This candid, value-conscious guide to D.C. gives you the inside story on where to catch the U.S. government at work, complete information on Washington's cultural and historic sights, and much more. It includes an invaluable rating system to help find the top hotels and restaurants and advice on how to get around quickly and easily.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Decent book, but is outdated.
Comment: We bought this book to help plan our trip to DC and it was helpful with providing things to do and helps rate things that different age groups would like/not like to do.

The book is somewhat outdated/not complete though. Some information was incorrect or maybe geared more towards peak travel periods as we went after labor day and a lot of the opening/closing times of buildings were incorrect. One exampe, the book suggests getting up very early to reserve tickets for the Jefferson Monument, we decided to take our chances instead of getting up very early in the morning as the book suggested. We went and got tickets for the 2:00 tour at about 1:50.

If you do get this book I would recommend using it as a source to get ideas and then researching the actual attractions on-line to get actual opening/closing times.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great guide but lack of pictures
Comment: The only complaint i have is this book does not have any picture. A picture is better than a thousand words. Adding some pictures would make it much more attractive.

I did not start reading it until i was in DC. Felt bad about it because this book did provide a lot of good insides. Things like "do not drive in DC." Great idea. Should have also said "the road is totally confusing" in addition to traffic warning.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't leave home without it!
Comment: Great suggestions for how to see the city...not just what to see. Helps you plan your itinerary to get the most out of your trip. Lists sights several different ways, by interests, location or ratings.

Love this book!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: There are better travel books
Comment: I bought this book and the 2008 Fodor's Guide. The Fodor's was my preferred book while in DC. I found the informaiton in this book difficult to access. I had been to DC before, so the information in this book was proably more helpful for the first time visitor. I left the book in DC at the bed and breakfast where we stayed because I knew I wouldn't be using it again. I kept the Fodor's Guide for my next trip.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not so good for family travel
Comment: Like other reviewers, I purchased this guide after using the excellent Unofficial Guide to Disney Word a couple of years ago. Whereas the Disney book is targeted right at families, this book seems to cater more to the business traveler who wants to take in a few sites on the side. Most disappointing was the rather snobbish dining section that was essentially useless to families looking for a place to eat while or after touring the mall. This book leaves the impression that you might find a few hotdog carts near the Lincoln Memorial. The reality is that there are several permanent refreshment stands scattered about the mall with hotdogs and much more. You would also have no idea that the Nat'l Museum of Natural History and the Nat'l Gallery of Art have better lunch food selections than the Air and Space Museum. Information on what can and cannot be brought on various tours need improvement as well. Are prohibited items checked at a holding station or put in the trash? It depends on which tour you're doing, but you won't find out by reading this book. Hopefully there are better family-oriented guides to DC than this one.

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