Rick Steves' Venice 2004 [Paperback]

Rick Steves (Author), Gene Openshaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2003 | Series: Rick Steves' Venice

Rick Steves does more than just list where to travel in Europe; he gives travelers inside information on what to visit, where to stay, and how to get there--economically and hassle-free. Travelers can delve into European culture, make friends with the locals, and experience everything Europe has to offer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Today's tourists are as likely to be toting Rick Steves as Giorgio Armani, tasting the good life without burning through the Kids' college fund.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566915376
• ISBN-13: 978-1566915373
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,559,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable guide to Venice, May 24, 2004

By 

Philip Bewley (San Francisco, ca. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rick Steves' Venice 2004 (Paperback)

Rest easy and enjoy yourself ,weary traveller,here is your guide to Venice. Rick Steeve's guidebooks are simply the best available to assist the traveller in Europe, and this guide to Venice is no exception.I should know, I have travelled countless times to Europe on business and have used almost every guidebook printed.With this book you will find a charming,friendly hotel that will be clean ,attractive,and centrally located. Most importantly it will not be expensive(by Venice standards.)The guide to restaurants is right on and you will feel that you have become an "insider" to the best of Venice.Museum times and other necessary information is presented clearly and is up to date.
Everyone wants to find the "hidden Venice",where people are friendly and you will meet the Venetians. Everyone wants informed,even opinionated advice on where to go and what to do.Most people want to save money(the dollar is low, the Euro is high right now).This guide provides these things and more.His advice on packing light will save you time at the airport(a real hassle these days). I travelled with only one small carry-on and it made a world of difference in ease of travel.
I was prompted to write after reading the previous review who gave this book only one star!Well,no other guide book that I know of actually re-assures the traveller that you do not have to stay at the Gritti Palace,eat at Harry's bar, and bring lots of clothes to have a good time in Venice. By staying in charming Pensiones, eating where the Venetians eat and travelling light you will actually enjoy yourself much more.This is why these guides are beloved by people of all ages,especially older people(or middle aged like myself) who do not want to backpack and hostel(yes, I want my private bathroom),but who finds the advice in these guides liberating.
A must for the first time visitor to Venice, this guidebook is an invaluable,even revolutionary approach to travel for even the most seasoned traveller.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide., May 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Rick Steves' Venice 2004 (Paperback)

I just returned from Venice and depended upon this guide for general information, sightseeing guidance, and choosing my hotel. (I also used J.G. Links' Venice for Pleasure for sightseeing advice. Don't go to Venice without it!) I found Steves' book excellent. I stayed at a recommended hotel (Hotel Campiello) and it was just as described. The walks and museum tours are uniformly excellent. Only once did I have trouble and that is because a street named in the Rialto to Frari Church walk is either wrong or the sign identifying it is no longer there. However, the map in the book makes the route clear so that problem was cleared up in about thirty seconds. The writing is breezy, a bit irreverent, and easy to follow. The supplementary information is great. I used Steves' book on Amsterdam on a trip last year and was similarly impressed with that guide. He has me hooked as a steady customer and I will purchase his Rome book before my trip next year.

18 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Awful!, March 2, 2004

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rick Steves' Venice 2004 (Paperback)

I bought this book because I had seen (and suffered through) Steves' amateurish and infantile videos on visiting Italy. I was curious to see if his books were as bad as his videos. The verdict: they are equally as bad. The problem is, Steves isn't an innate or talented traveler, though he apparently has performed a miracle and makes money fooling others that he *is* a great traveler. The Arthur Frommer Guides are much better than these Steves offerings.

Problems abound. Steves concentrates most of his time on typical tourist destinations in Venice. Of course it's interesting to read about St. Mark's Sqaure, but does he provide information on how to catch a taxi or streetcar? Of course not. What about hotels? His advice is universally bad. He hasn't a clue on how to locate a low-cost Pensions and opts for dingy tents on the outskirts of town. His suggestions on eating are obtuse. Snacking in Italy is a cinch: go to a bakery in the morning, buy your rolls, cheese and coffee and be on your way. His suggestions of hanging around railway stations and saving a few pennies are insulting and poorly rendered.

Similarly wretched is his advice on getting about the city and Venice's environs. Forget the gondola, Venice is a walking city, not that Steves bothers to tell you this. Another weakness is Steves' opinions of the city, which basically consists of 10 pages advising you to frequent the cheapest and most touris-ridden spots. If that's all there is to see and do in Venice, then we're in trouble. Truly, this is a terrible book written in plodding, patronizing style, guaranteed to set your nerves a-jangle. Venice is a sublime place: the people, the food, the sights and sounds are fantastic! This book will steer you to the worst tourist traps. Avoid it.