i would like to purchase a map for venice, florence, rome and milan before i travel. does anyone prefer one map to another?

My favorite is the "Streetwise" maps, $6US compact and plastic coated. I have one for each of those cities. Regards, Walter <BR>

I concur. I love Streetwise Maps. They are very easy to read and are not cumbersome like alot of paper maps.

I prefer paper maps because I can write on them, circle destinations, etc. My favorite city maps are ones that show the underground routes as well as the stations, makes it easier to plan how to get around.

I have long been a fan of Streetwise maps, but not for Rome. There was much more Rome than there was Streetwise map. There were too many small streets that I needed, that were not on Streetwise, nor on the Insight map, though one of those would be handy to have anyway just to give you <BR>a city-wide perspective on where you are heading. <BR>My wonderful map for Rome was <BR>Michelin's Roma Atlante Tascabile, which is really an approx 5"X8" spiral notebook, with a comprehensive alpha listing of seemingly all Roman streets and alleys in the back, with a code as to what map page you can find the street on. Once you read the instructions, it's very easy and handy to use. <BR> <BR>Streetwise imo was great for Venice and Florence.

If you want a detailed map of Venice, including Lido and Murano, buy a Tabacco map when you arrive - the cover is bright red and they're on sale everywhere. The map has every street clearly marked, and an excellent locator index of palaces, works of art, churches, and other important buildings. They make a great souvenier.

On Elaine's recommendation, we used a Streetwise map for Venice, and it was great. In a city where everyone loves to get lost, we rarely lost our way (except in the area between SS Giovanni e Paolo and San Zaccaria every time).