Frommer's Los Angeles 2004 [Paperback]

Matthew Poole (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 19, 2003 | Series: Frommer's Complete Guides

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go—they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!

Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Los Angeles features gorgeous full-color photos of the sights and experiences that await you in the City of Angels. Frommer's hits all the highlights, from Hollywood to Malibu, and is on top of the latest developments in this ever-changing city. Our guide is simply much more complete and authoritative than its major competitor.

Our author, a lifelong resident, has checked out all the city's best hotels and restaurants in person, and offers honest opinions that will help you find the choices that suit your tastes and budget. You'll also get up-to-the-minute coverage of shopping and nightlife; fun features on everything from celebrity spotting to becoming a TV game-show contestant; in-depth coverage of all the best beaches; excellent maps; and side trips to Disneyland, Santa Barbara, and Palm Springs. Exploring L.A. has never been this fun! Frommer's Los Angeles also includes a color fold-out map and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. And avoid tourist traps. At Frommer’s, we use 150 outspoken travel experts around the world to help you make the right choices. Frommer’s. Your guide to a world of travel experience.

Choose the Only Guide That Gives You:

• Insider tips on the best spots for sighting celebrities.
• Outspoken opinions on what’s worth your time and what’s not.
• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget.
• Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.
• The best hotels and restaurants in every price range, with candid reviews.

About the Author

Matthew Richard Poole, a native Californian, has authored more than two dozen travel guides to California, Hawaii, and abroad, and is a regular contributor to radio and television travel programs, including numerous guest appearances on the award-winning Bay Area Backroads television show. Before becoming a full-time travel writer and photographer, he worked as an English tutor in Prague, ski instructor in the Swiss Alps, and scuba instructor in Maui. Highly allergic to office buildings and mortgage payments, he spends most of his time traveling the globe and searching for new adventures. His other Frommer’s titles include California, California from $70 a Day, San Francisco from $70 a Day, the Irreverent Guide to San Francisco, and Portable Disneyland. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Frommers; 1 edition (September 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764538853
• ISBN-13: 978-0764538858
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,731,943 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Native San Franciscan, Erika Lenkert, spent the past 4 years seeking adventure, great food, and great accommodations throughout California while celebrating a delightfully wild 3-year stint in Hollywood. She is now full-time in San Francisco, where she is editor-in-chief of WineShopper.com. She also has a restaurant column in San Francisco Magazine, and hopes to find time to continue contributing to Los Angeles, InStyle, Travel & Leisure, and Bon Appétit. And yes, her Siamese cats are still along for the ride.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just the Facts, Please! Excellent Overview!, April 17, 2005

By 

davidmbfonz (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Los Angeles 2005 (Frommer's Complete Guides) (Paperback)

I've read several tour books for Los Angeles, and I find the Frommer's to be quite up-to-date and informative, with a clear layout. This book breaks Los Angeles down into its essential neighborhoods/areas, and then proceeds with a litany of "just the facts" - very helpful for a first-time visit.

This guide also comes with a free full-size map! It also includes information on day or weekend trips to all areas of interest within about 150 miles of LA (including Santa Barbara). Enjoy this informative gem!

June update: Just got back from 9 days in L.A. (my first-ever visit) and this guide served me well. Most of its information was spot-on and useful. A drive along Mulholland Drive is not to be missed! One minor quibble, though, is that the guide says Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade was the most over-rated tourist trap. I found this just the opposite - we enjoyed this area very much - lots of free entertainment, good shops and restaurants - and all outdoors just a few blocks from the ocean. Loved it! I will say that the Eyewitness "Top 10 Los Angeles" was just as helpful and was much smaller (i.e., pocket-sized).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brief Review of L.A., August 27, 2005

By 

R. Wong - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frommer's Los Angeles 2005 (Frommer's Complete Guides) (Paperback)

A nice, concise guide for L.A. Hits the highlights of L.A. and surrounding areas but does not review the more unique aspects. Restaurant section is okay.