City Secrets Rome

This is one good guide: maps are remarkable, size - perfect, and the external qualities: paper, binding, typeface - everything whispers this discreet attention to detail, solid and reliable and trustworthy. But please - do not take it as your only guide to Rome, for it is not meant for beginners, it is not a cheerful mainstream introduction. It will not give you most basic details or opening times or transport arrangements - just VERY subjective impressions, and suggestions from the people who know and love Rome professionally - architects, lecturers, artists. And however good maps are, perhaps you could do with a much more detailed one. I used a map from Eyewitness Guide, it worked very well together with this little book.Approach City Secrets Rome in an open-minded way, never expecting that it will give you exhaustive account of what to see, and you are in for a treat. I loved every bit of its confident, unassuming and at the same time unashemedly elitist writing. The author opens with a story how he was buying a box of cubans in Rome and how the price was too much for him, a poor soul. Well, in my humble opinion, a student who can afford a box of Cuban cigars is kinda more or less sorted for cash, thank you very much. This episode does set the tone and the register for the rest of the writing: no comparative dumpster analysis of Lonely Planet school there, and, most importantly, no Lonely Planet treatment of a foreign city like a cheap shop which deserves to have every bargain cheated, coaxed and squeezed out of it. You don't have to like the book's assumption that you should be able to afford any admission charge and a decent restaurant meal if you bothered to travel at all. So make sure this book's for you, and if it is - enjoy.

A good guide book, such as the Eyewitness guide, is essential for unbiased information. This is its perfect complement. It offers the personal opinions of many different people from different fields; authors, architects, gourmets etc. - which makes for interesting reading in itself. You don't have to agree with them!Rome is divided into 11 sectors, for easy reference. Clearly marked maps are included for easy navigation. There are little details to look out for and tips about local custom as well as recommended strolls, views and pilgrimages, and places to eat and drink and shop. We would have missed highly enjoyable experiences, such as eating in Volpetti's, Tasso D'oro coffee but for this book. Helpfully, the book is small and compact - easy to tuck into a pocket or bag. It has pages for your own notes so that you can add your own opinions and favourites (or notes of good toilets!) and make this a truly personal record, which becomes full of your own memories.

This is a small, wonderful book that is a pleasure to recommend to both the novice and experienced traveler. This is not a book for anyone in need of a step-by-step itinerary planner. Rather, this book provides a series of suggested angles and perspectives from which this magnificient city can be experienced and enjoyed. By way of City Secrets Rome, my wife and I found Vecchia Roma and enjoyed one of the great restaurant experiences of our lives. At La Taverna da Giovanni, I mentioned Danny Meyer's name and received personal greetings from the chef/owner and his mother and was gifted with a platter of fantastic green olives. Capitoline Hill is spectacular anytime, but perhaps especially at night. I could keep going. The beauty of this book is that it encourages one to step outside the tyranny of the "must see" approach and explore. I hope similar approaches for other cities are forthcoming.

This is a wonderful travel guide, full of interesting insights (e.g. visit the Capitoline piazza at night; sprint through the maze of the Vatican museums to the Sistine chapel to enjoy a crowd-free half-hour there) and great restaurant suggestions with helpful comments on each one. In fact, you can buy the guide for the restaurants alone and not be disappointed. Each is described in detail with suggested dishes and pithy comments, and each is marked on the map. Marking restaurants on the street map is not usually done in travel guides, but is so helpful, because as you find yourself in a particular neighborhood yearning for a good meal you can simply turn to the page and locate a number of nearby eateries. This avoids the awkward and time-consuming ordeal of locating restaurants by street address. I fully concur with editor Kahn's priorities in mentioning the touristy Spanish Steps in a few lines, but spending six insightful pages on the stunning Borghese art gallery.This is not a stand-alone guide, as it lacks information on hotels and other important travel information (transportation, embassies, currencies, etc.), but it is a brilliant and useful tool for those who already have a standard guide book and would like a bit more, or for those who are already familiar with Rome.

Before journeying to Rome in March, my best friend and I were lucky enough to pick up City Secrets: Rome. We quickly found that there was no need to carry around our other hefty guidebooks, because the wacky, erudite scholars who provided commentary for City Secrets gave us the insider's look at all of the monuments and museums, as well as fabulous restaurant and shopping recommendations. Although the book lacks entries on certain places that the first-time tourist might wish to see (well, the Trevi Fountain is mentioned, but with great disdain), it includes off-the-beaten-track splendors like Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza and culinary delights like Gelateria San Crispino ("the best gelato in Rome") and Vecchia Roma ("the best meal of your life"). The contributors have seen Rome from every angle and fill the pages with colorful commentary ("Seeing a white column of snow drifting down the middle of the Pantheon is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.") The only criticism is that the maps of each section of the city, while incredibly detailed,do not link up to one another, so it's often hard to figure out how to get from one spot in the Campo Dei Fiori to another north of the Pantheon. That said, "the little red book" was indispensable. We're looking forward to the rest of the series.