Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
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Book Reviews of Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Book Review: Pretty pictures, but confusing layout
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this book after seeing rave reviews. The book does have amazing pictures, in-depth history of art and architecture, and clear maps of cities and popular landmarks. I think it would be a great book for those who 1. are planners and want to know every detail before getting there. 2. are very interested in art. 3. already have a pretty good idea of what they want to see and have a lot of time to spend in the region. I had very little time and really just wanted a "top-ten must sees" for each region (which I found in the Rough Guide series).
I personally found the layout to be very confusing. Each region is highlighted in specific chapters, with pictures of the sights/highlights located on a map. Then the following pages provide a few more details. However hotels and restaurants are in a completely different section of the book and are not quick easy access. You really have to thumb through the lists of hotels in Italy to find the region you want. Out of the many hotels in a region only a few are mentioned in the book, and the pricing is not very clear. I found myself finding far better information in an online search than in the book. Overall I found myself having to flip throughout the book to find the information I wanted, and that got irritating quickly.
While the pictures are beautiful, I found myself disappointed by all the detail. It was almost like a secret was let out before the big surprise. I knew exactly what I was going to see in person through all the pictures and even lost some interest in seeing some spots. But that could just be me; I like a little spontaneity and suspense. The colored pictures are printed on a high quality paper, but this certainly adds weight to the book.
It's a good book that I will likely use and cherish as a display book after the trip, but it provided very little assistance in the actual preparation for the trip. Due to its weight, the book probably will not be coming to Italy with us.
Book Review: This Travel Guide was exactly what the Travel Dr. Ordered
Summary: 5 Stars
I must say that this guide was exactly what I needed, but also I must confess that another thing came up since I have been traveling to Europe for some time now. I didn't realize or wasn't even thinking about travel insurance?? I mean we all have insurance, that covers us while we are in the US, but not for traveling abroad. I recently planned a second trip to Germany, but wasn't sure if my insurance company policy would take care of minor details in my policy for things I am not sure I have thought about. I am not saying I might or might not be covered, but I need peace of mind when it comes to my family. I then called my HR to find out general things about traveling abroad and "What would happen if" scenario's. I wasn't going to read my lengthy policy, even if I did I wouldn't understand the legal double-talk anyway not being a lawyer and all.
My HR told me everything would be ok, and I shouldn't worry. But some thing in the back of my mind said call again and asked the same questions to see if the results would be the same from another Representative, to my surprise, it was. Ok then, not feeling a warm feeling of confidence in my HR responses. I didn't have much time to keep doing the research, so I looked up travel insurance and started to focus my attention on getting some basic package to cover me and family while we were abroad. There are a lot to choose from, but again this became confusing. So I came across www.securemytravelonline.com which had an aggregate of different well known insurance companies. I choose AIG with a basic plan and the rest was history. Also I didn't know you can insure your travel and luggage also in case of theft, flight cancellation etc. I thought I would share something from one avid traveler to the next. Overall a GREAT Guide and I have bought another copy for my friend.
Take care.
Carl>
Book Review: Excellent for planning, culture and history, beautiful to look at
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not your typical guidebook. The book is chock full of page after page of full color photography, info about the culture and history of the regions and cities of Italy, layouts of important buildings... This guide is indispensible as you plan your trip. The photos here, as well as the history will help you decide what your "must see" destinations and sights are in a way that plain text in another book just can't. And when you see those pieces of art or buildings on your actual trip you will remember them from the book, and a little of their history and background. I would not use the book for hotels and restaurants - not because you can't (you certainly could) but because I'm partial to the suggestions of Rick Steves for hotels and restaurants and I like his sightseeing suggestions. Also I prefer to use a guide updated annually for hotels and restaurants. He also gives another perspective and more detail on some things. For me, it's a must to have both this guide and the Rick Steves guide for the place I am visiting. They compliment each other and serve their own purpose. (Rick even recommends these guides for those looking for the full-color-photo type guide). I don't know if I'd bring this guide on my trip - it's heavier than it looks and would take up valuable space in my carry-on-only luggage (and is too beautiful to rip out just the pages I need!) But as I said, fantastic for helping you prioritize and plan your trip!Book Review: Beautiful images, incredible detail, but not a one stop trip planner
Summary: 4 Stars
The Good:
- Beautiful pictures, drawings and maps highlight all the major attractions in Italy
- Book is organized by region, and is relatively easy to follow along
- Loaded with interesting facts about Italy, each region and each main attraction. This includes history, tips and useful facts.
- Nice touchs like 2 pages of common Italian words/phrases, breakdowns on everything from how to read a road sign to the Euro currency.
The Bad:
- Cumbersome to read - reads like a text book
- Hotel recommendations are difficult to use. Not a big deal, because I prefer Trip Advisor for my hotel recommendations anyways.
- Limited info on where to eat
- Limited "candid" info on where to go, what is worth your time and what isn't. I've read Rick Steve's website, and I like how he tells you candidly what you should see in Italy given X number of days. That is helpful and is missing from this book.
The Verdict:
Loaded with useful info and beautiful images, this book will prove a good resource while on your trip; however, don't count on this book to help you fully plan your trip. It will give you some ideas to get started, but for finalizing trip details, I'd recommended reading Rick Steve's website, Trip Advisor, etc.
Book Review: How much is too much?
Summary: 5 Stars
I have purchased many other DK books, and I really find the entire series to be outstanding. Interesting facts, details, maps, pictures and illustrations on every single page. Helpful guidelines and phrases, history and more. No book has proved to be more conclusive as a guide to my travel destinations. I often refer to it as THE book.
That said, the DK line of books for any given country are almost TOO hefty. It doesn't fit in any normal pocket, and is a significant weight in any bag, weighing about as much as a medium size bottle of water. It's also not the most conspicuous book if you're looking to 'blend in' as it clearly has 'ITALY' in huge letters on the cover and spine.
But information is invaluable. So I lug it around anyway. On my recent vacation to Italy, I was able to successfully navigate and tour myself through Rome, Venice, and Florence. However, the book covers the COUNTRY of Italy, so large sections of the book went unused.
Alternatively, DK also makes books for specific regions. For the lighter weight and less superflous information, one might consider just bringing DK Rome or DK Venice along, rather than the Bible that is DK Italy.
Happy Travels!