Frommer's Sicily (Frommer's Complete Guides) [Paperback]

Darwin Porter (Author), Danforth Prince (Author)

Book Description

Series: Frommer's Complete Guides | Publication Date: April 15, 2005

All new! An unbeatable guide to an increasingly popular Mediterranean destination.
o Shows travelers how to explore the unique land and culture of Sicily, which was named the world's eighth-best island in Travel & Leisure's 2001 World's Best Awards
o Gives readers the scoop on Sicily's many historic sites and architectural monuments, including the baroque glories of the Valdi Noto and the ancient Greek ruins of Agrigento, both recently named UNESCO World Heritage Sites
o Pinpoints the best of Palermo as well as Sicily's top resorts and most memorable hill towns-and delivers the lowdown on Sicily's natural wonders, including Mount Etna, the world's tallest active volcano
o Includes a giant full-color foldout map

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer. Frommer's. The best trips start here.

• Discover the best and most evocative of Sicily's ancient ruins.
• Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.
• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.
• Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

About the Author

As a team of veteran travel writers, Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have produced numerous titles for Frommer’s, including best-selling guides to Italy, France, the Caribbean, England, and Germany. Porter, a former bureau chief of the Miami Herald, is also a Hollywood biographer. His most recent releases are The Secret Life of Humphrey Bogart and Katharine the Great, the latter a close-up of the private life of the late Katharine Hepburn. Prince was formerly employed by the Paris bureau of the New York Times and is today the president of Blood Moon Productions and other media-related firms.

Product Details

• Paperback: 347 pages
• Publisher: Frommer's; 2nd edition (April 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764574582
• ISBN-13: 978-0764574580
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,569,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #75 in Books > Travel > Europe > Italy > Sicily

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Sicily, this is the definite winner, June 5, 2004

By 

Andrius Uzkalnis (Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frommer's Sicily (Paperback)

I had this guide as a back-up to my conventional choice of DK Eyewitness. DK let me down completely, and I had to rely on Frommer - and boy was I lucky I bought this book.

You may argue with the style of writing (for many, it is too patronizing and too prescriptive), but you cannot argue that they have done their reserch and then some more. If you are on a mission to set the world straight and if everything smelling of America appals you, you will not like it: Lonely Planet will make you happier. However, if you seek reliable information for your trip and generously extensive descriptions, Frommer's is your guide.

Good maps, and detailed (if very personal) descriptions for lodging and restaurants. Practical info is as good as you can get in often unpredictable and laid-back Italian south. Info about driving in Italy is honest. Writing style is lively and positive; you get overall sense of authors enjoying themselves and really being in love with the island.

This is Frommer's first guide to Sicily, and first guides are not always very strong - but this one is definitely a major success.

Frommer's does not often come as top of the list in my guidebook recommendations, but this is one occasion where it does so with flying colors.

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I got the inside scoop on everything about Sicily!!, August 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Frommer's Sicily (Paperback)

The color fold-out map was useful in my journeys to Sicily's many historical sites and architectural monuments. This guide is all I needed in Sicily and covered all of my top destinations, including Palermo, Catania, Syracuse, and more!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Did the author even visit the westside of the island?, May 15, 2008

By 

TonyT - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Sicily (Frommer's Complete Guides) (Paperback)

This book is a real let down.
The suggested itineraries are absurd. The one week itinerary actually suggests that you try to visit the whole island in one week, which would involve you spending most of your time in the car!

Most of the recomended best beaches are a bunch of flat, crowded, over-developed boring beaches next to the big cities. When actually Sicily is full of beautiful picturesque beaches set amongst interesting rocky cliffs off the beaten track.

Furthermore, it seems that the writer never even visted the west side of the island. There is only 18 pages on the west side of the island, and the Egadi Islands are not even mentioned.

I would not recomend this book, especially if you intend to visit the westside of the island.