Customer Reviews

Lonely Planet Washington, DC

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

 

 

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!

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.

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First of all, of course the information on attractions and especially security is vastly out of date, but more importantly, there were more than a couple recommendations that I followed in the guide that led me to a closed bar (twice), a bad place to eat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.

This is my second summer living in Washington, DC during an internship and about my fifth time here. I have visited just about every major site that is accessible by public transportation, and some that aren't. I bought this book because it includes a blurb about the history of some of the major sites, sidetrips into Maryland and Virginia and lots of decent restaurants for a student on a budget. Perhaps it includes a bit too much info on traveling to DC (how to get there, visa info, etc. etc.) but it's a guidebook for the outsider primarily.

Being a travel junky I found this guidebook very valuable. Some points:

1. It has color maps all located in the same place (back of the book). On the backside of each map is an index with a page reference! So you see the map, you flip and find the attraction/restaurant/whatever, and you go to the referenced page for more info. This is invaluable since the last thing I like doing is flipping through maps embedded throughout a book only to not get any information on what's around me.

2. Did I mention the maps? There is also a subway map overlay on each map so you can plan getting there and getting back. There's also a complete map at the very back.

3. It's a compact book. This is a BIG deal. Lug around a monstrous book for a day and you'll be ripping out unneeded pages later that night (which is a good idea anyway, really). This guide was slim and fit nicely in an outside pocket. Just enough history to occupy the time on the subway, not so much as to displace Washington's biography.

4. It's a well built book. Bend it, fold it, get it wet. It's going to stay together and readable. While weathered guide books held together with rubber bands show some flair, it's no good when you're standing there on a corner with pages falling all over.

Overall a highly recommended guide book. I try and find the best overall guide book for whatever my destination and keep coming back to the Lonely Planet.

I went for a vacation in Washington DC for a week. This book kept me going. I had a little problem with their updates (the walking tour for Embassy Row still lists a certain mansion as the Pakistani Embassy, but it turns out that the embassy moved somewhere else back in 2005, a good two years ago). But aside from that, things were still well-covered.

I disagree with the previous reviewer saying that there were no directions from BWI or IAD, but p. 263 gives the information about this. Regarding public transportation in the National Mall and Tidal Basin, there aren't a lot of options, but all the available options were given in the extensive maps at the back of the book. One really should prepare for large amounts of walking for this area of the city. And regarding the parking spaces, the book also gives information about how to get to places using public transportation, for every time that they give information about parking spaces. So I do not see why it can be concluded that the authors researched this using a car.

A travel guide is just that, just a guide. It shouldn't be mistaken for a tour operator. One should not rely on it a hundred percent. It simply gives suggestions on where to go and what to visit. For my purposes, it served its purpose well.

The author tries way too hard to make this into a romance novel. The various descriptions of DC being a woman in high heels and yet in a business suit, and riding in limos and also sleeping on the streets, etc. were hyper annoying. I enjoy good prose, this was not it. And it's a travel book, not a harlequin novel. Aside from the tone, I found the information offered was often lacking. There was nothing about the numerous options for paid tours of the city's historic sites. There was very little useful in the dining section if you wanted something more than cafe fare.
I usually love books in the Lonely Planet series, but this one didn't measure up.

Good book, lots of detail, good maps, good details of accomodation (though this is a bit pointless in the internet age I think), food options... just a standard, good LP. If you like format of LP you'll like this.

An easily portable and thoroughly user friendly compendium of invaluable information on America's capital, "Washington, DC: City Guide" offers more than maps, but provides a complete introduction to the city in terms of its nightlife, arts, history, sights, and memorials. Of special note is the section on the 'National Mall'. Whether the traveler is in Washington for business or pleasure, this outstanding and very highly recommended guide offers descriptive recommendations for walking and biking tours, dining establishments, bars, entertainment, activities, shopping, sleeping, and excursions. Enhanced with the inclusion of a directory, an index, and maps, "Washington, DC: City Guide" is the ideal companion when planning a stay in one of the most dynamic of America's major cities.

I have been living in DC for the past 2 years and bought the LP as a gift for a friend. As a resident, let me tell you ... this guide falls MUCH below expectations. Published in 2001 Feb, it does not take into account any of the new security regulations, road closures, etc. Futhermore, the listings for restaurants, bars and clubs is not only prehistoric, but also very "old-school" ... none of the hip DC places are included. I would supplement this by checking Washington Post's website - they are much better. Cheers,