Footprint or Lonely Planet???

No one book will be sufficient for South America. They all have bare-bones info. I have used LP in Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru and Footprint in Peru. The author for the LP Peru and Ecuador guides is a nature enthusiast and those books are better for nature lovers. But the Footprints book for Peru had some better maps and info that was lacking for the LP books. Probably a tossup.

The LP country guides are generally better than the SA shoestring guide which lacks in-depth information. They can be recommended, possibly not better or worse than footprint (both have strong and weak points). If you need one book for the whole continent have a closer look at the Footprint guide. It's format takes a little while to get used to, but it has heaps of info and is relatively up-to-date (in theory updated once a year but they certainly don't re-write the book for every update).

i have only used one of each. the LP for colombia is horrible, inaccurate, and downright sux. the footprint for venezuela is excellent. form my small sample size, statistically speaking, I would go with the footprint guide.

I travelled with both books (the special of the country one) in Ecuador and the footprint was better!
In Peru they where both just as okay.
In Brasil the Footprint was much better.
In Argentina is LP is better.

I don´t like travelling with the big book, but if I had to choose I would for sure choose Footprint!

I do prefer the way of writing, lay out and maps better of the LP!

The most of proberly mostly travel by experience of other travellers. Guide are just very handy for background info, busses and sometimes place to sleep.

I'm like you, just physically couldn't carry 8 different books so went with the LP Shoestring book through necessity rather than choice, I must say, it is shocking!

The only things they quote to do or see in EVERY city or town is museums. I mean, they should realise that if you have the shoestring book you will be travelling around quite a lot and if they think you really want to visit 5,000 museums in your time in S America and nothing else then they are totally mislead.

If you are only visiting major sites then this will probably do but as most travellers visit other places then really don't bother with it. I have never used Footprints but anything has got to be better than the Shoestring book.

Suggestion to LP: maybe you could do a book for different sections ie. one for Ecuador, Boliva, Peru, one for Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, one for Columbia, Venezuela etc, for example, that way people still have less books but a great deal of extra important information.

Hope this helps.

In English I use only LP books, and local Spanish books in the countries I travel more frequently. I have a LP book covering all South America, some informations I can find only in that book.

Well, I didn't carry 8 books ;)
I just send it back home. And score new ones as I arrive in the country.
Most of the books I bought second hand, but always made sure that it was the last edition!

I will never use Lonely Planet again after travelling around Sth America for 8 months I found it to be an absolute waste of space in my pack. No idea about Footprint but I will definately be trying some other book next time.