Yes. We’d used one to do a backpacking adventure a twenty years ago but kinda forgotten about them. But recently went on a sun holiday and quickly got frustrated by the normal websites and travel blogs found online, and instead brought them the LP and also the Rough Guide. Both were soooo much better content and advice than the online blogs. (My pref was for LP).

Lonely Planet travel guides are fantastic value. If you are going to spend >$500 to visit a foreign country/culture, spending $20 to learn the basics is cheap. And the practical knowledge can easily cover the cost of the book. I recently picked up one of these for a trip to Bosnia, and it offered a wealth of information about the country. The writer had a deep understanding of the country, the culture, the language and what you should know and what you should see. Even the restaurant recommendations were solid. If you are going to spend 8 hours traveling you ought have enough time to learn the basics of the place you are going to visit and lonely planet does a great job providing a high quality summary.