About eBooks
The basics
What are eBooks?
What's available in eBook format?
What devices can I use them on?
Where do I find them on Lonely Planet?
How to download your files
Is the information in the eBooks different to the print editions?
Are there any restrictions or limits to downloading my eBook?
Can I send my eBooks to a few of my mates?
Terms and Conditions for use
Troubleshooting tips
Having trouble downloading your files? Click here for helpful tips
What are eBooks?
eBooks are digital versions of our print guidebooks - they are perfect for inspiration, planning your trip, and making decisions when on the road. Lonely Planet may offer a PDF (all devices), an ePub file (best for Apple, Nook, Kobo), or a .mobi file (for Kindle devices only).
PDF eBooks (all devices)
These are the exact pages from our books saved in an electronic Adobe PDF file, and they are viewable with any PDF reader. PDF readers are standard software, and we recommend the free Adobe Reader software and app. Download the latest Adobe Reader for free from Adobe’s official website. For Apple devices we also recommend the Books app – get it here.
Newer titles only have PDF as an option. You will be notified via email when the epub is ready.
ePub eBooks (for Apple, Nook, Kobo)
These are electronic versions of our books that are optimized for viewing on an eBook reader, a tablet or a smartphone. While Lonely Planet ePubs include additional features that this technology enables, they have the same content and similar styling as our books.
.mobi eBooks (for Kindle devices)
These files are recommended for use on Kindle devices. If you want to get more technical, they contain digital eBooks that have been saved in the Mobipocket binary eBook format. We are phasing out the mobi format, so most new titles will not offer this option.
What's available in eBook format?
eBooks may be available for Regional guides, Multi-country guides, Experience guides, Country guides, City guides, Pocket guides, Parks guides, selected phrasebooks, pictorials, and travel reference books.
If you click a guidebook that does not give an option to buy an eBook this means we do not currently sell this book in digital format. We are working to have them available for purchase soon!
What devices can I use them on?
Use them for research on your computer, or take them on the road using your laptop, e-reader, smartphone (iPhone or Android), or tablet – this includes iPads, Galaxy, Nook, Kobo, Kindle, Sony eReader, and more. If you’re not sure, check the specifications of your gadget before purchasing.
In all cases, we recommend that you have the latest software installed for the best experience possible.
Where do I find them on Lonely Planet?
You can just search for the guidebook you are interested in using the navigation or search functions and, where available, the eBooks will be listed with the print edition information on the page with the individual information for each title.
How to download your files
Once your payment is successfully processed, you will see an order confirmation screen that includes links to download your purchases straight away.
You will also receive an order confirmation email that includes a link to your download page. Can't find your email? Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, and similar email accounts often have an automatic spam filter that hides emails sent from any retail website (not specifically ours). Please check your Spam or Junk folder or even deleted items, as you might find your confirmation email there.
We recommend that you download your eBooks at the time of purchase and save them locally on your desktop or device. We supply multiple downloads of each eBook for two main reasons: 1. because sometimes downloads fail, and you might need a couple of attempts; and 2. you might want to download directly to each of your devices.
Please download your eBook files and save them within 180 days of purchase. Also, keep in mind our terms of use if you are considering sharing your remaining downloads with your mates - as the buyer, these are intended for your personal use. Please note that some eBooks may be up to 100+M in size, so if you don't have a fast internet connection you might like to fix yourself a cup of tea...
Click here for an article that will direct you to details on how to download.
Is the information in the eBooks different from the print editions?
Our PDF, ePub, and Mobi files contain all the information from the print editions - only the formatting is optimized to give you the best reading experience possible.
Are there any restrictions or limits to downloading my eBook?
Yes and no! We recommend that you download all your eBooks at the time of purchase or within 180 days thereafter - this way you can be sure you have a saved copy that you can always refer to. We can't resend download links for out-of-print editions, or replace your misplaced purchase with a copy of the subsequent edition - so again, download your eBooks soon after purchase and in any event, within 180 days.
We know technical errors, computer crashes, and download limits can make life hard so we have given you five downloads to each of your purchased eBooks. All we ask is that you don’t share it around and that you use it for non-commercial purposes.
Can I send my eBooks to a few of my mates?
No. Aside from the fact that it is not in keeping with Lonely Planet’s ethos, it’s also illegal.
Our eBooks are protected by the same copyright as our books, making the content of them protected by law. Sending the files to family, friends, and strangers is against the law, as is posting a link to your blog, Facebook, or other social networking page. As we've said, you can download each purchased eBook five times so you can have it on your personal computer or handheld device or your built-in microchip (one day it may happen), so you're doing pretty well already, so please don't send it to your Dad, your Gran and your sister-in-law's best mate.
If you love that we offer this kind of thing and enjoy saving a bit of money (and room in your backpack), please support us and don't abuse the system. Lonely Planet owns all rights to its digital content and no part of these products may be copied stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise (except as permitted here), without the written permission from Lonely Planet.
Terms and Conditions for use
You must download each Lonely Planet eBook purchased within 180 days of your purchase to minimize issues down the track. You can only use your Lonely Planet eBook for personal, non-commercial purposes. You may not share any Lonely Planet eBook purchased by you by forwarding or sending it to someone else, or use it for any commercial purpose.
Lonely Planet owns or licenses all intellectual property rights to and in the Lonely Planet eBooks, including the content in the Lonely Planet eBooks and Lonely Planet’s trademarks. You may not use Lonely Planet’s intellectual property or trademarks in any way or for any purpose without Lonely Planet’s prior written permission.
Lonely Planet tries to make sure the information in its products is accurate and up to date. However, Lonely Planet can’t make any guarantees. So, if you are relying on information in a Lonely Planet guide, remember you do so at your own risk.
For the full terms and conditions that apply to your purchases from the Lonely Planet Shop, please click here.