Let's Go 2000: Rome : The World's Bestselling Budget Travel Series (Let's Go. Rome, 2000)

Rating:
Summary: i agree -- bad writing, bad advice
Review: Even worse than the fact that this may be the worst-written Let's Go book ever is the bad advice that punctuates the bad writing. Christina Svendsen and her staff consistently direct readers to the seediest parts of the Eternal City. If you are an over-priveleged Harvard student with an utter disregard for your safety, this is the book for you. Oh yes -- and to get your money's worth, you should also have an abysmal sense of humour.

Rating:
Summary: Poor Writing and Humor--Better Guide Books Than This
Review: I am not sure what the authors of this book were trying to do, but they definitely did not succeed in writing a historically accurate guide of Rome. The authors make unsuccessful attempts at humor, and fill the pages of this book with several glaring grammatical errors: Ex: "As the spiritual leader of millions of Catholics around the world, the pope's influence..." The dependent clause in the first part of the sentence is modified by "the pope's influence." How can the pope's influence be a spiritual leader? I don't even want to go into the "humor," because that is even worse. Usually, Let's Go guides are very witty. This guide was NOT funny, and Let's Go should find new authors. The guide had SOME useful info, and enabled me to get around the city okay, but the guide lacked the kind of historical information about Rome that one finds in the Eyewitness Guides for example. As a matter of fact, it appears that much of Let's Go Rome was derived from better-written, more historically accurate guides. There are definitely better guidebooks on the Eternal City than this one.

Rating:
Summary: Great Guidebook to the Eternal City
Review: I had the opportunity to visit Rome in October 1999, and I took the 1999 Let's Go Rome guide along with me. I've also had a chance to review this one. I was quite happy with the recommendations of restaurants and sights. Except for a single case, all the restaurants were enjoyable and reasonably priced. Make sure you go to Margutta Vegetariano RistorArte (sic), close to the Spanish Steps. This vegetarian restaurant has the most stunning foor imaginable. I'm not a vegetarian, but I could be after that experience. (And I'm not even being paid to say this!) Just one of the treasures the guidebook pointed out. Also, if you're going for a week or two, I'd stay in the city. I spent four days in the Vatican Museum alone, and saw about half of it. There's more than enough to do and see without spending your time on a train going somewhere else in Italy. You might want to save Florence, Venice and other cities for another trip! I highly recommend this book as a thorough guide to the city, rather than the 10 pages you'll find in some "Visit Europe" compendium.

Rating:
Summary: Great Guidebook to the Eternal City
Review: I had the opportunity to visit Rome in October 1999, and I took the 1999 Let's Go Rome guide along with me. I've also had a chance to review this one. I was quite happy with the recommendations of restaurants and sights. Except for a single case, all the restaurants were enjoyable and reasonably priced. Make sure you go to Margutta Vegetariano RistorArte (sic), close to the Spanish Steps. This vegetarian restaurant has the most stunning foor imaginable. I'm not a vegetarian, but I could be after that experience. (And I'm not even being paid to say this!) Just one of the treasures the guidebook pointed out. Also, if you're going for a week or two, I'd stay in the city. I spent four days in the Vatican Museum alone, and saw about half of it. There's more than enough to do and see without spending your time on a train going somewhere else in Italy. You might want to save Florence, Venice and other cities for another trip! I highly recommend this book as a thorough guide to the city, rather than the 10 pages you'll find in some "Visit Europe" compendium.

Rating:
Summary: Tongue in Cheek Humor- Good times in Rome
Review: I loved this edition of Let's Go. A delightful, lighthearted introduction to Rome and its history, the book provides helpful suggestions and clear maps.

Rating:
Summary: Tongue in Cheek Humor- Good times in Rome
Review: Of all the tour books I used in my recent trip to Italy (and considering I'm a tour book junkie I used quite a few), Let's Go Rome was the worst. Although allright for a guide to the sights (although I believe their policy must be if it sells tickets, it goes in the book regardless of quality) it's recommendations for everything else were terrible. By the end of our trip my companion wanted to ceremonially burn the book. Enough said?