Customer Reviews

Rick Steves' Italy 1998 (Serial)

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Rick Steves produces a very engaging travel video series broadcast on many public television stations. The quality of his television production is quite high which makes his books all that more puzzeling. As with his earlier printed series, there's really not much to the books. It's a wham bam with little cultural awareness. The approach seems to be: just head for a cheap meal and watch people hang out with an emphasis on the lowest price. While saving money is a worthwhile object, it's the not the be all and end all of travel. This attitude prevalent in the 1960s and 70s leaves a huge gap in the learning and cultural awareness of a gret country such as Italy. If Rick Steves were to pick up a copy of a guidebook to Seattle written written and produced like his, he would throw it away in a minute. Others in this category, are the Let's Go and Lonely Planet guides both empty and devoid except for brat packers. Get the Rough Guides for the best of Italy and other places.

Rick Steves' Italy proved an excellent reference for us in our recent two-week tour of Italy. It was definitely the book we used the most. Instead of including volumes of information, Steves includes just what he deems the best--and we were very happy with his judgments. He divides Italy into nine areas to visit--the Dolomites, Lake Como, Venice, Milan, Florence, Cinque Terre, hill towns in Tuscany and Umbria, Rome, and Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Then he recommends several of the very best places within those areas. Two consequences of this concise method are a light, easy-to-use book and meeting other Americans holding Rick Steves' book in their hands. We enjoyed comparing notes.

We enjoyed and traveled according to Steves' philosophy of looking for the uniqueness and character of every place and being as involved as possible with the local people. Steves' hotel and restaurant recommendations were good and accurate, based on cost, cleanliness, location, and c! haracter. Especially helpful were his brief and clear directions to stations, museums, hotels--any places of interest. Using this book, we felt we saw and did much of the best there was to see and do, without wasting time or spending too much money. Steves updates his books every year, so all the names and information were very current, though some prices had already changed.

I would definitely use Rick Steves again for any future European travel. And though I don't really watch TV, I'm going to try to find his show on PBS. People swear by it.

Forget Frommer's, Fodor's and a score of other travel books for Italy. Buy Steves' book and buy Let's Go Italy. Both are for the traveler who wants to EXPERIENCE Italy. It is almost useless for dullard type of American "traveler" who just wants to hit a few obligatory sites only to return to an American filet mignon on a Norwegian cruise boat. The Steves-Let's Go combo helped make my last visit to Italy vastly rewarding and pleasurable. Finally, take Steves' Scandanavian socialism with a grain of salt. With Mother Theresa and Princess Diana dead, who in this world is perfect? Steves knows European travel. Buy his book.

I never travel anywhere without my Rick Steves' books. Even though I already own the 1994 Rick Steves' Italy, I ordered the 1998 version so I'd have the latest information for my June trip. Rick always lists hotels that are comfortable, clean, safe, and, best of all, affordable by normal people. I'll be traveling to the Naples area and the first thing I wanted was Rick's recommendations for hotels. After taking his recommendations in London, Vienna, and Paris, I always rely on him - - and this trip to Italy is no exception. He's great with planning your sightseeing at all the "essential" sights of an area. The book provides great directions by train to Pompeii, and even a recommended tour of the ruins. Rick's writing style is amusing and friendly, making it a lot of fun just to sit down with his books and read them. For example, one of his recommendations for a hotel in Sorrento is this: "Hotel Loreley is a reasonable exception in an otherwise expensive neighborhood. The setting is drunk with character." I always travel with Rick!

I'm an American who's been living in various cities in Europe for the last 2 years. Rick Steve's has NEVER led me wrong in all my travels. My visiting guests and I simply refer to him as 'The God of Travel' or just 'Rick'. Whether it's which sights to pass on with limited time to the most unique 'back door' hotels or pensions. His guides are funny, frank and to the point. If piles of historical text is what you're looking for, you won't find it here. This is no huge book to haul along with you. It's all you need to educate yourself on the sights of Europe. Each section begins with a quick overview of the city or area and with great bits of information you'd not get from the encyclopedia. I have almost all of his 'regional' books for Europe as well as the 'Best Of Europe' and they are all tops and go above and beyond any other guide book I've come across. Great maps, simple directions for transportation systems, advice on getting around and even itineraries for limited time. This is all you need to know to introduce yourself to a strange city and what it has to offer! It's a must for the traveler.