Customer Reviews

Blue Guide Rome (Ninth Edition) (Blue Guides)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On his website, travel guru Rick Steves says that Blue Guides take "a dry and scholarly approach to the countries of Europe. They're ideal if you want to learn as much about history, art, architecture, and culture as you possibly can." This is basically true, though I much prefer a "dry and scholarly" tone to Rick's "nerdy and precious" style. He's great when it comes to practical tips, but he can't touch the historical, artistic and architectural content of the Blue Guides.

Blue Guides pack a tremendous amount of information into their pages, much more than any other guide I've used. They're wonderful for reading before and after your trip, but they're probably too dense to pack and take along for most people. Before leaving on my honeymoon to Italy, I photocopied the relevant pages of the Northern Italy book to avoid having to pack it because I knew I wouldn't be visiting most of the cities it covers. On that trip I field-tested three guides: Rick Steves, Eyewitness, and Blue Guide.

Blue Guides are not good to use as your main guide. They're far too light on practical matters such as maps, directions, hotels and restaurants, and they're not updated every year. I used Eyewitness to plan and get around and then pulled out the Blue Guide once I reached a major site. I used Rick Steves so little and found him so unhelpful that I left his books behind in hotels along the way.

Blue Guides have come a long way over the years. I was given an older edition of the Rome guide many years ago, and I couldn't believe how small the print was; it had a lot of detail but would have been very difficult to use while traveling. The publishers have learned their lesson: the current edition of the Rome guide is far easier to use and much more attractive, with colorful maps and an easier-to-read format. They've improved on the practical aspects as well, but you'll probably be in trouble if you rely on this book to get around in Rome. I recommend packing a more comprehensive one-volume guide such as Eyewitness and using Blue Guide to learn about specific sites once the other guide gets you to them. Keep Blue Guide on your shelf as an attractive reference and let it inspire you to return to Rome in the future!

The best guide available for those who plan to spend a longer time in Rome. It can also be used as a reference source by art historians, architects, and archeologists. Well-structured, well-written. It's printed on high quality paper, which makes it a little too heavy to carry, but this is how such books should be published -- you wouldn't like to part with your Blue Guide at the end of your trip.

I have used the Blue Guides all over Europe, frequently in the older French-language versions, and have found them exceptional. My Rome Blue Guide was the 1978 version and is still very functional. However with the amazing upgrades to all of Rome for the millenium I thought I'd try this 9th edition of the Blue Guide on my second trip in 2006. It is great: better graphics, better details, better suggestions for walks and how to access museums, palazzi, the Vatican, everything. For my 3rd trip in 2006 with a group of friends who'd never visited Rome before, I left behind my 1978 edition and just took this one.

Unlike the usual guidebook, the blue guide provides an incredibly indepth look at each place in Rome you might visit. This is not a "visual" guide like the DK series, but a text with pages of description. Some excellent maps of the interior of sites and some beautiful pictures. I used this book along with a more traditional guidebook. Armchair travelers would appreciate this book because of the depth of the descriptions.

One disadvantage is how heavy the book is. Another potential disadvantage is the lack of "practical" info. If you want to know what the airport is like in Rome, how to travel with children, or much about hotels or restaurants, this guide is not for you. There is a brief "visitor information" section at the back, but it is very brief.

In this review, the strengths and weaknesses of this travel guide will be listed. A few recommendations will also be given.

The Blue Guide Rome book is excellent as a guide for "high" culture such as art, ruins, monuments, and the like. It lists all the museums of importance, historical areas, ruins, churches, etc. Their hours and contact information are listed as well but admission is never listed. A good deal of secular information is given regarding each place. The focus is largely historical with a bit of politics thrown in as well. Much of the information on location and hours and the like, especially for churches, is difficult to find elsewhere. Also, the maps in back emphasize historic locations, which greatly aids in planning a day. The book is divided into chapters on various geographical areas, which helps plan a daily trip as well. Basic information such as bank hours, emergency numbers, public holidays, pharmacy info is included as well. A glossary lists some important terms and the index is thorough, although one or two places are listed differently in the index than they are on the map. As a "bonus" a chronological list of popes is thrown in. The maps are good but there aren't very many. After the chapters on literally hundreds of main sites, an appendix of lesser attractions (minor churches and things) and their contact information and hours is also given, which is very useful for the long term vacationer. These are the high points of the book.

Now for the minuses: The book's information on dining and lodgings is only applicable to those for whom cost is irrelevant, although a little is mentioned about snacking, which can serve as a meal. Its section on transportation is simply too brief to be very useful, although it does give some good tips. For the pilgrim, this is an annoying book because it seldom mentions that a saint is buried in this or that church. Instead, it focuses solely on architecture, patron, and the like. The book also has an anti-clerical tone, which may annoy some Catholics. Some folks dislike its judgments of various areas and works of art, but these can simply be ignored. Lastly, it calls itself a cultural guide but mentions virtually nothing about modern Italian culture and etiquette, which can be a bit of a shock to a foreigner. The emphasis is on art and history and little else is covered to any major degree.

If you're going to spend only a few days in Rome, don't buy this book. It is for a vacationer of a week or more. Instead, buy a standard travel guide and it will list more than enough wonderful things to keep one occupied. On the other hand, if you are staying for a while, this book will save you a lot of time and money in finding the less visited attractions and how and when to visit them (i.e. strange hours, how to make an appointment, when things aren't crowded, etc). The historical information is interesting as well. Additionally, however, you'll need a regular guide for getting about, finding a place to stay, and the like.

My husband and I travel every chance we get, and wherever we go, we take two guidebooks, one with color photos and overviews of major sites, and the other, the Blue Guide for the city or region in question. Blue Guides are not the practical choice for making reservations, finding out prices, or navigating the local transportation choices. When it comes to detail, however, about history, culture, not-to-be-missed or off-the-beaten-track treasures, they have no equal. City Guide Rome is no exception. Rome is a city best explored on foot, and this edition contains more than 25 guided walks. Because of this resource, we discovered San Clemente, with its amazing subterranean world beyond the Coliseum, the remarkable early Christian Church of St Agnese Fuori le Mure, and the lovely Roseto rose gardens. The background information provided for all listings is well researched, detailed, and interesting. Blue Guide Rome is worth every penny for travelers in search of an in-depth adventure.

The Blue Guides, while excellent, are not usually my go-to guides for travel. They usually tell me more than I want or need to know, and their lack of practical information means you can only use it in conjunction with another guide. Rome was an exception. There's simply so much there, and sites are often so poorly labelled and have so little information, that I found I actually needed to carry it around with me. In fact, my original Blue Guide was in a bag that BA lost, and after attempting to see the Roman Forum without it, I found an English-language store and paid 29 for a new copy. It's that essential.

I took a copy of Blue Guide borrowed from the library to Rome with me in December and when I returned, I knew I had to own it! The not overwhelming summary of more than two millenia of Roman history is invaluable, and the detailed cataloging of the art found in the churches and pre-christian sites whetted my appetite and deepened my understanding of the wonders I was seeing. For example, my visit to the Church of San Clemente would not have been as meaningful without the Blue Guide's detailed explanation of the three levels of the church, the lowest of which is an ancient Mithraic Temple. i also appreciated the reference to Vasari's attribution of the frescos in the Chapel of Saint Catherine to Masaccio. The site maps contained in 'The Blue Guide were also most helpful. The Blue Guide is a true treasure.

The Blue Guide series published by Norton are excellent travel guides. Chocked full of useful and interesting information, they remain my favorite for travel anywhere.

The Blue Guides are all stellar tools and this one was a gem this Summer.