hunnym

What's your favorite Venice guidebook? (In addition to Fodor's, of course.)

I'm looking for a book specifically on Venice, not Italy in general.

I'm also looking for a very specific recommendation, not a series recommendation. (For example, I have found that some Lonely Planet guides are better than others.)

Thanks in advance!

chocobon

Fodor's CITYPACK Venice is the absolute BEST!! Cannot go there without it!

sandi_travelnut

I like the Eye Witness series of guidebooks. We have one on Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence etc.. and find them good for the way we use them. We noticed last December that that was the one we saw most used in Paris and Italy...in all languages

beanweb24

Another vote for Eye Witness. Last time we took their Top 10 Venice book with us and it was fantastic. Very small, very portable - very to the point.

mlongobard

I am going to put in a shamelessly partial plug for the Fodor's gold guide to Venice. The first edition was written by a born-and-bred Venetian named Carla Lionello; she knows the city in a way only locals can, and she worked like a demon to get the details right. Carla subsequently moved to Rome, so for the most recent edition (which I edited), I hired two expats -- one Brit and one American -- to do the updating, and I think they did a wonderful job. They both truly love the place.

The strength of the book's sightseeing coverage is that it's very detailed -- you could use it for a month-long stay in Venice and you'd be in good shape. By the same token, it has the potential to be frustrating if you're searching for the city's highlights in the midst of the abundant detail. If you do pick up the book, note the Great Itineraries and Fodor's Choices listed at the front -- they'll help you prioritize.

I the biggest advantage of having locals work on the book may be the restaurant listings -- our writers have prided themselves on including good places that aren't the standard guidebook fare.

Anyway -- I make no claim to an unbiased opinion, but I can tell you that a lot of care went into putting the book together.

Margaretlb

I'll defer to others regarding the content of various guides, but I will recommend Baedecker for the fantastic map. Before going to Venice, I read many, many posts about getting lost in venice; with the Baedecker map I did not get lost once!

elaine

I have found that the Michelin Green guide for Venice provides the detail on art, architecture, and history that I enjoy.
I have bought Eyewitness guides for pre-trip research, but I never take them with me.
I agree that the Fodors guide is a good general guide, with more of the practical information that Michelin doesn't have.

hunnym

Thank you all very much for your suggestions.

I admit it was a little cheeky of me to ask about guidebooks on a Fodor's site, but the way I saw it, it goes without saying that I am a fan of Fodor's products, as otherwise I probably wouldn't be here! Fodor's guides have always served me very well. And I do very much appreciate the insider information on the Fodor's Venice book (sold!).

I usually buy several books anyway - but my husband is hitting the bookstore on the way home from work, so I'm going to give him a short list of books (compiled from all your suggestions) and then have him pick a couple.

Fodor's guide is a given.

Jun04ItalyHoneymoon

We really liked our DK Eyewitness Guides for Venice and Rome. We also had the general Italy one. I checked out most of Rick Steves guides from the Libary and used them also.

Be sure to do the Doge's Palace Secret Itineraries tour while you are in Venice. We loved it!

elaine

Actually, there's another one I should have mentioned, author is J Links, title is Venice for Pleasure.
It doesn't have any practical information like hours of admission or
restaurants. What it is, is a walker's guide from someone who LOVES Venice, every inch of it. He suggests long walks with historical commentary, suggests some cafes or rest stops, but only if they offer a beautiful view or a chance to admire the architecture. It is a lovely, evocative book for someone who just can't have too much detail.

Gariem

I second Elaine's recommendation. The J Links book is currently on my nightstand in preparation for a trip in April which includes Venice.

WillTravel

I really liked the Eyewitness Guide.
The Blue Guide seems to have detailed art and architecture info - I sort of wish I had had it with me.

These aren't exactly guidebooks, but near essentials nonetheless, to read in advance.

Venice, by Jan Morris
Venice, The Collected Traveler, edited by Barrie Kerper

JulieVikmanis

mlongobard, nice to see the Fodor's people chime in. I've always wondered why you didn't use this site to greater commercial advantage for your company. Also liked how you explained what's good about the Fodors book, not just, it's the site sponsor, so get it. Nice job. I'll admit that since I've become such a devout follower of this board, I do go out of my way to try to repay the sponsor by using some of your guides. Thanks. I also like that you're paying attention to the site. There's probably a fine line between being attentive and being censorious (is that a word?) but I think there have been times when the folks on this site felt a bit neglected. I think that's changing and I think that's good.

mlongobard

Thanks for the friendly notes, hunnym and Julie. I think the boards are pretty wonderful -- they're a real community of travelers sharing wisdom and experiences. They're also a useful resource for those of us on the Fodor's staff looking to pick up some pointers and find out how a variety of people feel about a particular destination. The only problem is they can become addictive....

hunnym

Yes, these posts are addictive!

I gave my husband the list of recommended books, and he came home with:

1) Fodor's Citypack - Venice's Best
2) National Geographic Traveler - Venice
3) Eyewitness Guide - London (for a future trip)

Thank you for your suggestions everyone!

flygirl

not a guidebook, but a must-read - Jan Morris's Venice (World of Venice in the US).

I believe it was written in the 50s or 60s but is just as applicable today (hey, when you are already 1500+ years old, what's another 40-50 years??)

a marvelous read.

Spygirl

Okay, I'm leaving for my trip to Venice and the hill towns of the Veneto, and I do have the Fodor's guide, as well as LP, but what I was REALLY excited about receiving was my new March 2005 Time Out Venice-just in time for my trip!

If it's a city you're going to, the Time Out Guides are terrific. I have used Time Out Hong Kong and Budapest within the last 5 months, and I thought them both the best of the guides for those cities-particularly the info. on nightlife-you can't beat TO Guides if what you seek is up-to-date entertainment sections, as well as shopping. The pictures are great as well (I don't like Fodor's partic. because they don't have color pictures, which I need in a guide-I need to see the places described) and their maps are poor-however their restaurant recommendations tend to be surprisingly good-Fodor's Japan particularly).

Anyway, I've been cross-referencing Venice restaurants that I want to check out from my various guidebooks- and it looks like my first restaurant selection will probably be Corte Sconta, which happily is located within a 5-10 min., walk of my hotel.

Gatorgrad94

We have found that the AAA spiral guides are absolutely wonderful! We used four different ones (Venice included) in Italy. They are very easy to follow and easy to carry with you, not to mention they give great advice on sightseeing. Have a great trip!