What travel guides for Central America, Do I need to learn spanish to go there too?

Hello Jodewoir 😊

I usually travel with the Lonely Planet travel guides. There might even be one that covers all the Central American countries. Yeah, it is probably called Central America on a Shoestring by Lonely Planet.

...or it is better to buy individual country guides?

I wouldnt. They are heavy to carry and expensive to buy. Anyway, I think one that covers a number of countries will give you all the important information anyway. And you may be able to pick up some for the individual country guides secondhand while you are there, or for free when people are moving on and want to shed some of the weight they are carrying.

When I was in Guatamala, I took Spanish lessons in an Indian village. It was very inexpensive and so was the accomodation. It was in Todos Santos. There were 2 Spanish schools to choose from. That was around 10 years ago, so I dont know how much has changed since.

...do I need to learn Spanish to travel through Central America?

Lots of people who dont speak a word of Spanish travel in C. America so you dont necessarily need to learn. It is useful though.

I was thinking of buying an electronic translator, would that be a good idea?

I wouldnt bother with that. The Lonely Planet books will have a list of useful phrases, that you can point to when you want something.

Mel


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Sorry I did mean Lonely Planet guides rather than Rough Guides. Would everyone who is reading this post (maybe just us two!!) agree that the best Central American travel guide would be the Lonely Planet Central America on a shoestring guide? I've heard of 'Footprint' guides too, can anyone give any advice to them? I think Lonely Planet as I dont know much about travel guides and they seem to be popular and this updated edition covers all of the countries.

Also I am travelling alone, I know when i've travelled before that its easy to meet people in hostels etc which is where i'll be staying, I assume that this will be the case and easy to do in CA?

With regard to border crossings would it be a good idea to take photocopies of your passport rather than handing over your actual passport all of the time? Maybe all of the above is covered in the travel guide which i'll order in the next few days depending what your reviews are. Thanks again! Reply to this

We used the Footprint guide travelling through Mexico and Central america last year.

We had tried the LP shoestring guides for SEA and Aus/NZ, but if you are more interested in accurate maps and info on how to get from one place to another than the best places to go pubbing and clubbing you might find the Footprint ones better.

I would recommend going to a bookshop and have a look at the books and see which covers the areas you need in more detail and which style you prefer

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Sorry I did mean Lonely Planet guides rather than Rough Guides.

Which of these is better for any particular place depends on who the authors are. I dont know which currently has the best authors for Central America. Overall, there isnt much difference between the quality of these books. I dont know anything about Footprints. The Lets Go guides are another possibility. I have bought those too and they are as good as the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide.

Yeah, I think you will meet plenty of people. Even if you stay in a hotel room alone, there is often a bar or cafe in the town which is popular with backpackers.

You will generally have no choice about handing over the original of your passport if you want to cross a border. But, dont worry about doing so. Border guards dont steal passports. At least, in my experience they dont.

I would however leave a photo copy of your passport in your email account or with somebody at home. In case you are ever unlucky enough to lose it, having a copy will help with getting a replacement.

Mel Reply to this

Hi there

We studied spanish in San Cristobal de las Casas , Chiapas, Mexico for one month at the Casa en el Arbol which was excellent. The reason for this choice was that we were starting our trip in Mexico working our way down to Colombia and wanted to know some spanish prior to doing so. Also we took some lessons back in UK which helped too so start now! From our experience I found it necessary in Mexico and El Salvador, particularly with transport, accommodation etc. Also local people warm to you if you make the effort to speak their language as Ive found in any country we've visited. We are currently in Granada in Nicaragua and there are a few good spanish schools here too however it's half way down. We met a couple who were starting spanish classes here next week but had done the same route down as us and had struggled as they knew no language. I personally would not have liked to have taken spanish classes in Guatemala as didn't particularly like the country but that is a personal choice. Good luck Reply to this

...also hoping that I meet people and travel with them.....

I cant remember is I said this already, but if you are looking for people to meet up with or to travel with, you could put a post in the Looking for Travel Companions if you want. Reply to this