Apps & eBooks / FAQs

eBook FAQs

Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions relating to Lonely Planet eBooks. If you have any other questions or suggestions please contact us.

You may also find useful information via the websites of the numerous eBook retailers and e-reader manufacturers.

  • What is an eBook?

    Put simply, an eBook is an electronic version of a book that can be viewed on an eBook reader (often called an e-reader or eBook device), tablet or computer.

  • What is the difference between Lonely Planet eBooks and Lonely Planet mobile apps?

    Lonely Planet produces eBooks and Apps. While both are designed to enhance your travel experience they are quite different with regard to content and functionality.

    eBooks are electronic versions of our books that can be viewed on an eBook reader. While Lonely Planet eBooks include additional features that this technology enables they have the same content and layout as our books. As such, they are perfect for inspiration, planning and when on the road.

    Mobile apps (applications) are software applications that are typically designed to run on smartphone's (such as iPhones and Android devices) and tablet computers (such as iPad and Android tablets). More recently, apps can also run on some e-reader devices such as NOOK tablet and Kindle Fire. App content is not typically structured in a page format like books or eBooks.

    Lonely Planet has a wide range of mobile apps. Some of these run on both smartphones and tablets, although the majority are currently for smartphones (iPhone and Android). Our apps are very different from our eBooks, in a number of ways.

    • Lonely Planet has over 80 city guide apps for iPhone and over 25 city guide apps for Android. These do include Lonely Planet content however they have been designed specifically for when you are on-the-go. They include reviews of recommended ‘points-of-interest’ which are also integrated with Lonely Planet maps. Using the smartphones built in location tracking, you can always find where you are and how to get to all the great things around you—all without going online, or incurring data fees. This is fantastic for when you are on-the-road, however unlike our books (and eBooks) they do not include a large amount of background and planning information.
    • Many of our apps leverage the latest smartphone technology to create incredibly useful tools when travelling. For example we have apps that translate from foreign languages to English, audio walking tours, apps that send postcards in the mail, games and more.

    Lonely Planet apps are the perfect companion to your guide book (or eBook). You can check them out in more detail here.

  • What are the Digital Guides that are available for sale on lonelyplanet.com shop?

    Lonely Planet digital guides are also available via the lonelyplanet.com shop. These guides are PDF files and you can purchase them as individual chapters or entire guidebooks. PDF files are viewable on e-readers, tablets, smart-phones and PCs. They can also be printed. To add them to your e-reader you simply need to drag the PDF file to your e-reader Library. As these are PDF files, they do not include the same level of functionality as our eBooks. To learn more about Digital Guides or to download a sample go to the LonelyPlanet.com Shop.

  • What advantages do eBooks have over traditional print books?

    eBook technology enables publishers to include content and functionality that is not possible in a print book. This may include the ability for the user to:

    • Access video and audio
    • Increase the size of images and fonts
    • Type in keywords to search a publication, or look-up in the dictionary
    • Add comments and notes to a page
    • Jump from page to page via links within the content
    • Follow links to external websites

    eBook readers are also compact, light, and can store thousands of books. You can also easily purchase titles online or directly via the eBook reader.

  • What are the disadvantages?

    In addition to the fact that traditional books don’t need batteries, there are a few other items to keep in mind:

    • Not all titles are available as eBooks. However at Lonely Planet we are working hard to make more and more titles—both existing and new releases—available as eBooks.
    • eBooks use Digital Rights Management (DRM) software to control access to the book. This may limit your ability to share a book with someone.
    • Given this is a relatively new technology, eBook file formats and functionality are still evolving. This means that the user experience may vary across different devices and depending on where you purchase the eBook. We hope these FAQs go some way to help make this easier.

  • What features do Lonely Planet eBooks include?

    Lonely Planet eBooks include various enhancements, such as:

    • Full colour images and Lonely Planet maps
    • “Pinch and zoom” to zoom-in for greater detail on maps and images
    • Google maps integration so you can pinpoint points-of-interest and use Google maps functionality to plot your route and time required (requires internet connection)
    • Detailed hyperlinking enabling you to seamlessly flip between pages, jump between maps and reviews, or visit the websites of places we recommend (internet required to view external website)
    • Search functionality
    • Notes and bookmark capability
    • Audio, so you can listen to foreign language phrases (Audio Language Guide products only)

    Note, not all Lonely Planet eBooks have all of these features, nor do all e-reader devices support all of these enhancements. The actual functionality depends on two things:

    1. The type of product. For example, only our Audio Phrasebooks have audio. Not all of our travel guides are full colour etc. It is important to check the product description when you purchase an eBook to see the enhancements and functionality for that particular title.
    2. The e-reader device you are using. Be aware of the functionality of your e-reader device. Some e-readers (such as previous versions of Kindle) do not support colour or audio. As such, you would not be able to view full colour images or hear audio.

    Check out the Kindle, Nook, and iPad pages to get an overview of functionality for each device. Furthermore, most eBook retailers enable you to download a sample file which is a great way to test the user experience.

  • How do the maps work within Lonely Planet eBooks?

    Maps are an important part of any Lonely Planet guidebook. As such, we have done a few things to ensure the best user experience taking into account the different capabilities of the various e-readers and devices.

    • Most Lonely Planet eBook maps are created in full colour and are also scalable, so you can zoom in for greater detail without losing resolution.
    • We have included hyperlinks so you can jump to-and-from the maps and ‘points-of-interest’ reviews.
    • Most guides also include Google maps integration. This enables you to immediately pinpoint the location of a ‘point-of-interest’ as well as your own location. You can then use Google map functionality to plot your best route and estimate time and distance. Internet connection is required to use Google maps.
    • Given that some (generally older) e-readers have limited functionality we also include links where you can download full colour maps as PDFs. These can be viewed on numerous devices or printed.

  • Where can I buy Lonely Planet eBooks?

    You can buy Lonely Planet eBooks from numerous retailers including:

    You can also buy PDF chapters directly from the lonelyplanet.com shop.

  • What hardware do I need to read an eBook?

    There are various devices and hardware that you can use to read an eBook. These include:

    • e-readers—including Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s NOOK, Kobo, Sony Reader
    • Tablets—including iPad or the numerous tablets that run the Android operating system
    • Smart phones—including iPhone and Android devices
    • PCs and laptops

    An exhaustive list of eBook readers is available at Wikipedia.

  • If I have a specific e-reader device, do I need to purchase from a specific retailer?

    In most cases, no. Generally speaking, an eBook will be readable on a range of devices, however do keep in mind:

    • This is not always the case. eBooks purchased via the iBookstore (Apple) can only be viewed on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch devices.
    • In some cases you need to install additional software to do this. For example, you can read eBooks from many retailers (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble) on your iPad, however you must first download the relevant app (such as Kindle or NOOK).
    • While an eBook you buy from one retailer may be readable on numerous devices, they are often optimized for a specific device.

    Check out the table on the eBooks page which outlines the various eBook retailers and compatible devices.

  • What is the best eBook reader?

    This depends on exactly what you are looking for and your budget—particularly given all the new tablets and e-reader devices that do much more than read eBooks. Given that Lonely Planet eBooks are graphic intensive and include enhanced functionality they are best experienced on devices that are full colour, enable audio and have an internet connection.

  • What Lonely Planet tiles are available as eBooks?

    We’re continuing to expand our eBook range. Most books and new editions of our guidebooks and phrasebooks are also being released as eBooks.

    Currently we offer eBooks across the entire Lonely Planet range, including:

    • Country guides
    • Region guides
    • City guides
    • Chapters from various guides
    • Discover country guides
    • Encounter city guides
    • Audio Phrasebooks
    • Travel literature
    • Travel pictorials (coffee table books)

    We are also continuously experimenting by creating new products with our content, such as the current “48 hours in…” series which gives a snapshot of what to do in a city in 48-hours.

    Currently, the range of titles does vary slightly across retailers. This is mostly with regard to pictorials, and we are expecting the range to be standard across all retailers shortly. To find the product you are interested in, simply visit your preferred retailer and search for the Lonely Planet eBook.

  • Do I need the internet to use Lonely Planet eBooks?

    No, you do not need the internet when using Lonely Planet eBooks. While our eBooks are designed to be used offline we have included some additional functionality that you can use if you do have an internet connection including:

    • External links to places of interest that are featured in the eBook. For example you could click directly on a hyperlink next to a gallery review to go to the gallery website for further information.
    • Google maps integration. In addition to using Lonely Planet maps (which work offline) you can also pinpoint Lonely Planet reviewed points-of-interest on Google maps. This will enable you to use Google map functionality such as plotting the most direct route and time to the destination from your current location.

  • My eBook is slow to respond and/or crashes, what can I do?

    Due to the amount of content, maps and images, some of the Lonely Planet eBooks are quite large files. As such, you may experience some problems if an eBook is not correctly downloaded and/or fully loaded before you try to use it. Here are a few tips to avoid such issues.

    1. Ensure that the eBook is fully downloaded to your device. It is important that the eBook is completely installed on your device before you try to open it. This may take a few minutes due the size of the files, so please be patient. If you are experiencing problems purchasing an eBook directly from your device (using wifi), we recommend you purchase the eBook via your computer, and then connect your computer to your device to transfer.
    2. Wait for the eBook to fully load before flipping through the pages. When you open or launch an eBook it takes a little time to load. It is important that you wait for the eBook to completely load before interacting with the product. Keep in mind that the eBook will also need time to reload if you move the device from portrait to landscape (or vice-versa), or if you change the font size.
    3. Ensure you have the latest software installed on your device. Be sure to check that you have the latest eReader software (or app) installed on your device. For example, if you are looking at an eBook purchased on the Apple iBookstore, ensure you have the latest version of iBooks installed on your iPad.
    4. Clear the iBooks cache. If you experience a crash when using iBooks, be sure to also clear the iBooks cache. To do this simply:
    • Exit iBooks on the iPad/iPhone and go to the home screen
    • Double-click the home button to open the multitasking which will appear at the bottom of the screen
    • Find the iBooks app icon and hold down until it shakes
    • You'll notice a red circle with a white stripe. Simply tap the circle to remove the app icon from the multitasking bar to clear the cache
    • Go back to the home screen and touch the iBooks app icon to access your library again

    If you have already installed an eBook and are experiences problems, remove the eBook from the device and then reinstall ensuring you follow the steps above. If you are still encountering problems please contact us.

Still have some questions, queries and comments? We’d love to hear from you. Simply contact us.