Frommer's New Orleans 2010 (Frommer's Complete)

Comment: We didn't have much time in the Crescent City and wanted to see all we could. Frommer's helped us decided what was important and gave us accurate reviews on restaurants as well. It was an inexpensive tool and easy to bring along.

Comment: This guide is recommended. We stayed in the French Quarter the entire weekend we were there and it worked well for that. While we were in New Orleans we had a friends in the indie rock scene - and ended up going to the little dive clubs they played and talked about. Surprisingly even all of these "underground" places were in the guide. We weren't there for Mardi Gras - but there is really good background info in the guide on Mardi Gras including an amusing anectode of the author's experience riding on a float. The one thing is I wish there was more indication of which restaurants might be vegetarian friendly. We had problems finding restaurants to acccommodate those who don't eat meat,

Comment: We are spending part of our vacation in New Orleans this winter before we set sail on a carib cruise. Great information and maps.

Comment: I've purchased many, many guidebooks for both domestic and international destinations over the years. Without a doubt, this was THE BEST guidebook I've ever purchased--better than the Lonely Planets or other Frommer's guides or even those vaunted blue guides to Hawaii. Though it is more conversational in tone than some other Frommer's guides and contains personal insights, the focus is always on New Orleans and not on the author--no easy feat of writing, but she nails it. As other reviewers have noted, her walking tours contain excellent suggestions, and the multi-day recommended itineraries are thoughtfully planned.

Importantly, I developed a trust for this author's suggestions which I haven't felt for other guidebooks. Food is important to us (as it wold be to most visitors to New Orleans, I imagine), and the restaurant/food experience suggestions are abundant and useful. The book will help you get off the typical tourist track and find some great grub. There is also thorough advice regarding tours, music and nightlife (the book also contains essays on the music scene and voodoo, which were great reads), shopping...and everything else, really. Though the author has obvious affection for the city, the book is very clear-eyed in its advice regarding personal safety and other practical matters. It also provided great historical and cultural context for neighborhoods.

Now that my trip is over, my appreciation of this book has only grown. We took it everywhere with us and it always contained the info we needed. I will buy new editions as long as Mary Herczog continues to write them!

P.S. One reviewer noted that there was not a complete, large-scale map of New Orleans in the book to see how one neighborhood related to each other. That might be true, but once in New Orleans, all hotels will give you a free map showing street detail of some of the more commonly visited areas. That map and this book were all I needed! Oh, and get a copy of the free Off-Beat magazine and check out the WWOZ website for information on live shows, and you'll be set.

Comment: I have read many travel books about New Orleans. This book is very inciteful and very useful. I have not taken my trip to New Orleans yet so I do not know about the real life application aspect but I look forward to many of the recommended restaurants and attractions on their to do list.