Customer Reviews

Fodor's San Francisco 2010: With the Wine Country (Full-color Travel Guide)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A 10 day, first time trip to San Francisco can be daunting, especially if it is undertaken solo. In order to make the most of the time, I purchased every guide I could find and read it cover to cover. Here are my thoughts on Fodor's:

PROS:
- covers in GREAT detail all available attractions in each part of the city as well as the surrounding area; I carried the guide with me at all times; if lost or if I wandered into an area off my itinerary, I could easily find an appropriate place to eat/visit and/or find contact info to cover most emergencies;
- gives wonderful background information, including historical facts;
- offers sound travel advice to and within the region;

CONS:
Quite frankly, for someone who has never visited the city, that massive amount of info arranged in geographical order is overwhelming and not necessarily conducive to creating an itinerary in line with one's individual interests. For that reason, I think Fodor's is most useful once you find yourself in the city. The guide would be much improved if it invested in an extensive chapter on how to create an interest focused, length-of-stay based itinerary (general, historical, culinary, architectural interest, etc.). This need pertains not just to the San Francisco guide, but to any Fodor's guide. The guide has a very linear way of thinking about tourists: they eat, sleep, shop, and want to see a few museums...The end. Well, that is not how most of us travel. And so, Fodor's is not so much a guide to the area, but rather a detailed description of the area...

Once again, I recommend it once you find yourself in the city, but the guide is no help with creating an exciting itinerary...

We have been Fodor's confident users since long time ago. The new Fodor's guide to San Francisco gave us a little trouble finding the way of using it, due to changes in map and places locations. Also we had trouble finding the right way to find reliable restaurants while on the way. We had to buy the Zagat for that.
But as a frequent user I rely on the always different aproach of Fodors to a City as San Francisco, that can consume your time without having seen the best. We did find the alley of the China Town fortune cookie manufacturer, as did enjoy hiking up to Coit tower avoiding getting there by car, and of course avoided the crowded tourist packed piers. Always Fodors tips are reliable and different. And security wise we didn't aproach to the areas Fodor's gave us the warning. Thus enabling us to have a comfortable and peacefull trip.
We will continue trusting Fodor's.

I have used Fodor's Guides all over the world and have never been dissatisfied. In Kyoto, for example, the book advised us to just go for a walk on the street where our hotel sat and we would have an adventure. We did and while admiring a sidewalk shrine we were invited to the graduation ceremonies of an Ikebana and Tea Ceremony school. It was a spring time thrill complete with girls in kimono and wisteria in their hair in frosty January.