15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent guide overall, with a few minor quibbles, January 9, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Rome in Detail: A Sophisticated Traveler's Guide (Paperback)
Overall, this book delivers what it promises: descriptions of "hidden gems," walking tours, and restaurants that go beyond those of the standard Rome travel guide recommendations (the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, etc.) to provide the visitor with a richer and subtler experience of the city.
The book divides the city into nine different neighborhoods, and provides artistic, hotel, and culinary highlights for each. The book's greatest value is in the walking tours, which expose the visitor to out-of-the-way churches or relatively unexplored neighborhoods. I greatly enjoyed visiting sights that I would never have seen had it not been for this book - the Santa Prassede and San Saba churches, and the Testaccio neighborhood, to name a few. The walking tours, such as the Quirinale and Via del Corso routes, are well-organized, and the writing is informative and well-written.
All of the contributors to the guide have lived in Rome for a while, and their "insider's" knowledge clearly comes across. I showed this book to a friend who lives in Italy, and, impressed with the authors' familiarity of lesser-known locations and insights, he gave the book a strong endorsement.
That said, there are several minor flaws. Although the maps show locations of various sights very clearly, they are not easy to use to navigate this very chaotic city. The maps are split up into the nine different neighborhoods, and one must flip back and forth through different pages to find one's way to a new area, which can be cumbersome and maddening. The maps also do not clearly indicate precise subway locations. These flaws may be avoided if one supplements the book with a separate tourist map.
Secondly, the restaurant list could have provided a more diverse selection of choices in the lower price range. The book's recommendations tend to focus more on expensive, high-end (and occasionally overpriced) restaurants. I would have appreciated a more extensive listing of inexpensive trattorie that provide traditional fare for good value. The Slow Food guide (only available in Italian) provides far better choices for this sort of meal. Clearly, the book seems geared more towards travellers with means (i.e. the expensive hotel and restaurant choices, "best golf courses" recommendations, etc.).
Finally, opening hours information is occasionally inaccurate or just plain out of date - a common problem with guidebooks, but troublesome if one tries to plan an extensive itinerary beforehand.
In general, however, the strengths of this guidebook outweigh its minor weaknesses. No travel guide is perfect, but Rome in Detail provides especially valuable insights into this extraordinary city.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Attention art lovers!, September 3, 2004
This review is from: Rome in Detail: A Sophisticated Traveler's Guide (Paperback)
I had absolutely no problem navigating this guide. Listings are grouped by neighborhood and I was able to plot my itinerary very easily with a streetwise map. Very nice info on history and contents of different villas and churches with local color for added atmosphere. I found the practical information on hours and admission fees to be up to date. I ended up not using too many of the restaurant recommendations but was happy to have cafe and shopping tips.
My only complaint would be that the maps are not terribly accurate- consider them illustrations only.
This book may be a little scholarly/dry for some but I think they are a great resouce and I am happy to have them in my collection. I bought both Rome in Detail and Florence in Detail at Barnes and Noble for about $25 each. This price here on Amazon is a LOT less. Definitely worth the price.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
At last, a guide for grown-ups, November 17, 2009
This review is from: Rome in Detail: A Sophisticated Traveler's Guide (Paperback)
I used this book when I was looking for cosmatesque floors in Italy. This is the only book I found with an index that includes a great scope of arts--other than the usual "must see" places like the Vatican Museum and the Borgheses. I too found the organization of the book a bother and the maps difficult to see/read, but the information contained here is excellent and much more eclectic than other guides. Its shortcomings are minor compared to the wealth of information included in this guide.
This book has tips for some really unusual shopping experiences, dining guides by neighborhood, and excellent walking guides. I'd suggest reading the book before departure and making selections in advance to set up your itinerary because the book has so much information. It provides a banquet of suggestions on things to see, but allows you to choose and set priorities--so it truly will get you off the beaten path, if that's where you want to go.
A decent map to supplement it is all you need. This book is about exploring Rome, not how to ride buses, what to eat and how to avoid getting your pockets picked. This is a guide for grown-ups.
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