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 This book offers a great summary of sights and highlights. I especially like his rating system of "must-sees" vs. "only if you have extra time." I was a little disappointed with his hotel choices (most fall into the "budget" category, which is a little scary when you're traveling overseas) and with the lack of information about some of the more out-of-the-way places in Italy. For example, the book barely mentions Capri at all. Bottom line: this book has some great suggestions, but if you've never been to Italy before, you're going to need something a little more comprehensive (like a Fodor's or Lonely Planet).
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Well. I was a gullible sucker for traveling guides. This book isnt worth much of your money. Rick implied that Eurail "can be dizzying to your IQ..." so is his style of speaking and marketing his products. It is a grave sin for someone who could write a book truthfully and straightforward these days. BLAME ON Morality restrictions and limitations for the 21st century of human kind which enhance the opportunity to explore wealth to spectrums. I could not get a straight answer/knowledge of simple instructions for the Eurail passes. Round trip price or one way? how does it work? - in simple terms not his dizzying terms? And so much for the marketing of his travel knowledge and experience and products and profit sharing of his affiliations in Italy,France, and so on. Well if you want Rick Steve or other traveling guides to be rich because of your naivety or limited knowledge of Europe, continue to buy these books. Find a good travel agent and take your chance for a first time and rely on your intuition. It is much better than these limited-morality morons.
We traveled to Italy with this book as well as several others. We found that this book was the one we kept coming back to for insightful and accurate information on sights and highlights. We were amazed to see so many other people carrying this book with them.
I was looking for a guide book to help with an upcoming trip to one of the lesser known places to see in Italy. Paestum. Rick Steves' book was the only one that had a comprehensive guide to the city and ruins of Paestum. All the other Italy tour guide books only slightly mentioned it and how to get there. Steves' has a great layout of the ruins and a guide to the museum and places around Paestum to visit. This book is also a great guide for people coming to Italy for an extended period of time. The book has information for the big places to visit (Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan) as well as the lesser known places to visit (Paestum, Puglia, Assisi, and Cortona). A must for the traveller. Not much of a difference with the 2002 book. It mostly has updated phone numbers and updated prices. If you have the 2002 book and don't have the money you really don't need this one, but if you are crazy about Italy or are looking for a book on travelling around Italy this is the best book out there.
