Customer Rating:  
Summary: With so many resources out there.. do you really need another guidebook?
Comment: I know, I know.. there are so many guidebooks out there, how do you pick the right one? Well, it depends what your need is. If you are looking for travel advice in general, the Rick Steves Rick Steves' Italy 2009 (Rick Steves) or the 'Italy for Dummies' Italy For Dummies (Dummies Travel)as they're both good. If you need information on history and highlights on the cities and sites, I would go with Eyewitness's Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guide). If you need suggestions on hotels or restaurants, the Michelin guides Michelin the Green Guide Italy (Michelin Green Guides) are better and less biased.
Frommers has a melange of all of the above, but I think overall it's a little dispersed.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Frommer's Italy 2008
Comment: Not a bad travel book, fairly complete, decent detail on many of the cities within the country, but the book does lack pictures, has a few in the front of the book. That would have made the book more complete and enjoyable. As the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words."
Customer Rating:
Summary: Just So-So
Comment: We are still in the planning process of our trip so I can't speak for how true the information in the book is, but I can say that it is not an easy read. I bought Rick Steve's book and read the entire book in 2 weeks (including highlighting and visiting websites). So, I thought I would go ahead and get another guidebook since our trip was 4 months away, and I planned to compare notes. I've had this book 1+ month and simply can't motivate myself to read it. It is much denser.
It does offer tons of information. Far more than the Rick Steve's book. The dining section is organized by area of town which I like, and I get the impression it lists every available attraction versus Rick Steve's which lists only the ones he thinks are worth visiting. I guess it depends on what you like. If you want to make the choice for yourself, this is probably better. If you are a first timer (like my husband and I), you appreciate someone kind of telling you what's better, than Rick Steve's is probably the better choice.
I'm also suspicious that there is an element of paid advertising to Frommer's. When I cross reference their recommendations with online travel reviews, Frommer's recs are offen crucified by travelers. Often with the inclusion "We chose this hotel based on Frommer's recommendations..." It worries me that its users are dissatisfied, yet the hotel stays in the book. Rick Steve's has a strict policy that he asks that you contact him directly with complaints or unfair pricing so he can keep his recommendations true.
Ultimately, I think this is a fine reference book with plenty of useful information. My personal preference is Rick Steve's style. My plan is to use Rick Steve's while in Italy and carry it with me, but make notes in it with info I picked out of Frommer's.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pass This One Up...
Comment: I bought Frommers Italy 2008 on a lark as I was headed for a long weekend in Pisa/Florence and couldn't find my usual Lonely Planet or Let's Go travel guides. All I can say is that it was truly a disappointment. The authors stated that the Stazione Pisa Centrale (main train station for Pisa) was, "a 10 to 15-minute walk from the Leaning Tower." My husband and I walked to the Leaning Tower from the station at a good pace (we really enjoy walking), and it took us about 30 to 40 minutes to reach the station.
Secondly, the Antica Trattoria Da Bruno was one of only two recommended places to eat in Pisa. Again, the authors state that, "It served old-fashioned but market-fresh dishes of the Pisan kitchen", and, "It's one of Pisa's finest restaurants." Well after a long day spent wandering in Florence, we returned to Pisa, mouths watering in anticipation of a memorable Italian meal. What we got instead was bland, pinged-in-the-microwave pasta and straight-out-of-the-tin canellini beans! The bread was stale, pasta over-cooked and wine horrible. What the place capitalizes on, though, is over-the-top ambiance, a huge wine list, and a waiter that 'cheeses it up' for tourists. If you are ever in Pisa, please go to the Pizzeria Galilei. We ate there 3 times! The traditional home-made Tuscan specialties, gorgeous wine, tasteful decor, attentive staff made our time in Pisa heaven.
Don't get me started on the hotel recommendations (there are some wonderful pensiones in Pisa, but the tacky Jolly Hotel right across from the station got a mention?!).
If you want travel books you can trust, stick with Let's Go--they've never done me wrong, and I travel a lot!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great travel book!
Comment: This is a great book with many details and suggestions. We always use Rick Steves' books and so I got this one as an extra. I was not disappointed by the content. Frommer has wonderful details for your trip. Like the Steves book, it describes in details all you need to know to be comfortable and have a great trip. I highly recommend it.
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