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Summary: Anyone Traveling through Italy should have this book
Review: I traveled through Italy with this and 2 other roughrider books - one for Greece and one for Italy. This book was the best for maps and directions for all of the sites museums and with its pictures and historical info, I found it an excellent companion especially in helping identify my pictures when I got back home. Wonderful pick.....
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Summary: The one book you should not do without if going to Italy
Review: I read about five books on Italy while planning my trip this past May (hopefully the first of many). By far, this was the one book I referred to most and could not have done without. It takes a multi-faceted approach to presenting Italy and it's many features. You get an overview of the whole country, it's regions, and the character of it's towns and cities. It's also loaded with excellent photos and drawings depicting life in Italy and pinpoints historical and touristy features of the bigger cities like Rome, Florence, and Venice. One of the many things that make this an outstanding book is how it takes you into the heart of life in each region, including a mouth-watering display of the food and drink of each region. This book far surpasses others because of little details like these. If you're planning a trip to Italy, my advice is to start with this book. You'll probably decide you don't need any other.
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Summary: Essential - but get a second city map when you're there
Review: This book was so helpful and informative. Covers - for tourist's purposes - the art and architecture of Italy splendidly without getting too heavy. I have to agree with other reviewers that the map of Venice was inadequate. It was nice to get lost there but I found I had to stick to the canal and always walk from there, if I wanted to get a good result with this map. They really need to fix that. I didn't try to use the maps for the other cities, so can't talk about them. I gave it 5 stars anyway though, since it is such a good overall travel companion. And so hard to find it all in 1 book! Use it for the monuments and churches etc., but get separate city maps from the tourist office when you get there!
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Summary: A Great Guide
Review: The Eyewitness Guide series is spectacular. The pages are gorgeous, cutaway shots of important sites are informative and engaging. There is a bit of everything in this guide, from restaurant selections that hold up well, helpful pictures and descriptions of local foods, detailed maps, and the expected guide book info (embassies, historical brief, customs, and useful phrases). What sets this series apart is the visuals. It's easy and fun to look at. The photos, charts, and graphics are stunning, fast, and helpful. During your travels you'll find that probably three-fourths of travellers you bump into carry the Eyewitness series.While Eyewitness also does specific guides for various Italian regions, that are more comprehensive, this is the best guide for Italy overall. Major attractions (Venice, Florence, Rome) get the lion's share of the coverage, so travellers getting off the beaten track will benefit from supplemental guides.
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Summary: It Ain't Heavy, It's Wonderful
Review: We toted two other guidebooks in our luggage as we toured Italy, but this one never left our hands. Fodor's suffered the indignity of having the odd page or two torn out of it (and stuffed into my pocket); and Michelin provoked occasional head scratching as we went from place to place. We earnestly tried to find excuses to leave the bulky "Eyewitness" on the dresser each morning, but admitted it was absolutely key to our enjoyment of the previous day's events and places, so dragged it along. Curiously, it was even helpful during those moments (as in the Vatican) when our chirpy "Valley Girl" tour guide was trying to explain the background of the feast of objects and buildings in that remarkable venue, but lacked the knowledge to carry it off in anything other than a superficial manner.
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Summary: Marvellous, but awkward
Review: These books have great information, clearly presented, with additional information that will keep your imagination as well as your feet moving. The only drawback is that it's heavy and awkward to hold if you have other things to carry. (Yes, I'm a shopper when I travel) I've torn out pages from my Let's Go book, but with the Eyewitness Guides the paper quality and binding makes it hard to tear out (or put back) neatly. My suggestion: Prior to a trip you may want to take a razor and make your own mini-binder which would allow you to take a few pages with you each day, instead of the whole book.
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Summary: You can't buy a better travel guide
Review: Dorling Kindersley makes the best travel guides hands down. They are extremely well illustrated, have extensive and detailed maps (thank god, because I tend to get lost very easily), up to date information on hotels (rates, rooms etc), restaurants (costs and reservation policies), and sites to see. The travel guides have wonderful pictures, well researched histories and facts about Italy, what wines to look for and taste (not just by region and vineyard but also by year), sample dishes that one should try, detailed walking tours, information on famous art (there is a great section on the Sistine Chapel and all of the figures you will find in each panel). The book also covers customs, money changing, travel information - you name it! This is one of the best guides available on the market. It is perfect if you are planning to go to a few cities in a limited time or for more in depth information when planning a longer trip. We always lend this out to people before they plan a trip and everyone else has agreed it is top of the line.
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Summary: You'll keep reading this book after the trip!
Review: I brought four tour books with me to Italy - three of these just weighed down my luggage. Eyewitness Travel Guide: Italy is not only a critical companion for travelling Italy. It's the only tour book you'll need. Not planning a trip to Italy? Flip through this book and you'll be calling your travel agent. It's visually enticing and information rich! But the surprise happened when I came back from the trip. I couldn't put this book down! It put into perspective what I'd seen while in Venice, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Lake Como, and the Ligurian Riviera. Things that, while there, I was too overwhelmed to soak in completely. This book continues to let me relive the glorious scenery, history, and culture that is Italy. This book is a must for your Italy trip and for always.
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Summary: Good overview
Review: This book has great pictures and good general information.
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Summary: Lovely to look at but ...
Review: A superb book for generalised planning, but it falls down with the travel basics. I had many hours of pleasure reading this before I booked my holiday, but once ready for the detailed planning stage, found the information lacking. Get it if you want to see the available sights, get a feel for the various towns and buildings to visit. If you want to book hotels and know the best place to stay in a town, you're better to get another guide as well (Lonely Planet etc). It's a wonderful coffee table book as well!
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