Rating: 
Summary: a good guide headed south
Review: I just got back from a month in Mexico. The book was probably quite impressive back in the early 90's. However, many of the hotels and restaurants listed in the book have gotten so much business that they have lost what good attributes they originally had. Also, many of the prices quoted in the book were way off. The book prices were frequently one-half what the concierge or waiter quoted. The peso has not changed enough for a 5 dollar hotel room to become 12 or 15. Perhaps that is the risk one finds with any guidebook.Museum hours were consistently incorrect, especially for Mondays, weekends and evenings. This book might keep you out of trouble, but it is not the guide for a budget traveler.
Rating: 
Summary: I'm from Mexico and I use this guide to travel in my country
Review: I looked several guides and I decided for this one; I think is the more complete. I use it a lot to travel arround and organize my trips.
Rating: 
Summary: Still One Star after all these years
Review: I reviewed this book a while ago and didn't like it one bit. I just got back from three week road trip driving from Mexico City to Huatulco and back. I brought three books with me: a borrowed copy of LP Mexico, my out-dated copy of Joe Cumming's Mexico Handbook (Avalon / Moon), and Bruce Whipperman's Oaxaca Handbook (Avalon / Moon)... The trip reconfirmed what I have always said about LP: they are over-used, under-researched, and too many people rely on them as if to travel without LP is a sacrilege. Some LP titles might be very good, but LP is now a huge multi-million dollar publishing house with hundreds of titles, not all of which are of equal quality. This is not to say that Avolon's huge, 2 inch thick super Mexico handbook is great either. There is too much brevity in the Mexico Country Handbook... too much editing and cutting. For Mexico I have come to the conclusion that you cannot write a 5 star guidebook and try to cover the whole country. There is simply too much to cover in one book. I live in San Diego and so I appreciate the other reviewer's comment that not including Puerto Nuevo and Rosarito in the LP book is a MAJOR oversight. The best book by far was Bruce Whipperman's Oaxaca book: it was incredibly detailed, covered the entire state, and left practically no stone unturned. I have some criticisms of that book as well (see my review), but if you are going to Mexico, unless you plan on covering the entire country, buy Avalon's Moon Handbooks for specific regions (Oaxaca, Pacific Coast, Mexico City, etc). They are much more accurate, newer, and more complete in terms of the number of attractions covered and the details about each one. The only problem is that there are not enough regional titles to cover the entire country. good luck!
Rating:
Summary: Still One Star after all these years
Review: I reviewed this book a while ago and didn't like it one bit. I just got back from three week road trip driving from Mexico City to Huatulco and back. I brought three books with me: a borrowed copy of LP Mexico, my out-dated copy of Joe Cumming's Mexico Handbook (Avalon / Moon), and Bruce Whipperman's Oaxaca Handbook (Avalon / Moon)... The trip reconfirmed what I have always said about LP: they are over-used, under-researched, and too many people rely on them as if to travel without LP is a sacrilege. Some LP titles might be very good, but LP is now a huge multi-million dollar publishing house with hundreds of titles, not all of which are of equal quality. This is not to say that Avolon's huge, 2 inch thick super Mexico handbook is great either. There is too much brevity in the Mexico Country Handbook... too much editing and cutting. For Mexico I have come to the conclusion that you cannot write a 5 star guidebook and try to cover the whole country. There is simply too much to cover in one book. I live in San Diego and so I appreciate the other reviewer's comment that not including Puerto Nuevo and Rosarito in the LP book is a MAJOR oversight. The best book by far was Bruce Whipperman's Oaxaca book: it was incredibly detailed, covered the entire state, and left practically no stone unturned. I have some criticisms of that book as well (see my review), but if you are going to Mexico, unless you plan on covering the entire country, buy Avalon's Moon Handbooks for specific regions (Oaxaca, Pacific Coast, Mexico City, etc). They are much more accurate, newer, and more complete in terms of the number of attractions covered and the details about each one. The only problem is that there are not enough regional titles to cover the entire country. good luck!
Rating: 
Summary: well done travel book
Review: I took this book with my while traveling Mexico in the Fall of 2001. I found it to be uncalculably helpfull. The detailed information, maps, and suggested excursions were great. By the time I used this, there were some things outdated, but overall, Lonely Planet has proved time and time again that they are the best at travel guides.
Rating:
Summary: Accurate and Very Helpful
Review: I used the 6th edition during a 2 week trip to Mexico City, Zihuatanejo, and Guadalajara in September, 1998. The restaurant and hotel descriptions were incredibly accurate and definitely pointed us in the right direction of what to do, how to get there, where to stay, and where to eat. The maps and historical background information were very helpful, accurate, and interesting. These LP books are truly the best.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing - Mexico is probably too varied to cover
Review: I've been reading Lonely Planet Guides before every trip abroad to Europe and Asia and I found this guide the least useful for anyone who has already been to Mexico a couple of times. The information for each location is too general. I would suggest getting one of the regional books which can delve more into the meat of what you are after: off the beaten track locations, lodging, activities etc.
Rating:
Summary: Good for the young, first time traveler
Review: I've just returned from a two-month trip with this Lonely Planet guide and also the Mexico Handbook by Avalon Travel Publishing. I have to agree with other readers that the LP guide is inferior and horribly out of date. Reading through the other reviews I find it amusing that the people that like this book start their entry by saying "they had the Lonely Planet book as always" or that they owned a business in Mexico (I bet it was listed!). Lonely Planet doesn't even need to spend money marketing these books anymore, it's all done by naive travelers who ironically call themselves "independent." I talked to many young travelers in Mexico who were clutching the LP Mexico book to their side, swearing by every word, and dismissing the Moon guide out of hand, mostly for its unfamilarity I guess. What they probably don't realize is that the Moon Mexico book is written by one of LPs most experienced and respected authors. Maybe they think he all of a sudden can't write, or maybe in their haste to hit the road they follow like thousands of "sheep" before them, to grab the LP book, then post a review here how they would never use anything else.
Rating:
Summary: A little bit disappointing...
Review: In comparison to the LP guide for India ( an old edition I used in 1989 ), the mexico guide is rather disappointing.. at least for DF and Oaxaca state. Firstly, this is still the current edition for 1999, when it was compiled in 1997. The info on coastal Oaxaca is pre-hurricane Pauline, and often cannot be relied on, i found on a recent trip ( November ). A more serious flaw is that there is almost NO info as regards hiking and other outdoor activities. Just places of interest and shopping. Travel information is incomplete. For instance, for getting to the Pacific coast from Oaxaca city, only the direct buses are listed, which are few in a day. The hourly ordinarios find no mention. Of course one could find this out on reaching oaxaca, but it would help planning if this info had been included. Maps sometimes disappoint too. The map of Oaxaca city could have been slightly larger in range. Mexico City maps are practically useless for travelling around, except Map 1 which shows the entire metropolis region. The other maps are of selected areas. What would be useful is a map of DF that is larger in scale, maybe a foldout. I had to purchase a map as the LP ones were of not much use. Other reasons for disappointment are more subtle.. again in relation to that old India guide which had fantastic humor and an understanding for the country's sociocultural mileau. Not so here.. some of the Oaxaca perspectives were very clearly "gringo-ish". It is still a very useful guide, however.
Rating:
Summary: Dont leave home without it
Review: Lonely planet guides are absolutely invaluable for the independant adventurous budget-minded traveler, and LP Mexico is no exception. Included are informative sections on pre-departure info, cultural tips, etc. I travelled extensively throughout Mexico with the 5th edition last year, and it really got me to explore some of the remote places I otherwise wouldn't have found- such as the silver towns of Guanajuato, Zacatecas and Taxco. Plus, out of the way beaches, hard-to-find ruins, centotes, you name it. They're covered. Don't borrow you'r friend's old dog-eared copy of the 3rd of 4th edition. Spend the money on the latest edition, because price info is almost always out of date within months after printing, and an older edition is usually hopelessly out of date. I found myself disregarding their accommodations recommendations, because once a place finds its way into the LP Guide, their visitor traffic usually increases exponentially, the staff gets surly, and prices go up. If you're just going to Cancun, Mazatlan, etc, skip this book, but if you're not afraid to venture out into the 'real mexico', grab it.
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