won’t be able to visit even a fraction of it no matter how many months on the road. This is why this guide is useful in sorting out what to see first.
RELATED: How To Learn Basic Spanish In a Month (Top 100 Words)
Colombia is a fantastic destination, but to me the main gems are Peru & Bolivia. Brazil deserves a few trips on its own, and Argentina and Chile are very diverse but profoundly European.
Don’t miss South America, and make sure to learn some Spanish before you go.
Central America On A Shoestring
Find it on Amazon.
Central America is a compact region with loads of interesting things to offer.
To me, the most interesting areas are Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
Surfers will love El Salvador and Nicaragua. Divers will love Honduras and Belize. Party-goers will love Costa Rica and Mexico…
Central America is a fantastic destination. A good level of Spanish will certainly help you connect with locals.
This guide is pretty good in suggesting what to see, and feels relatively compact. Recommended!
Have you already been to South East Asia, South America, Europe, or Central America? What are your favorite sights?
