Lonely Planet Washington, DC

I bought this book when I first moved to DC and it was a terrific aid. Very portable, has extremely helpful maps at the back (especially when emerging from the metro with no sense of direction), and remains a constant source of low-cost, not-too-touristy points of interest. It eased my transition from newbie to DC resident with context on the city's layout, local idioms, and neighborhoods that would have taken me ages to figure out. Also a great reference when friends visit and I need to plan an itinerary. I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants more than a walk down the Mall out of their DC visit.

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.

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.

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!