Customer Reviews

Frommer's Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque (Frommer's Complete Guides)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We used this guide to plan a couple of trips to Santa Fe and in and around Taos, and were very happy with the results. The book starts with a general introduction to northern New Mexico, covering history, art, architecture and so on. Then there's a chapter on general visitor information for the region, and a section for foreign visitors. The remaining chapters are:

Getting to Know Santa Fe; Where to Stay in Santa Fe; Where to Dine in Santa Fe; What to See & Do in Santa Fe; Santa Fe Shopping; Santa Fe After Dark; Excursions from Santa Fe; Getting to Know Taos; Where to Stay in Taos; Where to Dine in Taos; What to See & Do in Taos; Albuquerque

The organization is good, with the hotels, for example, clearly broken out by price range ("Very Expensive", "Expensive", "Moderate" and "Inexpensive"). But the real value of the book is the author's candid evaluations. We've been burned in the past by guide books that gave every establishment a glowing review, so it was pleasant to use this book to find lunch in Taos one day last month. Here's some of what we found:

Ogelvie's Bar and Grill: "The food here is not flavorful, and the atmosphere is dated"

Eske's Brew Pub: "The crowd is local, a few people sitting at the bar . . . . At times it can be a rowdy place, but mostly it's just fun, lots of ski patrollers and mountain guides . . . ."

Outback in Taos: "My kayaking buddies always go here after a day on the river. That will give you an idea of the level of informality (very), as well as the quality of the food and beer (great) and the size of the portions (large)."

It's clear that the author really loves the area, and knows it inside out; we went to eight or ten places (hotels and restaurants) that she recommends, and didn't regret a single one.

we just completed a two-week New Mexico vacation, and found that time after time, hotel after hotel, restaurant after restaurant, attraction after attraction, this guide was absolutely spot on. We brought another guide ("The Insider's Guide to Santa Fe") and wound up relying on Frommer's exclusively.

We were most impressed by the recommendations for small out-of-the-way places we _never_ would have gone to otherwise, "Chef du Jour" in Albu. being a perfect example.

Our only quibble is that the author praises the food a little over-much. Desserts she describes as the "best you'll ever eat" we would describe as "good", for example, but then again we're from the bay area and i guess we're pretty spoiled.

Just returned from Taos and Santa Fe and I was surprised about the accuracy of King's reviews. You can plan an excellent week using this book alone (and perhaps a more detailed hiking book). Even locals we spoke with were impressed that we knew of some of the out-of-the-way places. One note: the prices listed for many of the recommended restaurants have gone up (probably due to their newfound popularity from this book).

I just returned from five days in Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque. Whenever and wherever I travel I always look for the local experience. For this, this guide is fantastic!! Lesley is a real local. Her descriptions are passionate, personal and accurate. Lesley - please move to another state and write another book!! I cannot thank you more!!

The Product
This guide was definitely helpful and easy to use. It really covered my needs, though I was on a very quick 6-day mini-tour of Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. I felt the author had a stronger voice than other guides I've read. This gave it a more personal feel at times but also made me wonder what was left out or emphasized due to her (I'm pretty sure it was a woman) personal tastes. I didn't dislike her tastes for the most part, it's just that I usually want a slightly more objective/comprehensive voice so that I can select things according to my tastes.
I left the book with my friend in Albuquerque as I actually thought she could get great use out of it.


Amazon
I have Amazon Prime and it's amazing. Also, Amazon is just a great retailer (not just against other online retailers, but against both online and traditional bricks-and-mortar stores as well). They make it easy to research as you buy, often suggesting other products that may be a better fit for your needs. In this case, I usually would have gone with my default guide of Lonely Planet. I tried this Frommer's guide because it was more recent. Sometimes things change quickly and given the recession, I wanted to be sure my expectations were in line with reality to the extent possible. So thanks Amazon.

I think this book will be more helpful after I have moved to New Mexico, using it as a guidebook. I also have the Fodar's guide to New Mexico and I found it much more interesting. It's something you can actually pick up and read for entertainment as well as information and it has wonderful color photographs. The Frommer's book is mostly information and lacks interest.

The book is very well-written. It provides a great overview of the area and the history. I only visited Santa Fe, so I can't comment on the info about the other two cities. The info for Santa Fe hotels and restaurants was very detailed and accurate. I highly recommend Frommer's travel guides in general.

I found good restaurant reviews but the directions, especially the important High Road to Taos, were very lacking in specifics. Lonely Planet is far better for details like this.Frommer's Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque (Frommer's Complete)

Frommer's travel guide had everything I wanted to know about my visit to Santa Fe. Self-guided tours, places to visit and to eat. I have read other travel guides but found this one to be the best.

Great information. Great help to find things to do and see in the Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque areas in New Mexico for my upcoming trip. I was able to plan for the sights I wanted to see so I wouldn't miss anything.