Fodor’s Italy 2011 (Full-Color Gold Guides) Reviews
Fodor’s Italy 2011 (Full-Color Gold Guides)
• Full-color guide • Make your trip to Italy unforgettable with 125 maps, illustrated features, and 300 color photos.
• Customize your trip with simple planning tools • Top experiences & attractions • Lodging comparison charts • Easy-to-read color regional maps
Explore Rome, Florence, Venice, and beyond • Discerning Fodor’s Choice picks for hotels, restaurants, sights, and more • “Word of Mouth” tips from fellow Fodor’s travelers • Illustrated features on Ancient Rome, Venice’s Grand Canal, and the Cinque Terre • Best hikes and drives, winery visits, and museum-going • Tips for making the most of your euros
• Opinions from destination experts • Fodor’s Italy-based writers reveal their
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The Best Comprehensive Guide to Italy,
This 2011 Edition of Fodor’s Italy is beautifully presented and includes a sprinkling of full-color plates (e.g. the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the interior of the Pantheon; servings of regional specialty foods). The book is organized by region and the general presentation of each region is cheerful and enticing. Text is copious, clearly written and packed with useful information: the expected mix of attractions, opening hours, where to eat, what to eat in each region, where to stay, how to get there and so on. There are interesting set-up sections for each region, major city, and attraction, with historical notes as appropriate. We have found in our tours of Italy (and other European destinations) that Fodor’s recommended restaurants and places to stay are well-selected, with offerings at different price points.
Maps are a very strong point. The back of the book contains a fine pull-out map of Rome, with the Termini rail station at the far right edge but with the Piazza dei Cinquecento (right in front of it) clearly visible. From here to the left, the map clearly locates and labels the central Rome sights most tourists want to see–Piazza del Popolo is at the far north, the Aventine Hill and Trastevere are at the far south and Vatican City is at the right of the map. Major streets are boldly labelled and slightly less major streets are also clearly legible. Venice gets similar treatment excepting for the islands in the lagoon (a more general map on p. 216 shows them and also locates the airport.) Within each section of the book there are detailed neighborhood maps in color of the major cities and places tourists might like to visit. For Rome, these detailed maps extend the coverage found on the pull-out.
This book doesn’t stint on the number of pages, is printed on quality, matte coated paper and uses a very legible typeface. I don’t recommend using just one guidebook for a major European tour. I always buy a Fodor’s and supplement it with other guides, including D-K, Frommer’s and Rick Steves. This volume is an excellent choice for homing in on an Italian itinerary and for boning up on a tour to several of Italy’s ‘regiones.’ Each entry is suffcient to let you decide whether or not you want to include a place or attraction and most entries provide enough information to give a general understanding of the significance of what you will find there.
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|Lacks essential information,
This book provides a general overview of attractions, restaurants, and hotels, however, it is not a complete guide and lacks essential information. For instance, restaurants and hotels recommendations are not highlighted on the maps–so one does not get a perspective of where a restaurant or hotel is located in relation to an attraction. In addition, city maps are provided for major cities but not smaller cities. Furthermore, information regarding ticket packages for museums which are highlighted in other guides are not shown here.
Overall, if you travel with this guide, which is quite heavy, you will need additional information to get you through your trip.
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|Guide Books,
These books are great. I know much of this info is available on line but nothing like a good book. Who can beat Amazon!
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