Rick Steves Italy 2009

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(5 stars) - Rick loves Italy and it shows
Having used many guidebooks, I think these are the best. Granted, the Rick Steves books are unique in that they are selective in the areas that they describe, but these areas are described well. I've used his France, Italy, and Spain guides. With his books, you feel like Rick is on the trip as your personal tour guide. Most guides (Frommers, Foders, etc.) give you a superficial overview of the whole country. Rick lets it all hang out. He tells what he thinks is a worthwhile stop and what isn't. Most of what "isn't" doesn't make it into the guidebook at all. Thus, I suggest taking another more comprehensive book (Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, etc.) to fill in any gaps should you find yourself in a location Rick doesn't describe. On the whole though, I love his itineraries. Most people traveling to Europe have limited time (1 month or less). There's only so much you can see; why not have someone boil it down and provide a straight forward opinion as to what to see and do? In his books there is easily enough to keep you busy for a month, maybe even two. Beyond the big sites, which he does describe, he spends a lot of time directing you to quaint towns which he feels are the most atmospheric. He lets you know when a particular place is really touristy so you can avoid it in lieu of a more authentic place. In his guides, he directs you to personal experiences such as wine tastings or tours with particular individuals that he introduces on a first name basis. There is a lot of attention paid to saving money. It's not that the suggestions are cheap, rather he tries to help you have the best bang for your buck. His attitude is that travel shouldn't cost you a fortune, although he lets you know if a splurge is really worth it. The real question is whether you are the type of traveler that would like Rick's suggestions. Here is a test. If you can answer "yes" to most of these questions, buy the book, you'll love it. 1)Are you a value seeker? 2)Do you want to venture off the tourist trail? 4)Do you appreciate tidbits on history and art 5)Do you have the stamina to tour a new town/city every 1-3 days? 6)Do you try to avoid tourist traps? 8)Is your idea of fine lodging simple, homey places in good locations, with moderate prices? I would not suggest this book for people who want to spend their vacation walled up in a luxury hotel, venturing out mostly to shop and tour the biggest of sights. Basically if you like Rick's show on PBS, you'll appreciate his guides.

(4 stars) - Great resource for recommendations and information
A caveat to this review is that I have not gone to Italy yet, so I haven't been able to test the accuracy of the information in this guide. But, I'm a very meticulous vacation planner--hopping (and sometimes sprinting) from one touristy photo opp to another and squeezing in as many occasions to eat good food along the way--and none of this is possible without the months leading up to a vacation reading through guidebooks as rich and thorough as this. I've found Rick Steves' advice invaluable in terms of knowing which museums to make reservations for and where to do it; the guidance and detail for sights and suggestions for coordinating a tightly scheduled trip helped me prioritize and order places to visit. On previous vacations and to complement my trip planning for this upcoming one, I've used a variety of city-oriented and country-wide guidebooks, and this is my favorite! This guide is "local" in its depth of information yet also a fabulous country guide in terms of its breadth when most tend to be one or the other--city guides chock-full of guidance for a particular city and clearly written by familiar locals while country guides great for overview-esque information that typically lacks a sense of familiarity and often energy.
One area that I find lacking are restaurant recommendations. These sections in his guide feel less meaty and not as well organized. While some sections will arrange restaurant ideas in terms of neighborhood, others will do so by theme/price range. There were a few cities for which I would have appreciated a larger set of recommended restaurants--Milan is especially lacking. On the other hand, restaurants that do get mentioned are typically accorded the same richness in detail with regard to ambiance and best dishes as any of the sites. I only wish there were greater breadth here, and because of that, I won't be able to do without my TimeOut restaurant and shopping listings quite yet.

(5 stars) - Very useful information
I bought Eye Witness Travel Italy then was loaned Rick Steve's Italy. Eye Witness had a lot of pictures and not much useful info to smooth and fine tune your self guided travel. Steve's had much useful information without the pictures. Schedules and tips about pitfalls to avoid really made Steve's stand out. I am bringing only Rick Steve's to Italy. If you are not on a tour and have to make your own plans then I would recommend Rick Steve,s Italy. Hope this helps.

(5 stars) - Great Maps
The maps are very usefull. This book is a must if you are going to Italy.

(5 stars) - Excellent for our trip to Lake Como
As a non-American I had never heard of Rick Steve's until a friend lent us her copy of Rick Steve's Italy 2009 which we took with on our trip to Lake Como. Of the 5 guidebooks we had, we found this the most relevant and eventually stopped consulting the other books. We based ourselves in Varenna and the detail for such a small town was superb - laundry, grocers, restaurant listings, best ice-cream etc complete with opening times and prices. We did not rent a car and therefore relied on public transport and once again this guidebook was spot on regarding where to buy train tickets, how to cope with the train stopping beyond the platform and ticket machines that had been out of order for years. The guide also helped us focus our visits around Lake Como - which towns to visit, what to see there, how to get there on foot, ferry, train, directions from ferry stop to the attraction. Rick Steve's would be my first choice when i plan another trip to Europe.

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