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Summary: A Great Companion to As the Romans Do by Alan Epstein
Review: I have often heard that Rick Steves is THE guy in Italy, but I have to say that there is somebody that is even more immersed in the culture and the ways of the Romans--ALAN EPSTEIN. Rick Steves guidebooks are helpful, as so many of the others are, but none of the reading comes close to As the Romans Do: The Delights, Dramas and Daily Diversions of Life in the Eternal City. Obviously, it is important to have a good guide book in hand to help you navigate the city and the country, but if you want to really feel the place on an emotional level, from a man who picked up and moved there with his wife and two sons in 1995 after a 20 year love affair with Italy, then AS THE ROMANS DO is a must read.
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Summary: A great supplementary guide book
Review: I have read a couple reviews where people condemn this book for the lack of maps and information about major tourist sites. I studied last summer in Italy and used the 1999 edition of this book as well as another, more traditional, guidebook. I found that out of about 5 different guidebooks that a group of us had this book was the best for locating inexpensive and interesting places to stay. If you have never been to Italy before than you should definitly purchase an additional book with more traditional information like maps, history of the country, etc, because that extra info isn't included in this book (alhtough all of Rick's insights are). However, I think that this book is definitly a must. Plus, it is small and not too expensive so it's worth it!
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Summary: Opinions plus facts
Review: I have used Rick's books in number of trips to Europe: Portugal, Spain, Italy, and France. I think you need two books for self-directed trips. A good fact book like Fodor's is useful. But, you won't have time to sort out good facts from bad and that's where Rick's books are unbeatable. His opinions on where to go, where to stay, where to eat are right on the money. He approaches Europe with a practical, cost efficient and inquisitive attitude. You can count on his point of view in choosing how to make your travel investment pay off.
In other words, facts are great but no substitute for a point of view.
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Summary: Italy 2004
Review: I just got back from a trip where a friend brought this book along. I had never heard of Rick Steves's books before. It turned out to be very helpful, though it would have been moreso if he had included more information for winter travelers. Most of his "where to stay" choices were pretty decent (we were travelling in the middle of winter so they weren't booked). On the plus side, he does take feedback seriously and incorporates it into subsequent books. I recommend using this book as a stepping-stone to planning a trip to Italy, then use other resources to round out and finish the plans. There is MUCH more out there than what Rick Steves presents in his books.
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Summary: Best guide for itinerary planning
Review: I just returned from Italy and found this guide extremely useful. Although it is not designed as a detailed site guide (you will need Green or Blue Guides for that), it is definitely useful for planning where you will go and how you will get around. Also, given it's small size and light weight, you can always find room for this guide in your suitcase or backpack. With regard to hotels and restaurants, some are a bit low end for me, but I did stay at 2 of the pricier hotels and ate in a couple of the restaurants and found them quite good. I spent 3 days in the Sorrento/Naples/Pompeii area and the chapter for this region was perhaps the best I've encountered in this series. Rick correctly guides you to stay in Sorrento, and provides exceptional advice on what to see and how to use the excellent transportation system in the region, including great maps, trip durations and fares. Other than buying site guides at major sites such as Pompeii, this is the only guide you need for this region. I also spent a considerable amount of time in the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. I visited most of the Hill Towns that Rick recommends, as well as a few others. While I enjoyed all of these visits, I would say that Rick does a good job of highlighting the most worthwhile towns (especially Siena and Assisi). If you are going to Rome, Florence, or Venice, then this book will definitely help you to prioritize your time, decide where to stay (area if not hotel), and figure out how to get around. I did not go to Venice, but noticed that there was a great map and text describing how to get around the canals. The chapters on the Cinque Terre and the Dolomites also looked very useful. My one disappointment with this book is that Sicily is not included, perhaps because it is not practical to include it in a whirlwind tour.
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Summary: Yes to the book, no to the maps
Review: I like Rick Steves' philosophy on travel and this guide came in handy on my recent trek through Italy. His hotel suggestions were right on, and we got pretty much what we expected. His tips for the big cities such as Rome and Venice came in really handy. There were two things about the guide that I did not like. The first was that if he doesn't like a region or a city, then either it is not included, or there is not much information about it. This is to be expected, however, as the Back Door philosophy is spelled out. The second is the maps for some cities. Don't try to navigate exclusively through the maps in the book, even to try to locate hotels. Happy Travels!
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Summary: watermania / printing society / Italy / for graphic design
Review: I read 2 books from printing society ( marine collections and winter mania ) with cd included for windows and macintosh. It's specially for graphic design in t-shirts. I'm a graphic designer and i'm interesting in find another call watermania. Printing society mail: printing@printing-society.it Thanks
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Summary: Ciao Grazie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I think that Rick Steve's book is the best one out there for all types of tourists. For ones on a moderate budget it was great. a nice lightweight book packed with information in an easy to read format. The book has decent maps and descriptions of all the necessary attractions. His restuarant recommendations are right on the money and train information is accurate. The draw back is black and white but not to worry, Rick paints a great picture through his words. Don't miss out on this cheap guide book through the most beautiful country in Europe. Ciao!
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Summary: Enjoyed my trip to Rome and Pisa
Review: I used Rick Steves' guide for a recent business trip to Italy. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of days to tour. I got the Italy guide because I would be stopping in Rome and then spending the majority of the time in Pisa.
My trip was wonderful, and I especially enjoyed the tips for travel around both Rome and Pisa via the train. I found the book extremely helpful for first time travelers with a limited amount of time. I was able to follow the guide and visit most of the sights that I wanted.
The only downside was the lack of detail maps in the book (similar to a comment from another reader). Whereas the hand-drawn maps are cute, they are not very functional. (I missed visiting the Spanish Steps in Rome because I could never figure out what direction I was going.)
Overall, I thought the book was well prepared and will be using it again for another business trip to Italy next week (but I will get a separate map).
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Summary: A fine guide, and well-respected
Review: I used the 2000 version of Rick Steves guide on a two-week trip to Italy over Easter last year. Not only were the recommendations fantastic (particularly on the Cinque Terre area), but many hotels in Rome and Florence found previously unavailable rooms and even offered me discounts when they saw that I was using a Rick Steves guide. Of special interest are Steves' listings of unusual accomodations (especially those run by religious communities -- particularly in a Catholic nation like Italy).
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