Customer Reviews

Frommer's Seattle 2011 (Frommer's Complete Guides)

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

 

 

My husband and I went to Seattle to visit for 4 days. We only had this guide book and his smart phone, and we were able to find great things to do and places to eat the whole time. I liked that the restaurants in the book were broken up both by type and by location - Seattle has very clearly defined neighborhoods, and it was great for parking purposes, etc., to be able to pick the neighborhood/area you were going, and find out what to do or eat there. I thought the ratings were pretty spot on as well, for restaurants, hikes, and hotels. We stayed at Hotel Deca, which he rated very highly, and it really was a great hotel with good access to downtown Seattle. We did the Mt. Si hike, one the author said was strenuous but worthwhile, and he was certainly accurate on both accounts. The pocket map was GREAT, and was made from some sort of material that wasn't just paper, so it held up very well after being toted around in my purse and frequently referred to over the course of 4 days.

I found 2 weak areas: 1) he incorrectly said we would not need a parking pass at the Mt. Si parking area, and it was clearly posted all over that we needed a pass, so we had to drive all the way back into town to purchase one; 2)there was no description of the Mt. Rainier hiking. I know he can't describe everything in the state of Washington in detail, but that was just something we tried to look up, and were not helped with. I also wish it came with coupons or something for some of the places that it recommends.

This book is exactly what I need. It is compact, yet I was able to find the hotel and restaurants I want for a pending trip. I like Frommer's travel books the best!

After using the "search inside book option" I ordered this excellent resource which covers almost the whole area we will tour by car during our 2 1/2 week vacation. Within hours of receiving Seattle 2011, our trip plan was developed, due to the book's organization, maps and concise descriptions. One of the best features is the listing of web addresses which facilitate ordering ferry tickets and finding current exhibitions at museums, etc.

FROMMER'S SEATTLE is a great book about the Seattle, Washington area. It features lots of info about recreation, dining, nightlife, shopping, sightseeing, and culture, as well as interesting side trips and information for foreign travelers. The only problem with this book is that it doesn't go into detail about shopping malls and music stores. However, if you get it in conjunction with the INSIDERS' GUIDE and NEWCOMER'S HANDBOOK series, as well as several other guides, you'll have everything you need to know about Seattle at your fingertips.

I had a day in Seattle, bought this for a guide to get around and see some sites. For the basics it is ok. Disappointed on lack of reference to the huge music scene in Seattle with world famous record stores. Possible good for the older explorer but im in my mid 30's and found it hopeless other than for the space needle.

Overall, it tells you what a guide book to a large city should:
-All the local tourist processing plants (Pikes, Space Needle, Science Center, Pioneer Square, etc.)
-Some additional parks and sites worth visiting.
-Some of the best local eateries
-Covers all of your options for transportation pretty well
-Covers some of the main hotels and approximate prices for rack rates (but even Trip Advisor makes that section in guide books obsolete these days)

It does a good job guiding... I usually end up on the internet doing some additional research but Frommer's will always give you a good starting point. Like other guide books there are always many local hot spots and surrounding neighborhood delights that you still have to check out Yelp for or talk to some locals about.
What is a great feature in the book though, is their 1 day, 2 day or 3 day planner that will help give you a 'must-see' list and make sure you hit as many of them as possible depending on how much time you have. If you are the kind of power tourist that has to see as much as possible while your there and want someone to give you an idea of what is the best way to focus your time on things that are really worth it, this can be a useful tool.

I always get at least 2-3 guidebooks if I know I am going to be spending more than a few days there to make sure I get a few different viewpoints. This was a good choice of one of the three.

great book for visiting Seattle!!! I will use this for my future visits!!! I highly recommend this item for other travelers.