The best guidebook out there because it's so comprehensive. If you know exactly where you will be going, it's probably better to get more specific guides, but this one has you covered wherever you go in South America

I love these guides because you get many photographs of the place you're actually going to visit. When time is an issue, this is a good place to make up your mind. Yet, I would combine it with a guide that suits your traveling budget and style.

One of the best books on the biggest city. It's impossible to write one guide to Mexico City, but this might be one of the most helpful and insightful ones. You might want to use it along with a more traditional guide to get specific and up to date traveling information.

The greatest guide for one of the funnest, coolest, and most accesible cities in Latin America. I really like the fact that they take their time with each neighborhood, which makes all the difference when you're trying to understand Buenos Aires.

This is the program I helped developed. Go to the Fluenz website if you want to see a demo.

Even if you learn some Spanish beforehand, you will likely need to look up how to say a few things once you are there. A pocket dictionary is essential.