...they could really have made this 'the' guide app for SF if there were more images and better image integration in each area. Transportation could also do with it's own map covering adjustable routes by car and public transportation options. Overall this is a good app? But could be better.

It would be nice to get all the rookie cartographers in one room someday and ask them why they think their job is really - I'm very experienced running around SF and know the important one-way street directions already, but even so it's inexcusable for a travel company like Lonely Planet to hire people who would think a city map of San Francisco would somehow be acceptable, complete or responsible without bothering to include all the one-way street arrows that are on any real and complete map of the place. All the English pals I've ever worked with laugh out loud at what passes for cartography in this country as opposed to Europe and the UK, and I only downloaded the Lonely Planet SF app because I was expecting to find the most complete off-line map of SF (as complete and thorough as it would have been if this were a LP "book"). Good thing it was free; I won't bother with the New York version because I now know not to expect minor details on that map from LP either, and other folks have done it right.

omg, this app is soooo cool! It's like the Lonely Planet guidebook but when you load it up it locates you in San Fran and tells you what's around you from the books, like the restaurants, bars, shops etc with the reviews! The maps are awesome plus there is all the guidebook content and cool photos! They have them for all sorts of cities, I think I might buy the NYC one (the San Fran one is free) - but the iPhone versions are way cheaper than the books!! :)

I got this the day before I'm about to leave for San Francisco. I would have willingly paid for it. The map & nearby features are perfect for anyone exploring the city. It's missing a few hotels and restaurants, though, especially south of Market.

Although filled with typical info found in their printed guides, I miss the walking tour maps. Where are those? I downloaded this free app to decide whether or not to purchase the Tokyo one. I am still not sure if these apps are worth the price of the print guides or not. I think Lonely Planet needs to decide what it is they want to offer their iPhone users/readers.

Not much to add.

Because I like to walk aroun SF.

This is a must have if you love sf and especially it's a limited time free offer get it!!!!

I live in San Francisco, so I downloaded this free app to see if it has enough information to justify me paying $16 for it when I travel to some other city that is also covered by a Lonely Planet app. This app contains some interesting history about the city, and does overall contain a lot of information, but there is still way too much missing, and the app's map is a mess with many locations of businesses missing or being marked in the wrong place.

I was expecting something more akin to the Lonely Planet guidebooks, which are packed full of material. In contrast, this app has maybe a paragraph or two on each section, which makes it virtually useless. Want to know about dining in the Union Square area -- there's a para or two but nothing useful. Further, the table of contents is very flat, so you have to scroll past endless pages of information to find, say, attractions near the Embarcadero. I find it hard to believe that the normal price for this app is $15 or more!

Table of contents should be collapsible. When you click on a section of the book it should return to the same place in the table of contents. Websites that are listed in the contents should hyperlink to Safari.

Like a previous reviewer mentioned, this puppy is seriously out of date and incomplete. Many listings in the Castro are either in the wrong locations, out of business or operating under a different name. They even get simple stuff wrong like sales tax (they say 8.25%, it's recently 9.5% but had been 9.25% for quite a while).

I love this app. I hope Lonely Planet keep coming up with new ways like this to deliver their great content to travellers.

Very fun app to explore a city with. It plots your location and tells you all the cool stuff around you. They give you pretty much the whole book, beautiful photos, tons of reviews, phone numbers, websites - it's great!

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If this app were edible you would buy from a street vendor in Mexico and then you would have diarrhea for the next month. I guess you could get it while it's free and then if you ever find yourself in SF wondering what you could do to waste your day away... Open this app and get to wastin'.

For a Lonely Planet city guide that comes for free, you couldn't ask for more...

I have never been to San Francisco so for right now, the application looks great! I look forward to using it and after the trip, I will either upgrade, down grade or elaborate. I think it is great to have this for us novice Frisco visitors

-no large maps

Managed to pull this app down for free because of the wwdc offer! I really can't say anything bad about that deal! I hope LP does this sort of limited free download for other cities. Can I get a free NYC lonely planet guide next? :D

I like it, so far...not complains...It's free

This app is a handy tool to have, I no longer have to carry any tour guides or books. I love San Francisco, this app has some information about the city I never knew about. GET IT WHILE ITS FREE!

This app is loaded with written content but the iPhone is not great for reading endless screens of text.

Not even worth .99 cents. Definitely not worth the $15 for the other guides

Although I did not pay a dime for the SFO guide (since they promoted it), the city guides are extremely expensive. When you buy a guide book, all paper, printing, stocking, transportation costs are included into the price. When almost none of the above are involved why should we pay the same price? This is called rip off. And like the music industry who cannot stop illegal downloading of mp3's from the internet (I am against any illegal activity) because of a similar policy, I believe only a limited number of people will buy this new format. LP people please look into how people make money on the appstore in general. If you sell 1000 guides for 15.99 a piece you will earn 15990. How about selling 2000 guides for 7.99 or 4000 for 3.99 a piece? Well I am sure you have all the marketing advisors etc.. But some companies fail to cope with the changes, right? GM, Chrysler.... Please reconsider your pricing. One additional comment. if I was the guys from the Rough Guide or any other, I would definitely go into the appstore with a policy like I've suggested. Still, I am an LP fan, call it the Bible, so think wisely. Thanks.

The app seems to have some of the information that you would want for a trip, but it's organized poorly. Instead of using various menus/submenus or folders the index is just one very long screen. It takes around 12 or 13 flicks of the screen just to get through it. It's also hard to find any individual lists of recommended restaurants.

Total disorganization requires you to scroll for an eternity to fond something.

The 99 cent version will give you a version of the San Francisco book, which is okay - worth 99 cents, I guess. But do not spend $15.99 to buy one. I bought the Barcelona version and it is TERRIBLE. Very few interactive links. Very hard to find things. Not much information. For example - "Swimming Pools" says they exist, but no list of them or ways to find them. Only one hotel listed near one of the busiest plazas in town at the top of Las Ramblas. Mine took multiple attempts to download, and maybe it got corrupted. But no way to report a problem that I have been able to find. I want to find a way to get my money back!

Stay away from this version of the Lonely Planet Guide app. While I am impressed with the content of the guide, and I will give it an honest run on an upcoming trip to Chicago, there are big problems when trying to sync your iPhone after you download the second guide. When you install the base app (which comes with San Francisco) all is well. You can sync your phone normally. But when you want to visit someplace else and download that next guide, iPhone sync time explodes. Last time I tried, I let the phone sync overnight, and it only completed 25% of the process by morning. On the positive side, Lonely Planet DOES have a helpdesk, and they HAVE acknowledged the problem (and this has been reported by numerous users of their help forum with all manner of second guides), but so far the best they can do is recommend the "sync overnight" option.

That easily rival LP's costly apps. Save your money and search a little bit.