Which guide books to take to Italy?
 

While planning for our first trip to Italy, I have been borrowing guide books from my local library. Now I have this list of books that provide useful but different kinds of travel information. No one book seems to have it all! We will be visiting Venice, Lake Como and Tuscany including Florence.

I was hoping to keep books to a minimum mostly because of their cumulative weight in our luggage ... or should I say, my husband's luggage!!!

Here's my list:
Rick Steves' Venice
Rick Steves' Florence
Access Florence & Venice
AAA Essential Lakes
Michelin Tuscany Green Guide
Michelin Italy Tourist & Motoring
Atlas

Any suggestions short of tearing the books apart and taking only the pertinent chapters?

2010

Why no DK on this list? Also the new Fodor's See It books do seem to have it all. I'm loving the new one I bought for Florence & Tuscany.

I'm sure others will disagree on this forum, but we loved Rick Steves' commentary in the Uffizi. It was informative and made the trip fun.

Good luck!

I usually buy one or two to take on the trip (i.e. Rick Steves and Frommers) and then photocopy pages from the library books. Yes, I have been known to rip apart a purchased book although it is like fingernails down a chalkboard to do so!!

In terms of Venice vs. Florence, which RS's book has the best museum tour info? Or which one has the most info. you will use? That is the one to buy and photocopy the other.

I like Michelin books, but I usually use them for my before-trip-reading-and-planning. I like the Frommers and Steves books because they offer more practical info. such as weekly markets, laundrymats, and handy buses.

In terms of an atlas, I took a very specific large atlas for our driving tour of France, a folding map from the car rental place, and then a very small, pocket size Michelin. All three were necessary at some points on the trip for the big vs. little picture.

I also cut and paste tips from this board.

Maybe someone can offer a more techno-savvy way of carrying information. I will always love the feel of a travel book...my highlights, my post-its...the compact history of my trip planning. Sappy, I know.

Have a great time in Italy, 2010!

I used the DK & Fodor's See It books as I researched for my trip - both very useful. I find the DK books are heavy and I prefer not to weigh down my daybag too much since I am the one carrying it! :)

I like the Rick Steves' books for the walks & tours of various sights. Also, I find the Access books are useful for their street by street listings of shops, restaurants & sights. (I've used them in Paris & London.) I have never used a Michelin Green Guide but we will be doing a lot of touring by car while in Tuscany and thought that the information on the smaller villages would be helpful.

I am not very "techno-savvy" (does photocopying count?) and as Jane says, I also like to have my own books in which I can scrawl notes in the margins or affix post-its. I just don't want to pack so many guidebooks if there's any other way to take the information.

Thanks!

2010

How much time will you be spending in Florence and Lake Como?

I would take Rick Steves' Venice and Florence (if you'll be there more than 1 day). I find Rick Steves' general information helpful (opening times, walking tours, what's interesting and not), so I'd take those, and leave Access Florence & Venice at home. I'm not familiar with the Access books; if they offer more detail on historic sights than Rick Steves, then copy that info and bring with.

I don't know anything about AAA Essential Lakes. Especially if you won't be at Lake Como for a long period of time, copy the pages for this area.

I don't know how big the Michelin Atlas is; we always take separate maps for each area we'll be in.

We've used several Tuscany guidebooks, including the Michelin green guide. It's pretty good; includes many small towns and the sights in those small towns, as well as the bigger towns/cities in Tuscany. Some of their driving routes are good.

I've never been able to bring myself to tear a book up.

By all means, take Rick Steves if you want to rely on his - extremely limited - view of "what's interesting and what's not." If you want a broader view of what might well be very interesting in a particular area, take Access Florence & Venice. The restaurant recommendations in Access are also much more reliable, unless you want to land up in places with generally lousy food where you will be surrounded by other Americans all carrying their Rick Steves books.

Why do so few people here ever mention the wonderful Cadogan guides?

I would certainly leave out the AAA guide!

How about "No guide books?"

Be a traveler, not a tourist....:-D

<i>The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see. ~G.K. Chesterton</i>

http://www.quotegarden.com/travel.html

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary
Tourist: one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture
Traveler: one that goes on a trip or journey
I guess I'm more for the sake of the pleasure I get from travel, not the satisfaction of having taken a trip.
Is it worse to be over prepared for a trip or ill prepared for trip? Tough question, but if forced to answer I would rather be underprepared. I think you can do to much to plan a trip and take out the chance for any &quot;adventures&quot; or surprises. Things you overlook because you are looking for something you saw pictured in a book. As in al lthings there needs to be a great balance between planning and doing. My two cents.

Of the books on your list, for sightseeing I would take the Michelin green guide and the Access guides and copy what looks useful from Rick Steves. I am not a great fan of RS because I think he leaves out so much material I would consider basic and concentrates on a limited number of destinations/sites

Re the question about Cadogan guides, I agree that they are good. They are not always available in the US in my experience. I tend to buy them in Canada when we go there.

I'll admit it, I'm a ripper. I either tear out the chapters for the parts I need (like taking Vienna out of the Germany/Austria guide for our 2 day trip to Vienna next month) OR I tear out the hotel section and superfluous stuff (like how to use an ATM, etc.) to make the guidebooks lighter. Once you've booked a hotel, you don't need to schlepp that information with you when you go.

I like Rick Steves for certain of his museum tours and walking tours (I did a few in Rome, Venice and Florence) and I love Cadogan for its wealth of information. Frommers Day By Day have good walking tours and are small enough not to have to tear up. I keep the DK guides at home because while they may be nice to help narrow things down (Eyewitness Top 10 especially), I don't need the nice glossy pictures when I'm standing in front of that sight and they are light on detail. I haven't used the others you mention, so I don't know how valuable they are.

The Barnes and Nobles often sell Cadogan guides to the more popular European destinations. These are also available on Amazon.

http://www.cadoganguides.com/

If by chance you are going to France, ask Stu Dudley to send you his itineraries...he has very aptly disected Michelin maps, Green Guides and also gives &quot;hi fives&quot; to the Cadogan. He and his wife travel there every year for extended periods and gives great advise. I am planning a trip right now and his notes have been invaluble. Very nice of him to share such knowledge.

Regarding AA's suggestion of no guide books...that depends on your interests and how much time you have on a given trip if those trips don't happen as frequently as we'd like. If you don't plan, you may miss some gems. I do however agree that you have to have some balance of just exploring...I'm sure some of those experiences have been shared right here on Fodors. Thanks to all of you BTW

I tear the pages out of some books and copy pages of others. I don't like to keep guidebooks forever so it doesn't really bother me to tear out a few pages.

Does anyone else think it's hilarious that people who are posting on the FODORS forum are talking about taking RICK STEVEs guide books?

Why are you on FODORS if you don't support the FODORs books? Thats not to say that once in a while Fodors doesn't have the info I need, or doesn't cover a destination and I'm forced to go elsewhere.

But I kind of think its like bringing a McDonalds bag into a fancy steak place....

I have used all of them from time to time and lately I am really liking the DK Top-10 books. They are small and easy to carry and they have lots of infomation and great maps. Did I mention they only cost $12.

One recent advantage I have found for the RS books, is that for some of the hotels he covers the rates in his book are lower than the rates on the hotel's website (apparently these are rates he has negotiated for readers of his books).

I have a trip planned to Venice, Florence and Rome planned for Oct. 2008. For the Rome hotel, I was quoted a rate of 120 euro. A few weeks later I asked about the price quoted in the RS book, and my rate went from 120 to 92 euro per night. The same held true for the hotel in Florence. I received a quote of 122 euro on the hotel website, when I asked about the rate of 110 euro in the RS book, they gave me the 110 rate.

I guess my point is that yes, we sometimes all have a need for it, but don't you think recommending it on a Fodors' website is, well, I dunno... tacky?

From the FAQ:
&quot;Fodors.com is one of the few major sites where travelers can come for unbiased, independent information about travel. Since our travel writers can't be everywhere at once, it's important that travelers be able to use our forums to get fresh-from-the-field updates and advice from other travelers.&quot;

Norrisken, yes, that says &quot;from other travelers&quot;... but not from Rick Steves!

I guess I'm the only one who has a problem with this.

Sandra Gustafson's Great Eats Italy: Florence - Rome - Venice; Fifth Edition (Great Eats Italy)

I carried this everywhere in Florence and Rome -- it's organized by location so that when you decide to eat, you can just look up and see what's nearby. We had some great lunches based on recommendations from the book.

el

I do the research but then leave all the guidebooks at home. I pick up maps and tourist information upon arrival. I pack light, and no way can I drag around a big old pile of guidebooks. If you really must take one, I'd try to find a single volume that covers all of Italy.

Thanks to all who entered the discussion!

When planning a trip I read every guide book that is available on the shelf at my local library - even those that are a bit outdated! I find that they are all different from the way the information is organized to the depth/detail given to a destination. I manage to glean something from each resource!

But for this trip, I will need to take guide books that will provide enough information for a first-time visitor to Italy like me. We are staying four days in each location: Venice, Bellagio, San Gimignano, San Quirico &amp; Florence. So, my goal is to figure out a way to travel without packing a library of books in my suitcase! It looks like tearing books apart &amp; taking only pertinent sections may be a practical way to go! I'm not brave enough to leave home without at least one resource!

Not all of the 2008 editions are available for purchase just yet, so I still have time to check out the Cadogan Guides and other suggestions from here! BTW, I have used CG for Brittany, Normandy, Dordogne &amp; the Lot. They were great books to take!

Thanks, everyone!

2010

The Blue Guide to Northern Italy is great for art and culture. It doesn't cover places to eat or hotels but the information on sites is fantastic.

As a guidebook writer (Fodors as well as DK Eyewitness Rome) I guess that the info in the print edition is probably 2 years old before you read it during your trip. Thus the importance of the information shared on this and other websites concerned with travel. Up to date info from other travelers and those of us who live here is far more valuable than carrying any number of guidebooks in your luggage. For itineraries off the beaten track and articles check www.elegantetruria.com

My preparation for out trip this year to Italy/France has included a cut and paste to a word document of any info from Fodors posts, that I don't want to forget. So far it's about 20 pages and I'm sorting it as I go, by country, city, transport, favourite things, museums etc... As well as a few smaller guidebooks I will take this as a handy reference tool. Thanks to all the posters who have made this possible! The DK Top 10 are good as they don't weigh much. A girlfriend lugged Lonely Planet Rome in her handbag everyday when we were there last time - I don't know how she did it :)

Get a copy of
City Secrets: Florence, Venice and the Towns of Italy

With concise maps, and short articles by architects, historians, chefs, artists, writers ... each revealing favorite &quot;secret&quot; places, from paintings tucked away in small churches, to special views, to a favorite gelateria. A small book with a big wallop. You find yourself in a town or neighborhood, look at the appropriate map, and discover that around the corner is a pizzeria popular with locals after work, or the excavation of an ancient temple.

Also in this series - City Secrets: Rome / City Secrets: New York / City Secrets: London

BTW, I do like Fodor's guides. Not as colorful as some, but chock-a-block with info. A good guidebook is my favorite in-flight reading, whether a first visit or a return. It can lead to new temptations, or remind me to go back to a half-forgotten corner.

I also think a guide book is handy to have along in the evening when firming up plans for the next day - you may come upon something new or near another destination. Living in a city that is a major tourist destination, I'm amazed how many people arrive without a clue beyond what they've seen on TV.

Buon viaggio.

Vettralla's comments as a guide book writer has made me think about the reliance to travel with these books. For example, here are the most current books available for the following recommended titles: SG's Great Eats Italy (2005), Blue Guide to Northern Italy (2005), DK Top 10 Venice (2002) and City Secrets (2001). So, how old is too old?

2010

Monuments, churches and museum collections do not change from year to year; the basic information in the Blue Guide will still be valid. Opening hours, reservation systems, admission fees do change; that is what the Internet (Google) is for.

Generally speaking, restaurants do not change hands (and undergo quality changes) as often in Italy as in the US; opening days and prices can change. Again, Google is your friend for any restaurant that you know in advance you want to eat at; most restaurants nowadays have Web sites (in Italian and English).

I find Rick Steve's books to be detailed....in what little slice of (country) or (city) he is writing about. The sarcasm I can do without -- a non-serious tone like in Fodor's books is one thing, but insipid jokes and sarcasm is another. The one thing that I do use Rick's recommendations for is eating -- if a restaurant is mentioned in a Rick book, I avoid it like the plague because it is generally overcrowded with tourists and/or the food is nondescript.

I have not used any of the other books in your list. My usual tourbook library consists of a Fodor's or Frommer's book of the country(s), region(s), or city(s) I'm going to, plus a DK book of the same thing. DK is useful for its pictures and details, Fodor's/Frommer's is useful for its practical information.

Free mp3 downloads from Rick Steves
Check it out...
http://www.ricksteves.com/news/trave...otour_menu.htm

I still occasionally refer to a 10-year old Fodor's Paris guide - the maps are essentially valid, historical information, walking tours, etc.

For up-to-date information most cities (and countries) are served by magazines (in Paris, Time Out is a good one to pick up on arrival.)

Just an update regarding my quest for which guide books to take on our first trip to Italy. I managed to borrow many of your book suggestions from the public library. As well, many of the 2008 versions are available now.

My revised list looks like this:
Rome Venice Florence (Cadogan Guide 2007)
Great Eats Italy: Florence, Rome, Venice (2005)
Michelin Tuscany Green Guide (2007)

I will bring notes regarding things to see &amp; do on Lake Como, and leave the sections on Rome at home! :)

Thanks again for your suggestions &amp; insights. They really gave me pause to think about what I need to travel.

2010

My problem with this was that I had all the pages torn out and other pages printed out from the internet but, but what happens is you can't find the info needed when you need it because of all the stuff you have to paw through.

My advice is to read through your stuff, leave it and go for all the info you will have on the various places when you get there. I wish I had done that.