Fodor's Italy 2014

An excellent, exceptional book on Italy !! Buy it, you will not be sorry you did. Bill S.

MY DAUGHTER AND I GOT A FODOR'S GUIDE TO NEW ZEALAND LAST SPRING AND USED IT CONSTANTLY ON OUR JOURNEY LAST MAY. MANY HELPFUL "OFF THE BEATEN TRACK" IDEAS, AS WELL AS POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS. I BOUGHT THE FODOR'S GUIDE TO ITALY 2007 AS A BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR HER AS SHE PLANS TO SPENT SOME QUALITY TIME THERE THIS SUMMER. SHE HAS ALREADY STARTED MAKING NOTATIONS WITH THE FULL CONFIDENCE OF FODOR'S RECCOMENDATIONS!

I've been to Italy several times.....Rome, Venice, Florence, Bologna, Milan, some of the hill towns, etc (most recently last April). Here are my reviews of the best guides to meet your exact needs.....I hope these are helpful and that you have a great visit! I always gauge the quality of my visit by how much I remember a year later......this review is designed to help you get the guide that will be sure YOU remember your trip many years into the future. Travel Safe and enjoy yourself to the max! Rick Steves' books are not recommended. They may be an interesting read but their helpfulness is very poor. They don't do well on updates, transportation details, or anything but the first-time-tourist routine and even that is somewhat superficial on anything but the mega-major sites. Frommer's These are time tested guides that pride themselves on being updated annually. Although I think the guides below provide information that is in more depth or more concise (depending on what the guide is known for), if your main concern is that the guide has very little old or outdated information, then this would be a good guide for you. Lonely Planet Lonely Planet has City and Out To Eat Guides. They are all about the experience so they focus on doing, being, getting there, and this means they have the best detailed information, including both inexpensive and really spectacular restaurants and hotels, out-of-the-way places, weird things to see and do, the list is endless. Blue Guides Without doubt, the best of the walks guides.... the Blue Guide has been around since 1918 and has extremely well designed walks with lots of unique little side stops to hit on just about any interest you have. If you want to pick up the feel of the city, this is the best book to do that for you. This is one that you end up packing on your 10th trip, by which time it is well worn. MapGuide MapGuide is very easy to use and has the best location information for hotels, tourist attractions, museums, churches etc. that they manage to keep fairly up to date. It's great for teaching you how to use the public transportation system. The text sections are quick overviews, not reviews, but the strong suite here is brevity, not depth. I strongly recommend this for your first few times learning your way around the classic tourist sites and experiences. MapGuide is excellent as long as you are staying pretty much in the center of the city. Time Out The Time Out guides are very good. Easy reading, short reviews of restaurants, hotels, and other sites, with good public transport maps that go beyond the city centre. Many people who buy more than one guidebook end up liking this one best! Let's Go Let's Go is a great guide series that specializes in the niche interest details that turn a trip into a great and memorable experience. Started by and for college students, these guides are famous for the details provided by people who used the book the previous year. They continue to focus on providing

This is packed with information. It includes phone numbers, addresses, bus routes, and even websites. There are suggested tours based on how many days you have in a city, with tips on hotels, sightseeing, restaurants, night life, and shopping. It's too big to carry around in your pocket or purse, but it's worth packing (and studying beforehand).

I've searched high and low for a great comprehensive travel guide for Italy in preparation for a summer abroad. I found the Fodor's Gold Guide to be the easiest to use, the most informative, and the most comprehensive. It details each region of Italy, great festivals and exhibitions opening or reopening in 1998, hotels and restaurants of varied cost, and all the travel quirks that one may run into. I think it's a great book and a great buy if you've got time to spend wisely in Italy...and if you don't it even includes potential itineraries for those working on a short clock. It's practically and encyclopedia...a full sized map and useful phrase dictionary are included at the back! THE BOOK TO BUY, I can't say enough about it!!