Win my copy of Pauline Frommer’s New York City guidebook

Such a deal….I have copies of three of the newest books in the Pauline Frommer guidebook series “Spend Less See More” including New York City, Hawaii and Italy.

This week I’m going to post reviews of all of them, and give Family Travel Logue readers a chance to win each one. I’m an independent operator, but I use guidebooks extensively, especially when I travel with kids. My time is unfortunately limited, and I want a guidebook to show me how to spend it wisely.

We’ll start with the New York City book, which I used during my recent trip to Gotham to live-tweet the Readers’ Choice Awards for Condé Nast Traveler.

I’ve always been a fan of the various Frommer’s travel guides, because they are budget-friendly, full of helpful details and info-packed sidebars, and they make a big effort to show people how to find local experiences and atmosphere.

Pauline Frommer is the daughter of Arthur Frommer, who launched the original Europe on $5/Day back in 1957. She’s also a mother of two, so her books tend to carefully include kid-friendly attractions in addition to the “usual suspects” at a destination.

Each of the “Spend Less See More” guides is well-organized, and includes alternative accommodations to “US$300/night chain hotels,” interesting places to eat, sights and attractions (including “gems most visitors miss”) and “Insider’s” info, like how to attend a TV show taping in New York.

The books are written with a friendly, frank voice that has plenty of strong opinions; I prefer that to bland assessments even if I ultimately disagree.

Other NYC book highlights:

  • The best places to view Ground Zero while it is under re-construction
  • The scoop on home stays, including the fact that Pauline’s stepsister rents her place out to visitors
  • Reviews of hostels in the city (complete with opinions on cleanliness and mattresses) including the Big Apple Hostel at Times Square and family rooms at Hosteling International
  • Good info sidebars on eating out and museum-hopping with kids
  • How to get cheap(er) theater seats, on- and off-Broadway
  • A review of the various tourist pass options
  • Sections in the back for family travel, staying wired/connected, and recommended books and movies about New York

If they come out with a Pauline’s guide to Chicago for my possible trip to the July 2009 BlogHer conference in the Windy City, I’m buying it – no question.

If all this sounds like your kind of book, here’s what to do to win my copy (which is only slightly worn from my own NYC trip:)

  • Leave a brief comment below about why you’d like to read “Pauline Frommer’s New York City”
  • At the end of this week, on Friday, December 5, 2008, I will randomly pick one of your comments using one of the cool tools on Random.org, then I’ll announce the winner in a separate post.
  • If you win, I’ll email you at the address you leave when you comment (to get your snail mail address,) then I’ll box up the book and send it to you. Yes, I’ll mail to places outside the US.

Thanks for participating, and thanks to Sarah Gorback at Wiley Publishing for sending me a review copy.

Good luck!