Travel World guide

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.

This a great map for getting around DC. Colorful, detailed, not to big, not to small, Metro locations, tourist attractions. This is all you really need to get around DC.

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.

This little map was fantastic! It’s just the right size to fold up and put in your pants pocket. Informative and easy to read, also has a map of the metro system which is really handy. It’s laminated so it does’nt get torn or ripped. well worth every penny!

I purchased this map a month before my trip. It came in handy planning where we were going to go. It is a must have. Our trip flowed because of the planning from the map. We used the metro a lot. It’s the only way to travel in DC.

This folded easily into my pocket for a quick reference of the major museums, memorials, etc. This map does not provide details on outlying areas you may want to see. See the other guide map I reviewed.

I love the Lonely Planet Books. I buy them whenever I am traveling to a place I have never been before. They are very comprehensive and include so many catagories that the normal travel book would not. Get them for every place you are traveling!

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.

This LP guide to Washington DC is a comprehensive guide to the awesomely bustling metropolis of America’s capital. It starts with an introduction to the history, the culture and the people of DC that is very readable and a good length to read on your plane/train/bus ride there. However, I can’t help but notice the left-slanted politics of the author that is quite unnecessary.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed using the book during my trip to DC. The guide to the sights/monuments in the different neighbourhoods is very useful. The restaurant section of the book is not comprehensive but feature some great highlights of the DC foodie scene. Most of the good restaurants I ate at were featured in this compact book.

The recommended walking trails were awesome and featured different distances and sights. Although the monument tours section is quite sparse, it’s a good place to start to pick a bike/Segway monument tour that you might want to go for. It’s cool that there is also a small section on visiting the outskirts of DC, e.g. Bethesda, but since I didn’t go there, I can’t comment of how good the guide is for the area.

Overall, a good, compact, useful guide to Washington DC. The maps in the book were very well-organized and easy to read. I would definitely recommend this guide for anyone visiting America’s capital!

This was so much better than a paper map! It fit right into my pocket and did I ever use the map. Metro on one side, city on the other. Would highly recommend.

This little folding map came in extremely handy for my wife & me on our recent trip to DC. It folds and fits neatly in your pocket, give a quick block by block overview of the downtown area, and a quick reference for the metro system on the back. During our stay, we walked around and/or used the Metro almost exclusively, and referred to this several times a day to get our bearings, plan our next museum stop or restaurant, and work out whether or not a train station was nearby. For less than $4, it was worth every penny.

The purchase was a gift, however, being from there I thought the brochures/books/maps were an excellent choice for even someone who has lived there. I especially liked the 25 walks and the restaurant guide. The receiver was very pleased and excited about getting to know more about D.C. and very much enjoyed the gift..

This is to carry with you after you’ve planned your path/itinerary on a larger map, because it is difficult to read the info and doesn’t have details re parking and connecting small streets. Well worth having if you’re touring on your own. Price is right,

This book is perfect.
It contains all informations you need in DC.
The only thing missing is its limited picture.
You need to recognize the name of the building and look for the picture by yourself.
It will be easier to find the building if you know what it looks like.
The map is very-very usefull.

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.

Used this map and nothing else to get around Washington DC a few weeks ago. LOVED that it had all the METRO stops on the front of the map as well as the separate METRO map on back. Small enough to fit in you back pocket, and laminated so sweat doesn’t ruin it (it was over 100 degrees when I was there!). Easy to use–my 8 year old usually did the navigating with it.

I would not recommend this map for drivers, or even cyclists, as it’s just too small and doesn’t cover a large enough area to be useful–you’ll need a larger map for that. But for anyone taking the METRO into town and walking all the tourist areas, it’s AWESOME!

This is a great, basic guide of the D.C. Mall and Metro. Super bargain for the price. Really helps you get your bearing in the nation’s capitol.

I bought 3 maps to use during my 1 week stay in DC and this little map was by far the one I used the most. Yes it is “limited” on one side to just the mall and the area immediately around the mall, but that’s OK because there’s tons of museums, monuments etc. to see in that area. The side of the map that has the Metro is awesome. The fact that it’s waterproof and folds into close to credit card size makes it perfect for grasping by sweaty tourists like me who want to make sure they’re getting on the right train going in the right direction.

Fits in my wallet like a dream and folds out to show you the wonderful maze of the DC metro. It is laminated and really easy to use. Durable, portable, and overall, a really good buy. However – quick tip – I do use the Streetwise Washington, DC, Laminated City Center Street Map I bought a lot more. It has the same metro map integrated into it – so you do not need a separate one. So unless you are a lover of little pieces of very useful paper (maps etc) in places you always know you can access (wallet rather than handbag, cos you just might switch bags and forget it in the other one), then it may be a better buy to get the bigger map and save on this one. PS If you are a dude and want it to fit in your back pocket or wallet instead of walking around like a tourist with it stuck in the inside of your jacket – take this one – the other one will be too big.

I bought Lonely Planet’s Washington DC’s City Guide for my first visit to DC two weeks ago. It was an excellent guide. The little map enclosed is also very useful to make your way through the Metro system. All the recommended places to eat are really what they advertise and I especially appreciated the variety of recommendations they give for places to eat within different price ranges. The book is written in a fun language anyone can understand. I also think that they give great suggestions for tours you can do on your own, etc.
Great for both people traveling to DC and someone moving to DC.

There are too many great restaurants in DC to even filter down into one book. Otherwise, it was great, especially the neighborhood maps and metro map.

A great map– small and sturdy. Ideal for carrying around in your pocket or backpack as you explore Washington, DC. It will stand up to months, if not years, of use. Especially good for walkers.

Probably less good for drivers, who will find it too small to read easily while driving around and dodging other cars, tourist buses, bigwig motorcades, and distracted pedestrians.

For cyclists, this is a decent, but limited, choice. It doesn’t cover much of the city beyond the mall, and it does not include bike route information or bike paths, which are essential for getting around the greater DC area. For pedaling around the downtown area, however, it is great.

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.

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!

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 little map folds into thirds to readily be at hand or stow easily in your back pocket, but has everything you need to find all the major sights of interests in the historical DC area.

my trip is slowly approaching, but i’ve had this map out and using it for planning already. the type isn’t so tiny that you can’t read it – as i found out when the lights in the restaurant went low while i was reading it! i just think it’s amazing the amount of information that is packed on this little map.

so glad i got it!!