Customer Reviews

Frommer's Washington, D.C. 2009 (Frommer's Complete Guides)

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

 

 

The thing about Washington D.C. is that there's so much choice that it can be a little paralyzing, you may just collapse on to one of the many park benches located around the city and watch the other visitors moving dizzily around you. The key is to do a little planning and have a bit of knowledge before you go to target all the monuments, museums, parks, shopping, and restaurants you want to go to.

2009 is going to be a very exciting and expensive year to visit our capitol, as we welcome in our new president. At first glance you may think the recommended hotels Frommer's lists may be on the expensive end but, trust me after hours looking on-line, if you want to stay anywhere within a two mile walking distance of the White House, Capitol Building, or Mall your going to have to pay for it especially in January around the inauguration or come popular cherry blossom season. And it's important to know that most hotels in that area are going to charge you $15 or more a day for parking. The only thing I felt the book was missing was a section on where the free parking for sightseeing is.

This book shows you the best sights of the city, what's worth your time and what may not be right for you. For instance; want to tour the White House? You're going to need to be in a group of ten with background checks for adults and clearance through your Congress person. Want to tour the Capitol building without standing in line? You can now reserve tickets and a designated time on-line saving a huge wait. Want to see a case deliberated by the Supreme Court? Do you know when their in session, hm? Will the house where Licoln died be finished with restoration so that you can get in? A little planning now may save you a big headache later, especially if you're traveling with children.

This was the first guidebook I purchased when planning a trip to Washington, DC. Frommers always covers the bases and this book is no exception. Hotels, restaurants, local attractions, and more are all covered here. I also found the "Best" lists that Frommers always includes to be useful. It helps me zoom in on the best of the best experiences when time is short on a trip.

The problem I had with the book is that the level of detail for many of these entries was lacking. Hotels get a nice write up but the vast majority of those covered are above the budget for a typical traveler. The information on the tourist attractions also seems fairly comprehensive... until you compare it to The Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C. (Unofficial Guides) and realize how much more clear and complete that guide is. While I used this guide for the early stages of planning, it was my frustration with it that prompted me to look at other books and I ultimately stopped using this one and didn't even bring it with me on the trip. The Unofficial Guide has roughly 100 pages of additional content and none of it is filler.

In closing, this is not a bad guidebook for Washington, DC. Most of the basics are covered competently and I'm sure a lot of people have used it and been satisfied. Once you read the Unofficial Guide, however, you'll realize just how much useful information is left out of the Frommers Guide.

This book saved me and my fellow travelling teacher hundreds of dollars and gave us information to have a wonderful DC experience! We saved and sacrified to stay in individual rooms at a downtown hotel that was more money than either one of us had ever spent in our lives. After talking with others and a friend who works for the government, we realized it was important to stay close to the sights and hub transportation which is much safer than walking blocks at night or driving in each day facing the hectic DC traffic. We booked rooms at an upscale hotel just 2 blocks from Union Station and close to the Capitol. En route, we read the chapter on hotels and how to get the best price. We thought we had the best price when we reserved our rooms 8 months ago, but when we took a chance and called with the info provided, we each saved over $500 for the 5 night stay. We were absolutely thrilled, and this helped with the $40 a day parking and overnight accommodations en route and returning. The hotel made ALL the difference in our overall experience. Do get good walking shoes. Take the Tourmobile tour recommended. Don't be afraid to try the Metro train or buses which will save you a lot of time since there is so much to see and do. Don't miss Arlington. Be sure to eat at the Dubliner's Pub. The Library of Congress is a magnificent national treasure. Try to contact state rep 6 months before your trip for White House and Captitol tours. See national monuments and war memorials up close rather than just from tour bus. Check out Union Station for food and shops. No separate DC map is necessary since the Metro and city maps are included. Priceless book for anyone traveling to one of America's most beautiful, friendly, historical, and exciting cities!

Frommer's Washington, DC has been quite helpful in planning our trip to DC this year.

For a first-time visitor to DC, this book was an excellent resource. I took the suggestions on the tours and eateries and I was not disappointed. I would've liked to have a few more detailed maps, but the book helped me get to know the city before I even got off the plane!

As always, great and helpful little book- helped a bunch with a group of 8 seniors getting around Wa DC.

I've read this Washington DC travel guide cover to cover and love it! The writing style is interesting and extremely informative. I looked at and purchased several other (NFT, Fodors...) and feel this one is the best!

Just returned from 4 day vacation in DC. The book had some useful info re things to do - IE the Twilight Bus Tour - but I had already found most of that on the internet. The part I found frustrating was the restaurant listings. The listings are broken down into area - they assume you know the name of each part of town (Foggy Bottom ?? Penn Quater ?? Dupont Circle ??, then, once you settle on the section of town they break it down again by Very Expensive, Expensive, Moderate and etc. I found a great restaurant two blocks from my hotel but I couldn't find it in the book until after I returned home and did a page by page search! BTW Try DC Coast Restaurant on 14th Street and Ave K (I found out that it's in Midtown! and on page 140 of the book! Didn't know it from a Foggy Bottom! before I went there.) Suggestion - put an alpha index of all restaurants by name with a page # reference so a tourist can find it quickly while walking.

The book was in good condition but the seller didn't ship it until wayyyyy after I ordered it. I ordered it a month before leaving for my trip and didn't get it until 2 weeks after I got back. I tried to get in touch with him/her numerous times via e-mail saying not to ship the book because it was too late and and never got a response. Once receiving the book I tried to inquire about the return policy and again, never got a response. DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS SELLER!!!!!!!!!! You won't get your stuff in a timely manner what-so-ever.