Lonely Planet Washington, DC [Paperback]

Laura Harger (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lonely Planet Washington, DC | Publication Date: February 2001

Includes detailed coverage of the US capital's greatest museums and monuments; the scoop on where to go after dark, from the dignified Kennedy Center to down-and-dirty punk rock dives; a range of accommodation options; special sections on architectural tours, black history and travelling with kids; and day excursions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

For sheer global reach and dogged research, attention must be paid to Lonely Planet…' --Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2003
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

Lonely Planet’s new "Washington, DC" will guide you through the city of cherry blossoms and provide the details necessary for an unforgettable stay in the nation’s capital. Written with wit and flair by a DC native, "Washington DC" provides the inside scoop on how to get around DC with up-to-date restaurant and hotel information (including “Kid Recommended” spots!), precise maps, and a complete guide to the nation’s best museums and monuments. Although the politicians can’t always be trusted, with Lonely Planet’s trusty new "Washington, DC" in hand, you’ll get everywhere on and around the Hill with ease!

• where to stay, eat and shop – for all budgets • special section on the capital’s gay and lesbian scene • coverage of DC’s African American history and culture • the best places to take kids • excursions to Alexandria, Great Falls, Mt. Vernon and more

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1864502444
• ISBN-13: 978-1864502442
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,380,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very serviceable guidebook, June 5, 2007

By 

TeddyN "GenBanks" "teddyn" (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Washington, DC (Paperback)

This is a good guide to Washington D.C. and it is very recent to, having been published in April 2007. I went to D.C. in May and was not disappointed. I would have liked more tips aimed at those on a 'shoestring' budget, but there was plenty here to keep me busy for a week. (I especially recommend you check out the cafe in the American Indian museum-- delicious!)

I didn't think there were too many left leaning comments as a previous reviewer said. Some people are too sensitive to that sort of thing. It would definitely be extreme to avoid buying it because of supposed 'left wing commentary' and it's highly unfair to give a low star rating just because ones feelings were hurt by a comment which was perceived as being partisan. Anyway, this book isn't just aimed at Americans, Brits, Canadians, Australians, Irish... The whiff of anti-Bush sentiment that might be noticed in the 'background' chapters is just normal to most people. And why do you need to read the background to 'American politics' if you're American??

This guide also has some nice suggestions on excursions, such as to Baltimore or to some of the Civil War sites of Virginia. The book is compact and well laid-out, so overall very pleasing for that Lonely Planet collection!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lonely Planet DC, CITY GUIDE, May 5, 2004

By 

Craig Schulz "uncle_pennybags" (Iowa, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lonely Planet Washington, DC (Paperback)

Just so no one else gets confused...this is a city guide of Washington DC, not a 'traditonal' Lonely Planet guide book. That having been said, I do love the small size of the book makes it a lot more handy to carry around. The content however is a little more heavy on the history of the town and little usless tidbits then on the what to do & where to go. Single paragraph discriptions of the various museums & attractions are good for an on the fly type book, but not so much for doing resarch on planning a trip.

Of course there is so much in DC that I can understand the smallish descriptions, all in all, good to keep in the pocket when in town. 3 stars for not identifing it's self as a City Guide other then in the picture.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good guide as always, but not LP's best for sure..., April 9, 2002

By 

"mateo73" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Washington, DC (Paperback)

I've been fortunate enough to have used Lonely Planet books throughout Europe, Australia and parts of North America and have always found them reliable and accurate. However, the Washington DC edition falls quite short of the LP standard that I have become used to.

First of all, of course the information on attractions and especially security is vastly out of date, but more importantly, there were more than a couple recommendations that I followed in the guide that led me to a closed bar (twice), a bad place to eat (three times), and a REALLY BAD hostel recommendation. What was said in the guide to be the best hostel around turned out to be the worst one I've ever stayed in.

There were far more popular guides with the people I met, the Let's Go being the guide of choice. Having used the LP to some frustration, I would recommend using an alternate source of info for your trip to the Capital.