Rick Steves' Italy 2012 [Paperback]

Rick Steves (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2011 | Series: Rick Steves

You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Italy.

From the beaches to the Alps, from fine art to fine pasta, Italy has it all. With this book, you’ll trace Italian culture from Rome’s Colosseum to Michelangelo’s David to the bustling elegance of Milan. Experience the art-drenched cities of Venice and Florence, explore the ancient ruins of the Roman Forum, and learn how to avoid the lines at the most popular museums. Discover the villages of Tuscany and Umbria and the lazy rhythms of the Cinque Terre. Shop at local market stalls, sip a cappuccino at an outdoor café, and pick up a picknic lunch at an allimentari. Relax and enjoy the life of Bella Italia!

Rick’s candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. He’ll help you plan where to go and what to see, depending on the length of your trip. You’ll get up-to-date recommendations about what is worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1104 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing; 2012 Edition edition (October 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 161238000X
• ISBN-13: 978-1612380001
• Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 4.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Travel > Europe > Italy > General

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Good Within Limitations January 20, 2012

By J. Martens

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I like the book and found it very useful, but do have issues with it. First, Trieste isn't covered. Granted, Trieste is not a hugely popular tourist destination, but it is a great place to visit with much history.

The maps are readable for us older folks, but not really very good. Streets are left out and featured places of interest are misplaced. A good example is in Verona where the "Devotional Column," which is across the street from the arena, is shown over a block away. Take the book, but get a better map from the TI or elsewhere.

Verona also provides a good example of another deficiency. The suggested self-guided walk includes things of seemingly limited interest, like the house of Juliet (completely created for tourists--Juliet was fictional, and so never had a house) and leaves out the fascinating Roman theater, which is just a block off the suggested walk.

For Herculaneum, though, the tip on how to turn the lights on in the gymnasium was tremendously useful.

Hotel and restaurant reviews tend to not be useful in any guide book, so I don't blame Steves for this. Virtual Tourist and the like, with large numbers of reviewers, are much better. If these recommendations were removed, the book would be lighter, fit better in a jacket pocket, and yet be no less useful.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Guidebook for Practical Information November 19, 2011

By Katherine E. Porter

Format:Paperback

While Rick Steve's guidebooks aren't filled with beautiful pictures they are chock full of practical information. Example: In the Milan train station stand with your back to the tracks and the ATMs are on your right and the restrooms are on your left. With all the information on the Web it can still be difficult to find out if there is an English bookstore in town or a laundromat or where there are Internet cafes or free Wi-Fi. Rick Steves guidebooks will give you all that information and more. I never leave home without one.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Guide filled with Secrets! December 2, 2011

By Coamex

Format:Paperback

I went on my honeymoon to Italy and this book was the only thing I used to guide me around Rome. Rick Steves is simply AWESOME! One example I remember was following his tip about buying the Colosseum tickets on the Colina Palatina booth, in order to skip the HUGE lines on the Colosseum! I did just that and me and my wife went laughing ALL the way from the back of a 200 person line to the entrance and into the Colosseum! AMAZING! This book is filled with MANY, MANY secrets like this and I couldn't find any situation on which Mr. Steves was wrong. If you are going to Italy, take this book with you and SAVE a TON of money! Highly Recommended!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rick Steve's guide books are the best November 14, 2011

By kr

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Over the past few years we have had the opportunity to travel to different parts of Europe and the mid East including England, Spain, France, Amsterdam and Jordon. In every case we have purchased the guide book for the area and found them to be a great resource on what to see, how to get around, where to eat and what to avoid. Much cheaper than paying for a guided tour. Highly recommend them.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars OK. Get the city book itself, not country. April 21, 2012

By yazmin182

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My first Rick Steve's book was his Paris book. I thought it was excellent. I made the wrong choice of purchasing his Italy book because I was visiting Rome, Florence, and Venice and didn't want to buy and carry 3 different books with me. This was a mistake. This book is not as detailed as usual books and it gets really confusing. For example, he does not give good directions from getting to one place to another on his guided walks. Also, he repeats some of the information so it gets confusing, I wasn't sure which part to read first. The map enclosed is also not great. It is a general map of Italy and it's major cities, but definitely not detailed enough when you're actually in the city. In the end, Rick Steves still has great suggestions in the book, but I would definitely get his book on each city which would be more comprehensive and detailed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Source of Information on Italy August 15, 2012

By Joseph G. Wessely

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Rick Steves' provides great insight into visiting Italy, saving you time and money. A great reference source made even easier to use on the Kindle version by utilizing the search function.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rick Steves' Italy June 4, 2012

By John Davis

Format:Paperback

My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Italy and this guide was invaluable. Our favorite part of the guide book was actually his recommendations on where to eat. He divides each city into areas and lists delicious and inexpensive places to eat. We were never disappointed. He also includes walking tours of each city that are really quite enjoyable. The first night we arrived in each city we did one of his walking tours to orient ourselves and learn a bit about the history. He also has a free audio tour app for many of the major sites you will see. Instead of having to pay for an audio guide at each museum we went to, we just used his. They were informative and a little cheesy :)
He also recommends good places to stay for every budget. As students, my wife and I found his recommendations to be extremely helpful. The places he recommended were clean, inexpensive, and the locations were great. I would definitely purchase another of his guides for other countries that we visit in the future.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rick Steves can be depended upon to deliver useful information November 21, 2011

By MDix

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Over the years I have used several of Rick Steves's travel books to plan my European vacations. I have never been disappointed with any hotel, restaurant, or sightseeing destination that was recommended in any of his books. This Italy guidebook also features discounts that are often provided by hotels and restaurants that are recommended. Finally, Rick's sense of humor and his canny understanding of what is important (and fun) while traveling, make reading this book a thoroughly enjoyable experience.