1 Portable Travel Guide
For people planning to travel to Italy or who are already enjoying a trip to Italy, this acts like a personal travel guide. The beautiful photographs and information will make anybody's trip to Italy La Dolce Vita!
2 Good guide, but you may need another one as well...
I like Eyewitness travel guides, even if I usually complement them with other, more "wordy" ones. This one, as well as all the ones I own, is a good, relatively short (but heavy!) guide very helpful to give you good hints about what to see over an area as large as Italy. The nice pictures & diagrams are THE big plus of this guide.
On the minus side, you will find only a few words about most of the locations described in this guide, so if you are looking for something deeper, of if you like historical anecdotes about the places you visit, this guide is not ideal. Another minus is the relatively scant number of hotels and restaurants listed in the guide, surely a result of the large area covered. Also, the information you are given on restaurants is almost invariably composed of 20 words or so. So (let me digress, here) if good food is important on your trips (and it may well be when you travel in Italy...), this guide is not ideal. If you are looking for GREAT food, at GREAT prices, in GREAT locations, what you should do, once you are in Italy, is looking for the "Guida alle osterie d'Italia", published by Slow Food. Unfortunately, it's only available in Italian... But maps and addresses are the same in every language. Anyway, I tried several of the places listed in such guide, and I have always been at the very least very impressed, for huge and outstanding meals (usally wonderful traditional local cuisine) at around twenty euros or so per person, wine included. Really, if you like food and wine, it's worth it, even if you don't speak Italian...
Going back to Eyewitness, it is overall a good guide to use as a starting point to plan a trip, but if you really care about what you see, and what you eat, you should also look somewhere else.
P.S. If you are fond of Italian food, and you are travelling to Italy, you may also want to check out "Al Dente", a delightful travelogue by an English food lover & connoisseur who really understands what the relation between food and life is for most Italians (or at least for Italians like me...).
3 NOT FOR BACKPACKERS!
Love, love, love the pictures of the places, the people and (yum) the foods of each region. However, the book isn't really comprehensive and reviews mostly "high end" places (whether it's restaurant or hotels) that I personally found not affordable. In other words, if you've got a pretty large budget, this is the book for you. But if you're a backpacker kinda traveller, stay away!
4 Great pictures and history but that's about it
I found this book to be good as a PRE-trip resource. I just returned from 10 days in Tuscany. The book gives a decent history of the cities and the pictures are amazing. Otherwise it doesn't do much to help you plan a trip beyond saying "I'd like to go there."
5 Above the rest!
I can honestly say that no other brand of travel guide will give you the feel of a country more than DK's Eyewitness series. Eyewitness Italy is a beautiful book that uses excellent pictures, maps, and illustrations more than words to bring across the FEEL of Italy.
When planning a trip to Italy, I would recommend this book along with the Rough Guide to Italy as an unbeatable duo. Whereas Rough Guide provides you with the nitty-gritty and exhaustive traveling advice, Eyewitness Italy will ensure that you will be anticipating your trip like none other.
Perhaps the best part of this guide are the beautifully illustrated maps. In all my years, I have never known a MAP to get me excited about traveling. Yet gorgeously illustrated with tons of detail, the maps in this book did just that.
For those spending time in Rome, I might also recommend DK's Top 10 Rome, a fun book filled helpful and fun top 1 lists ranging from the Top 10 Roman Ruins to the Best Desert Choices to the Best Attractions for Kids. It will work very well as a supplement to this book.
The most aesthetically pleasing of all the Italian Travel Guides, Eyewitness Italy is a beautiful book to read, whether it's employed on the plane there or on the coffee table at home.
6 Useless... but great pictures!
As a travel guide, this book is beyond useless! The pictures are amazing and they will definitly inspire you to take a trip to Italy but once your get there, if you depend on this book, your family will have to declare you missing! There aren't any directions to any of the places addressed in the book. And some of the places discussed would be impossible for the average person to go see on his/her own. I used Let's Go Italy as my travel guide for my 3-month italian excursion and it was the best! Yes, it wasn't without it's errors, but nothing too off the wall. I brought both my Let's Go and my Eyewitness Travel Guide with me on my trip. I gave the Eyewitness book to a British girl I met while working. She only liked it for the pictures too!
7 A Treasure for Travelers
After purchasing many books on Italy, I have found that this is one of the best for your money. Eyewitness does a great job of covering the entire country, and does not sacrifice information. This book appeals to both travelers and those who simply wish to learn more about the country and its history.
The information provided ranges from maps to the cultural and historical value of the country. As you go through each city or town, famous buildings and pieces of art are depicted as well. For those who are planning a trip to Italy, the maps of each city are helpful, as well as the directory of hotels and restaurants provided. Overall, this was an extremely well made book that presents lots of information in an interesting way and is filled with beautiful pictures. This is the book to get for covering a variety of aspects of Italy!
8 Best Available
I have to confess up front. I love these books. I must have over a dozen. I really like the Paris book, and the one for Prague, and Stockholm, and South Africa, and .... You get all the detailed material similar to other great travel books plus you get great visuals. I have bought travel books from all the competitors.
I strongly prefer the book to those available from Lonely Planet, or Frommer, or others such as Rick Steve that have zero or few photos. Michelin of course has excellent guides but the visuals are better in the DK Eyewitness Guides.
On a cold day back here in the USA (or Canada) or elsewhere, have a glass of wine and sit in a nice chair or in the garden on a warm day and read this book. For a moment you will be back in Italy. You are back in a small restaurant or museum.
The photos and descriptions and cutaway drawings are excellent which is ideal for a country like Italy with a lot of history. But there is lots of detail here. The book includes the history and many details on the art, art galleries, parks, cutaway views of historical buildings, and many other things of interest. The history is summarized at the beginning of the book with historical time lines and cross referenced to the culture and political figures. A solid 670 page effort - lots of stuff to see and absorb.
It has the other things too such as maps, accommodations, transportation, and the rest. This book is one of the best for a visitor.
You will be pleasantly surprised with the depth and quality of this book and it makes a nice souvenir to refresh your memory. Buy extra maps plus this book and you will be set.
Jack in Toronto
9 Pretty pictures, but...
Too heavy and too complicated to be of much use. Maps are confusing and disjointed. If you do buy, rip out the sections that you like and leave the rest at home. Buy Rick Steve's and Rough Guides instead.
10 5 stars for beauty, 2 stars for usefulness
I think the title of my review wraps it all up: the eyewitness guides are a work of graphic art. Their highlight is probably the great work on the maps, both small and large scale, which are of great help as you navigate around the cities and country looking for sights. As a tool for reaching all of the sights you want to see, I would say that the Eyewitness Guide is among the best, with its regional maps, street maps, neighborhood maps and Metro/subway guides. In addition to this, as another positive comment I would say that it is a great guide to take on a trip if you don't have much time and you need information presented in an easy-to-read, simple manner. The drawings and photos, and the way they are laid out, is very appealing. In fact, this guidebook is almost better just for getting an idea of what Italy looks like than as an actual guidebook to be used in the city itself. You might want it more as a keepsake after your trip than as a tool on the trip.
The advantages stop there, however. If you really want to get to know a city, you simply need more in-depth historical and cultural information on the sights you are seeing. Most of the locations described in the Eyewitness Guide do not stretch beyond a paragraph or two, which is quite superficial in my opinion. If you really want to know about the history behind the church, monument, museum, castle or park you have traveled so far to see, you will definitely need another guidebook to give you any kind of detail. When I went to Italy, I rented a car and thought that the pictures would help me choose whether to travel to one town or another, due to the photographically oriented focus of the book, but in the end, even the pictures are a bit superficial: for many towns, the only pictorial representation is part of a panel from the faŤade of a church, or a photograph of a fountain. Hardly enough to make a decision on whether to spend your next day in one Tuscan town or another.
Harsh critique also for the hotel and restaurant information, which is limited to places designed for the rich and famous, or at least the very upper of the upper-middle class. The best guides give you a little info. on all styles of lodging and food, from low budget to luxury, but these guides make little effort to do so, and even the information on the laps of luxury is limited to little symbols, instead of providing descriptions like other guides do.
With this combination of characteristics, I think Eyewitness is good to take along for a short trip in which you have little time to spend seeing places and you don't really care about getting any deep information on what you're seeing. Otherwise, keep looking for another guidebook, especially for a country like Italy, where background information and history are just as fascinating as the actual monuments and buildings.
11 Easy to use, and helpful!!
My sister and I took 3 DK eyewitness travel guides on our trip through Europe. Paris was very helpful with the confusing streets. Germany was helpful with the little areas we went to that other travel books did not even mention. But the Italy book was the best. Not only was the venice, and tuscany sections helpful, but in Rome this book got us where we needed, even when lost on the mopeds. It was also great because you would run into some out of the way place, and look it up in the book and it would be there. It was also very helpful, because when we changed our itinerary in the middle of our stay in Italy, we were able to use the book to find new places to stay, and things to do while there. These books are the BEST travel books. The pictures and maps are very helpful, and it gives you a little bit of historical stories to go with everything. A must take when visititing anyplace new, heck I plan on taking them back with me when I go again next year!!
12 Great Detail on Sites - Pricey Hotels and Dining
My husband and I used this book along with the Rick Steves' Italy book on our 2 week tour in July. This is a great book for the many sites in larger Italian cities, as well as the smaller country towns. The book has wonderful colored maps and photos (as many other reviewers can attest to). I brought it with me while wondering around towns and for information on sites to see. The book is rather heavy for the size (I carried a backpack) and in retrospect, the City specific guides may be better if your not traveling through the country side. (Others suggested I solve my 'weight' problem by tearing pages from the book and carrying the pages from a specific area with me each day. I couldn't bear to tear pages from this beautiful book, so lugged the whole thing everywhere.) For hotels, we were trying to stay within a budget (but also wanted our own bathrooms) and the majority of the hotels and dining suggestions were a bit too pricey for our travels. (That's were the Rick Steves' book came in handy.) But all said, I've already bought the Spain edition for our next trip.
13 Don't Leave the Hotel Without it!
From planning our trip to sight seeing, this book was indispensable. The detailed information (especially the pictures) helped us to determine the places we didn't want to overlook and helped us to make the best of our trip once we were there. The other 3 guide books that we brought with us weren't worth leaving a pair of shoes behind.
This book points out the star sites and exhibits, so you won't fail to notice the most important things. The color photos, drawings, maps and floor plans make locating them a snap. Star sites like the Vatican have a 12 page tour and there are 4 pages dedicated to a tour of the Uffizi art gallery. The tours are very easy to follow and much more descriptive than the on-site pamphlets that are sometimes provided. It's the perfect companion for the taped "listening tours" you may wish to rent on-site. They are more in-depth, but usually difficult to follow with the map that is provided.
The index, color coded pages and 2 bookmark flaps make it easy to locate information quickly. The routes and procedures for using the vaporetti, buses and trains are made clear in the book (impossible to make heads or tails of them otherwise!) and the maps and street-by-street sections are incredibly easy to follow. The phrase book in the back is handy, and while it isn't extensive, it has the essentials and is easy to use. We also found the book invaluable for the general information on food, wine, banking, safety, public phones, shopping, purchasing theater tickets and more. The internet is more useful than the section on hotels, but the book offers an idea of where to start looking (even if you're on a tight budget) and general information on booking a room, checking in/out and what to expect.
We stayed in several large cities for 1 week each and found that the book covered more than we could see or do. While it went into the backpack every time we left the hotel, it was generally in our hands the entire day. We often wished we had two copies, as each time we read something aloud to each other we'd have a flock of other tourists listening in and asking us questions. At one point, someone actually tried to buy the book from us!
After wasting money on several other guide books, I've learned my lesson for future traveling: Only buy the Eyewitness Travel Guide and don't leave the hotel with out it!
14 Great travel companion!
I can't say enough good things about this travel guide. I think I may have read it cover to cover. It has wonderful pictures to identify what you're looking at or looking for. The diagrams of the different museums and tourist sites were better then what some of places handed out or sold (Sistine Chapel was excellent). The detail and history are wonderful. I didn't really use it for restaurant or hotel recommendations. The front and back covers have flaps so that you can bookmark your spot in the guide. It also color codes the different regions in Italy so that you can easily flip to the proper section. The pages on Italian customs and history were also helpful in order to understand how to get around, eat, the different types of police, etc. The only place for improvement would be an update to put prices in Euros instead of Lira.
15 Review For Students!!!
As a student traveling to Italy, this book is hands down the only thing next to your money belt you need to bring out with you each day! [Forget] the hotel guide, it's planned out for you anyway. Don't know what a building looks like that you are going to today? Look it up. Don't know the building your looking at? Look it up. You're in Italy to enjoy it, and take it all in. Don't rush it, remember the small things, like what it smells like in St. Peters. You'll have more time to cherish your trip with this book. Better Clif Notes than you could ever take, with pictures!
16 The Best Travel Companion!
Eyewitness Travel Guides are encyclopedias for the country, regions and cities. Anything AND everything you must know about the area is covered with gorgeous pictures and historical background on churches, towns, people and food in Italy. I NEVER travel without a DK Eyewitness Guide.
Please note that the hotel and restaurant information in the back has been little useful because nowadays, the internet,
word-of-mouth and frankly, travel guru Rick Steves' are more reliable in the hotel area.
And as far as the restaurants are concerned, that's not something you can plan ahead of time. Recommendations upon arrival in Italy are best. The natives know where to enjoy olive oil & four cheese pizza near Santa Maria Maggiore or lasagna you'd die for at a cafe in Piazza Navona.
Don't leave home without Eyewitness. Ciao!
17 GOTTA SEE THIS!!!!
So you are looking for a travel guide to Italy!? Well you have found one of the most helpful books out there. DK Travel books, if you have never used one, are extremely well written guides to getting around almost any european country, and are organized as follows...First the book is divided into 17 sections, one for each area of the country (Tuscany, Umbria, etc), with a section on Rome, Florence and Venice as well. Then each section has a beautiful hand drawn map with roads and mini castles drawn in, which is numbered...for example, Tuscanys map will have 28 numbers on it with San Gimignano being 24. You then look a bunch of pages later for number 24 and there is a whole page on San Gimignano, including 5 pictures from around town and a 3d drawing of the town with the important sites marked and a proposed walking tour of the town. That is what makes this book...the attention to detail. The drawings are very numerous and very helpful and are only outdone by the wonderful photography that allows you to see where you are going to go.
Also included are sections on driving in Italy, sleeping in Italy (hotel prices and numbers included), eating in Italy, etc. The eating section is even unique in that there are little pictures of the different dishes you will run into so, even if you can't pronounce Pesto Figitaloni(sp?) you will know what it looks like. A section is devoted to the different wines you will find and one on the most beautiful buildings and castles throughout the country. What all these benefits give you is not only an awesome tool to plan your trip but a great picture book to keep on your coffeetable!
Only weakness I found with this book is that most of the accomodations listed are fairly expensive...hotels +75$ a night and restaurants +20$...this is over my budget so...
One word of advise...Couple this book with 'Rick Steves Italy' (For the real intimate details of each of Ricks favorite areas of Italy) and if you still need info on hotels, restaurants and tips of what to see than settle for Let's Go Italy or western Europe. This combo of books will tell you all you need to know while planning your trip and while travelling around in Italy...Enjoy and have safe travels...
...
18 Good introduction but can be better
I traveled to Italy from Jan 3 to Jan 13 2002.
This book does bring me a lot of information about the history of Italy and the famous article in each museum.
With this book, I enjoy my travel a lot.
To travel alone, the book gives me less information.
I have no idea about how to take how to buy the metro ticket in Milan and also the require regulation about it.
Also the information about buying the train ticket is a bit old.
If you wish to travel with this book.
You can enjoy your culture journey but must pay more attention about how to use public transportation.
19 Great Travel Guide, Beautiful Coffee Table Book!
Summary:
Every Dorling Kindersley Guide has been a great and interesting book... and delightful to have and use, even if you are not traveling to that location, but are only interested in learning more!
The Guides are well organized in a logical and easy to follow manner. They are beautifully illustrated, well developed with accurate information (it is unusual for hotel and restaurant information to be that accurate), have enough history to help the reader understand the people and cultural background, and have a lot of useful travel information and useable maps in the appendixes.
Specifics:
The guides are organized as follows:
How to use this guide
Introduction to Historical and Geographical Information
Geographical Regions
............Introduction / History of Regions
............Specific Cities / Towns
........................Introduction to Towns / Cities
........................Map of specific Towns / Cities
........................Tour of Area of Towns / Cities
........................Specific stops, historical monuments, churches, buildings, etc.
....................................(Filled with great maps, architectural drawings / cutaways)
Travelers Needs
............Hotels
............Restaurants
Survival Information
............Local Info.
........................Police, safety, buses, trains, etc.
............Travel Info.
........................Maps, tours, currency, etc.
............General Index
............Phrase Book
Discussion:
The book begins with "Introducing Italy", including a complete map, a review of Italy, Italy's history, and Italy thought the Year - including events, etc.
Region with an "At a glance" overview, then has subsections of Cities / Towns, then specific locations, churches, historical monuments, bridges, galleries, etc.
But, the really great attraction to this book is several fold; it is:
............Very complete
............Easy to read
............Beautifully and artistically completed
............Good shopping, safety and other tips
............Gorgeous photographs too numerous to list
Architectural reviews include various views, and cutaways; given greater understanding and better perspective. They are all attractive, if not works of art - honestly.
The travelers' Info. offers good and valid info. on prices, currencies, customs, important words, etc. I used the reviews on hotel's restaurants and nightclubs, etc. and found they were useful and accurate, and helpful with my touring and site decisions
The books are so well thought out that it has multiple maps, with various lookup tables, and the book's flaps are designed to be used as bookmarks for map pages.
Negative:
The "country-wide" guides are by definition more general than the "specific city" guides. So, if you are going to Rome, get the "Rome" guide. If you decide to get the "Italy" guide for your 3, or 4 city tour of Italy, understand that this guide may be a little to general for all your local travel needs.
Conclusion:
As the President, CEO of an International Meeting Planning Corporation we have many resources and techniques to learn about places we have meetings / groups at as well as the cities and sights. But, as a traveler, this book really is top notch and I would recommend it to anyone going on a personal trip, or wanting to learn about a city, or location.
20 Eyewitness Travel Guide to Italy (revised)
Eyewitness guide books are ideal for the traveller who just want's an overview and wants to explore the rest himself. Everythin is in full color and beautifully layed out to make it easy to use while on the road. We used these guides all thru Italy.
21 One of the best travel books I've ever seen
This book gives a comprehensive look at Italia, covering every region, and spot lighting a few of the most popular cities. It even includes a Survival Guide with key phrases and explanations on how to travel. Also included are tips on where to eat, sleep, and party.
From the detailed artists drawings of the cathedrals of Florence and Rome, to the suggested sites, with inclusive street by street maps, this book will help you to see Italy in all its glory.
22 Best guide on the market
I used this guide on my recent trip to Italy. Several people in the tour group wanted to use it also (sometimes I had trouble getting it back). I have researched other books on the market...this one is the best. It also saved me time getting through the museums by pointing out locations of the most significant artworks. This is an important feature when you have limited time and have lost a good portion of that time standing in line to enter the museums.
23 The perfect trip planner
This beautiful and graphic guide has been invaluable to me in planning my upcoming trip. The pictures are infinitely more useful than so many words in other guides in arranging my itinerary. Fodor's, Frommer's and Steves may do a more complete job of recommending hotels and restaurants. However, this book excels in presenting a realistic view of what is really worth seeing, and helping you plan your days. And unlike most other guides, this one is really fun to read. The pictorial descriptions of regional cuisine are absolutely mouth-watering! It will surely not be the last Eyewitness Guide I buy.
24 Good for Rome; not very good for Amalfi Coast.
I thought the book was excellent until I went to the Amalfi Coast. All the info. that I was expecting was not there. I was disappointed and would recommend that future editions become as in depth as the more popular cities/towns in Italy.
25 Anyone Traveling through Italy should have this book
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.....
26 The one book you should not do without if going to Italy
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.
27 Essential - but get a second city map when you're there
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!
28 A Great Guide
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.
29 It Ain't Heavy, It's Wonderful
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.
30 Marvellous, but awkward
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.
31 You can't buy a better travel guide
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.
32 You'll keep reading this book after the trip!
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.
33 Good overview
This book has great pictures and good general information.
34 Lovely to look at but ...
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!
35 The traveler companion
I lived in Italy for more than a year, someone had offered me this guide and it turned out to be indispensable. The regions of Italy are very well presented in separated parts. Focus is put on cultural interest as well as typical Italian things to do or see. Everyone should find what he wants, whatever is his initial interest. A great number of pictures allow you to have a fair idea of the place you are going to, and there is always an annotated simple map really representative of the place, just what you need. I found the selection of hotels and restaurants quite accurate, the guide gives you the possibility to check on hotels through pictures and proper descriptions, as well as their price ranges, which is essential to any traveler. I have already recommended this book to few of my friends as a must have for tourism in Italy.
36 It is not worth its weight!
You will have to give up some essentials in your luggage to make the weight allowance on the plane for this book! Although the book has many beautiful pictures and good information, I would not think of carring it with me. This company should scrap the slick paper and opt for lighter recycled so we can better utilize it and possibly write in it. There are better "travel" friendly books out there.
37 The Best Travel Guide for Italy. Period!
This was the most amazing travel guide that I have ever had the privelege of reading...and I have read and used quite a few! Everything from the maps of the cities, the walking tours, and the restaurant recommendations to the sight descriptions and historical information was fantastic. You MUST get this book if you are going to Italy!
38 Excellent Book
Eyewitness is a very heavy book - but the weight is worth it. For actual sightseeing it is a must. Other travel guides like Rick Steves and Lonely Planet don't explain what you are seeing or give any background - they just tell you how to get their. Eyewitness shows you visually and through well written passages about all the sites, buildings and land. The pictures are magnificent the maps are easy to understand and the diagrams are always top notch. This isn't a guide on where to eat or stay (although they do have some listing in the back) -it's a masterpiece on what your seeing.
39 Italy Between the Soft Covers
Great travel book, and better yet when supplemented by Roger Youman's concise guide to Tuscany
40 Don't buy Fodor's!
I bought the Eyewitness Travel Guide and Fodor's 2000 Italy (Fodor's Italy) for my recent trip across Italy. When I had to choose which one to put in my backpack and which one to leave at the hotel, the Eyewitness Travel Guide always came with me. The choice was simple.
41 Lots of pictures, not much information
When planning my trip to Italy I bought several guidebooks. The numerous pictures in this book helped me to visualize potential destinations and decide which regions were most appealing to me. I did not find the hotel recommendations useful, since they tended to be relatively expensive.
I do not see much value in this book once you arrive at your destination. The real thing in front of you is so much more awesome than the diagrams. For the most part, other than the diagrams, the information provided is superficial. For example, the Duomo/Baptistry in Florence are alloted 4 pages, most of which are covered with pictures. Many other guides provide more information than this in a paragraph or two, while some devote several pages to describing the incredible history and works of art.
I ended up leaving this guide home because of it's excessive weight, and now that I've returned and looked through it again I do not regret my decision. I would admit that I am in the minority in judging this book, as it seemed to be the most ubiquitous Italy guidebook, available at all the major sites in multiple languages.
42 Bella Italia
When Eyewitness travel guides burst on to the scene, they revolutionised the genre. Dorling Kindersley have long published marvellous series information books for schools and young people, and they have brought the same high quality of production to their travel series. Eyewitness does a few things superbly: 1. Their use of full colour photography. 2. No Top Tens or 1/2/3 stars. Eyewitness just show it how it is and let you decide what interests you most. 3. Real maps, with real street indexes, integrated right into the book. No more sketch maps with dubious scale or misrepresentations of actual distances. 4. Breaking up cities into manageable and logical sectors. So after helping you get there, they offer full coverage of the area. 5. There is no attempt to be hip or impose points-of-view. Other guide books do that, and do it quite well at times, so they are best left to that field.
Italy is a fat book, and it might be heavy to carry around, but as other reviewers have said it is invaluable. It would replace at least two other guide books, and relegate the other lushly illustrated "guides" that are out there to the coffee-table status that is probably more appropriate.
My one criticism is that the accommodation listings are more appropriate for the well-heeled traveller. Here's what I'd do: go to the local library and borrow the Let's Go, Rough Guide and Lonely Planet. Photocopy the listings and use them to supplement . As for restaurant listings, I've never used them in any guide book - just stepped outside the lodgings and wandered!
43 Amazing photography --- a must-have for your trip
From full-color diagrams of museums to detailed street maps of every city to straightforward summaries of each point of interest, this guide covers all the bases. Whether you're planning to visit one city or ten cities, for three days or three months, this book makes sure you won't miss anything. While it's a little light on hotel and restaurant information, the information on specific works of art and architecture are more detailed than you'll find in any other guidebook. And it's so beautifully done, you'll find yourself leaving it out on the coffee table for months after your trip.
44 Travel Agent Recommended
This is the quintessential travel guide, the one I use when traveling in Italy, and I am a travel agent. It provides indepth information, graphic diagrams, photos and other essentials to make the trip easy and enjoyable. Though a bit cumbersome for carrying around, I popped in my little backpack and pulled it out often. If you buy only one travel guide for Italy, this should be the one.
45 Best among all the rest.
The Eyewitness Guide easily mixes simple graphics with more technical maps and descriptions that are eminently useful and easy to follow! The heft and size may be intimidating, but it held up through drenching Assisi rainstorms, being dropped throughout Rome, and bounced in a cotton shoulder-bag for four weeks. Even armed with six other guides this was the book that proved the most consistently useful. Please, please, please do yourself a favor and give it a try. Beautiful AND useful travel guides don't come along often.
46 Living in Italy
We are a military family stationed in the Veneto region. I received this book as a gift right before we left the US. It has been an invaluable resource; I can't begin to tell you how many times I have used it. In fact, we purchased the Venice & the Veneto region book to supplement it and have used both extensively. When we visited Rome, it was a great assistanced in the Vatican museums---it is great to have background about what you are looking at. It also helped as we wandered around the city. This book has become the standard gift for our newly arrived friends, as it certainly helps you make the most of Italia!
47 THIS BOOK SHOULD BE CALLED: ITALY FOR DUMMIES :)
I'm planning a trip to Italy and didn't even know where to start. I read the reviews here and thought this would be the best book to start with. Well, 5 stars just doesn't do this book justice.
This book contains everything you need to know and more. It starts with a history time line to get you up to speed on what happened and where for those of us who don't remember all of our history lessons. It has pictures of anything and everything you could want to see and more, divided by region and city. It explains the history of the various monuments, ruins, churches, roads, paintings, sculptures, etc. Not to mention, it truly is a beautiful book and has tons of high quality photos. It would be a pleasure to have for this reason alone.
The best things I got out of this book are: knowing where I want to go, and being able to recognize and appreciate what I'll be looking at when I get there. After all, how can you evaluate where you want to go or what you want to see when you don't know what you have to choose from? This is the only book you'll need if you're planning a trip.
48 beautiful overview, less helpful for specifics
What a gorgeous book. I fell in love with the Eyewitness series and decided to buy this book to learn as much as I could about as many places as I could in Italy, before I planned my trip. I also plan on collecting more, for future trips and because they are great educational books, even if one never plans on traveling. Great for the coffee table, too! Organized by region with an overview of each area and brief highlights about specific sites (most of which are churches). The map on Rome was a little confusing at first and I had to keep flipping page to page to navigate. Luckily, the book is designed with two flaps that can be used for page markers. Useful organization on the sites (such as which ones charge admission, open/closed times, market days for towns, etc.) Loved the sections on regional foods and festivals, useful travel info located in the back. Photographs are small but lovely and numerous, architectural cutaways give interesting perspective on the sites. Restaurant and hotel recommendations are well organized but I never really consulted them. (Stuck to the internet for finding rooms and our wanderings and recommendations from other travelers to find restaurants.) We went to the Amalfi coast, Capri and the Umbria area (staying in Gubbio) and found the book mildly helpful. It was most helpful in Rome. I saw many tourists with Eyewitness Italy and Rome guides everywhere in Rome, in many languages. I've also seen the Frommer's series and found that one to be more densely packed with useful information and suggestions for interesting (and often inexpensive) excursions. However, it lacks the stimulating layout of the photographs, maps and color coding found in the Eyewitness guides. I felt the need to get more specific local guidebooks as I traveled with more detailed information and photographs. For example, I bought a guidebook outside Pompeii in order to have more information on the sights as well as a more useful map. It turns out that much more of Pompeii was excavated since the Eyewitness book was written. Hardly any information was given on the excavation of Herculaneum, which we heard is even a better site to tour than Pompeii. We could have used information on navigating around Capri efficiently, too, considering a day trip allows little time to see many of the sights, which often are contingent on the weather (such as the famous Blue Grotto, inaccessible at high tide). Capri is also very expensive for just about everything. The only warning given is that it's a "tourist trap." Minimal, general information was provided for the Amalfi coast, so much had to be learned (such as driving hazards) by experience, which is one of the joys of traveling anyway. Overall, a beautiful,informative book, providing a good general overview of a variety of areas and sites. Decent maps, terrific photos, useful travel info (though limited description of bus and metro routes). Not detailed enough for many areas so local souvenir guidebooks, or a more densely informed and photo-poor book might be helpful for the more investigative traveler. A note to travelers: order foods that are specialties of the region. Foods adopted from other regions tend to be less than expected. (ex. Risotto in the south is often made with the wrong rice, pizza in the north is difficult to eat and has too thin a crust. Whereas gnocchi in the north is incredible.) What also would have been useful is a description of different shop names and what they sell so travelers know what to expect when they're looking for something specific. (Like a deli--"salumeria" for an inexpensive lunch of prosciutto and cheese) However, that is again some of the fun of traveling--finding these things on your own. Buon viaggio!
49 "More than Helpful!!"
I am 12 years old, and I am my family's guide for traveling. Eyewitness Guides are the only guides I can depend on for traveling. A few weeks before we went to Italy, in spring of 1999, I bought the Eyewitness Guides: Italy book. With all the information it gives you, you can not possibly want more. From the History of Italy, to how to buy a subway ticket today, this book has everything. Buy this book, and you are prepared to go to Italy. My parents were not only happy to have this book, but they were happy that I know what travel books to depend on. And also, don't forget to check out all the other Eyewitness Travel Guide Books!
50 This book is the most helpful book I have ever used.
Despite its weight, this book serves as a personal tour guide throught the country of Italy. It told the secrets of the sites that no other book would have known to mention. The color photos serve as good representation to the sites when the original sites are covered by scaffolding, as most of them where on my trip. I reccommend this book to anyone who can afford it or is willing to cart it around. It is most certainly worth it.
51 The one and only essential for the perfect Italian vacation
I am a seasoned travellor and have relied on research and travel books to enhance my travels and guide me through foreign cities. Discovering this exceptional book has changed the travel experience. Why? The guide gives you a quick overview of all of the essentials, history and sites. The difference is the following: this guide provides the travellor with the 3-D picture of every important neighborhood, with many suggested walking tours, with each site numbered for additional detailed information on subsequent pages. The travellor misses nothing because full colored pictures assist in the discovery. No other information is needed including maps and museum pamphlets. This guide allows the travellor to be self sufficient including trying use every day things such as phones, ATMs, public transportation, tipping suggesting...IT'S ALL YOU NEED!
52 The best
I borrowed this book from a local public library but I just needed my own copy. It's heavier than most travel guides, but it really is awesome. I hope to return to Italy in a couple of years. Until then, this book will do. Going through the whole book can really be exhausting! It's not just a great travel guide. It's a fantastic photo album as well as a great source of history, information, etc. etc.
53 Don't forget to take the book with you! It's the best!
The book was always within our hands during our one-week travel in Florence and Venice. We, even, chose the restaurants to go according to the book. I advise the book to every tourist who would like to travel around Italy without a tour or a person(!) guide.
54 Great book for anybody going to or interested in Italy.
This is an very good tour book that goes in depth into the kinds of thing you find in Italy. This includes: Pictures of typical Italian foods, great illustrations, maps and much much more. I highly recommend it!
55 Excellent resource
The restaurants listed were consistently good. The information was in a useful format. Good resource book even if you are not traveling to Italy.
56 The best guide book in our tour group.
Our family spent 13 days in Italy last year, 8 of which was with a tour group. This book was the best of 4 that our family had, and it was even in high demand on our tour bus, being passed from passenger to passenger. Passengers were heard to say, "Who has the Eyewitness book? I get it next." The localized maps were the most help. Furthermore, it offered more detail than any other book. Many interesting sites were described that the other books didn't have, such as the Castle of Molazzo, which we had a special desire to see and photograph. The phone numbers of Inns and Hotels were most helpful. The pictures made it seem almost as if we'd visited every place in the book!
57 All you need for travelling to Italy. Great reference too!
This book is nothing but fantastic!! I was most impressed by the high quality images that SHOW what you are supposed to be looking for, the thorough explanations of WHAT you are looking at and WHY it is supposed to be important. The book takes a "peeling the onion" approach to travel, starting by dividing the country into several regions. After an introduction, each region is divided into its most important cities or villagest. Each city is further broken down into different neighborhoods or areas worth visiting. Each area, in turn, contains a detailed map and thorough descriptions of all of its attractions. In the case of the most important ones, like museums and churches, it even has maps of the buildings showing you where the most important works are (anybody that has spent half a day at the Louvre looking for a special piece, would appreciate the value of this feature). In addition, the book has very clear and thorugh practical advice on how to conduct oneself in the country in question, how to ask for help, which restaurants and hotels to use, phone numbers, travel tips, etc., etc. I couldn't fiind ANYTHING missing. The book is beautifully illustrated and becomes a fantastic reference tool and a vehicle for you to re-live your trip in all its glory. Its construction is sturdy and practical and it will survive almost anything. Finally, I couldn't help noticing how almost everybody in Europe seemed to be carrying it!
58 THE BEST
I am planning a trip to Italy and have looked through and purchased numerous travel guides. I ordered this book based on the reviews posted here. This is by far the best guide I have seen. I have not been able to put it down since receiving it. Now I can't wait to get there.
59 I SUGGEST IT TO ALL MY TRAVEL CLIENTS
it exceeds the competiton including michelin for over all quality and up to date info. I probably advise over 100 clients to buy this book. It can be improved but it is the best around in these busy times. Keep looking for more editions. I own several editions myself and use them as resources
60 Hands Down Best Travel Guide for Italy (and Elsewhere)
Living in Naples for 2 years, I had easy access to Italy and beyond. The Eyewitness series of guides was ALWAYS the best to travel with. Eyewitness Italy is to travel guides what USA Today is to newspapers: Not too wordy, yet enough info to get you going; lots of pictures to get your bearings; and not full of opinionated discriptions and discussions. Sure, you can get cheaper guides, but I doubt that you'll ever get one as easy to use and as enjoyable to tote around. I especially enjoy the design of the book -- the front and back flaps make great page markers and the layout makes sense. The travel tips are indespensible if you plan on using public transportation and the food pictures make it easy to 'point and shoot' your dinner choice at any restaraunt if you are a little weak on your pronunciation. Not only is the Italy guide great, the Rome, Naples, Florence and Tuscany, and Venice guides are equally valuable and well done. If you are planning a solo trip to Italy, make sure you get this well before your trip and never let it out of your sight during your adventure! Buon viaggio!!!
61 An outstanding guide!
I just got back from a trip to Italy, and everywhere we went we threw 3 or 4 travel guides in our backpack. This was the book we consulted the most, by far our favorite. Highly recommended!
62 A genuine lifesaver!
I just completed a brief vacation in Italy and I can't begin to say what a help this guide has been. I would have left out so many sights had it not been for this book. It is presented so well that anyone can use and understand it. If you are traveling to Italy at all....you must get this!!
63 The Best Travel Guide I Have Ever Seen
Filled with pictures and perspective, this is by far the best travel guide I have seen on Italy. This guide bothers to go beyond telling you the facts and what everything costs. It shows you what is out there, provides detailed maps on how to see it, and lets you know the significance of the subject. I feel like I have a personal tour guide. Great Job!
64 Excellent format of a travel guide
After years of travel around the world and many hours pouring through guidebooks, I can't think of a better book to plan a trip. It's a pleaure to read and very inspiring. I'm now looking for Eyewitness California/L.A. and any Asia guides.
65 Don't want to feel at a loss... Take this book
I love the Eyewitness books. They show you all the great sites, give details on how to use the machines and phones, and have maps. I think the worst part about these books are they are heavy. The next thing that needs improvement is the maps. However, I know of no other book which shows pictures of the machines which you buy tickets from and translates all the verbage on them. It sure makes travel a lot easier. I always make room for an Eyewitness Guide. I would like to buy this guide but I can't find it any place!!!!
66 If you could only take one book with you choose this one
I am still looking to buy a copy of this book which I found in my local library. The Eyewitness travel series is excellent. Lots of photographs in a very appealing format. It is dense with information. I just had to pay a fine because I kept it too long. Please find me a copy!!??
