Dont base budget info on this book - Rated 
Currently travelling with this book and many of the reviews are way out.
Might have something to do with the entire editing team being on maternity leave (as expressed in the aknowledgements).
Nicaragua costs were out by upto a factor of 5 (i.e. times costs in some hotels by 5!).
Buy another book (lonely planet etc..)
Essential - but unfortunately not perfect - Rated 
To be honest, after I was more than happy with the "Footprint South America" few years ago (in opposite to all the complains I heard from people travelling there with the "Lonely Planet"), it was no question for me which one to choose for the trip to Central America (Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador).
My friend liked to have an own book, well, no probs, he choose the "Let's go" cos it was the most actual one available at the time of travel (Spring 2007). So we had the chance two ask to guides for the right way ;-)
In my memories the South American guide impressed me again and again with very acurate informations, unfortunately I wasn't impressend by the Central American edititon, even it is published as well new in every year.
Positive before travelling: the countries are sorted from north to south, that means, I could cut the number of pages by appr. 50% (Mexico and south of Honduras) and this is positive for backpackers, when every gramm counts. (some other books are sorted by alphabet, so you will need to cut the book more often).
But the main point are the information inside: Of course, you can't expect very detailled ones if you combine whole Central America in one book, but what is printed should be as correct as possible and it wasn't. The worst example in my memories that I missed a bus from San Salvador because they printed 0215 instead 1415 (24 hours time are usual in this book).
The maps at the end gives you a good overview, but I missed more detailled ones beside the text.
Prices were printed most time in USD, even all countries (except El Salvador) deal mainly in local currency. If this is more acurate by the time? I don't think so.
I have to say, that I don't speak Spanish so it is a problem for me to check the information and ask the locals for the way, times, connections, ... Due to this fact and the unstable information from the book I was more than happy for the possibility of checking a second guide, and in my memories the "Let's go" was more often right (even as well not always), the maps were more detailled.
Anyway, you definitely come along with the book, but I hope Footprint will improve the next edition.
I've no information on the Lonely Planet and the Rough Guide, the other two possible options. So at the end, if I travel again I don't know yet which book I'll use than :-)
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