Customer Reviews

Rome (Eyewitness Top 10)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recently spent two days in Rome with this book as my only guide and it was perfect. However, you could fill up a much longer trip just with the itineraries and suggestions from this book. I didn't even have time to hit all of the top 10 and there are probably over 50 different important sites recommended, described, and mapped out in this book.

My favorite feature in the book is that in addition to the more general listings of restuarants, there are restaurants grouped by location right with the descriptions of the different sites. So, for example, if you're standing outside the Pantheon, as I did, thinking, hmm, it sure would be nice to get something to eat right about now... There's a list of restuarants in a number of price ranges that are located around the Pantheon, for example. Makes it easy either to plan out days either ahead of time or to make spontaneous decisions.

Personally, I wish I had done a bit more reading and research before I went. The information in this book is not very in depth, as you might expect from a top 10 book. However, there's no need to tote along a history book in your suitcase, and this little book does give surprisingly good overviews and juicy tidbits.

A tiny hint aside from the book, I found that many of the sites in Rome did not take as long to see as I thought. The Collosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, were all surprisingly quick visits, it doesn't take long to appreciate and there isn't a great deal of detail to go into. Of course, this all depends on your tastes. I would have spent longer at the Vatican than I did, taken a couple tours. Also, be advised that the Sistine Chapel keeps weird hours from what I understand, so plan around it. And as for the Forum, or Il Foro Romano, nothing is labeled, and there are no official tours as far as I know, so learn about it beforehand if you want to fully appreciate it. That is my completely off-the-cuff, amateur and unsubstantiated advice. : )

This is an excellent book to walk around with in Rome and it is also a very popular choice. During my recent trip to Rome, I saw many other tourists walking around with this book in their hands. The book is small enough to fit easily in a woman's purse and has a very good and detailed map of the historic centre of the city. There is also a decent but less detailed and less useful map of greater Rome.

Like the other "Top 10" travel guides, "Top 10 Rome" is in the format of top ten lists with related narrative and information for things like tourist sites, hotels, restaurants, etc. The list of top ten tourist sites is followed by lists of the top ten things about each site, and there are maps/diagrams of the Vatican, the Forum, Palatine Hill, and several museums. There are also top ten lists of sites, restaurants, shopping, bars and nightlife for different sections of the city with small maps showing where each place is.

There are top ten lists of "Ancient Sites," "Museums and Galleries," "Squares and Fountains," "Villas and Palaces," "Romantic Spots," "Green Spaces," and "Rome for Children." There are top ten lists for things such as "General Information," "Getting to Rome, "Getting Around Rome," "Eating and Drinking Tips," "Rome on a Budget" and "Things to Avoid." There are eight top ten lists of hotels/places to stay.

There is a top ten list of churches but in Rome you would really need a top twenty-five list of churches. You don't have to worry much about this, however, as most other churches of interest that are not included in the "Top 10 churches" list are included in the top ten lists of sites for different areas of the city, with one noteworthy exception: The book does not mention Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, founded in AD 320, where pieces of Christ's cross and an inscription by Pontius Pilate are on display.

My wife and I love the Top 10 series. We always buy a Frommers or Rick Steves book for the trip's planning, but the Top 10 is a must for the trip itself. It'll fit in a pocket (a long one), and will provide quick and easy references to the most important sights, as well as maps and public transportation routes.

I recently spent two days in Rome with this book as my only guide and it was perfect. However, you could fill up a much longer trip just with the itineraries and suggestions from this book. I didn't even have time to hit all of the top 10 and there are probably over 50 different important sites recommended, described, and mapped out in this book.

My favorite feature in the book is that in addition to the more general listings of restuarants, there are restaurants grouped by location right with the descriptions of the different sites. So, for example, if you're standing outside the Pantheon, as I did, thinking, hmm, it sure would be nice to get something to eat right about now... There's a list of restuarants in a number of price ranges that are located around the Pantheon, for example. Makes it easy either to plan out days either ahead of time or to make spontaneous decisions.

Personally, I wish I had done a bit more reading and research before I went. The information in this book is not very in depth, as you might expect from a top 10 book. However, there's no need to tote along a history book in your suitcase, and this little book does give surprisingly good overviews and juicy tidbits.

A tiny hint aside from the book, I found that many of the sites in Rome did not take as long to see as I thought. The Collosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, were all surprisingly quick visits, it doesn't take long to appreciate and there isn't a great deal of detail to go into. Of course, this all depends on your tastes. I would have spent longer at the Vatican than I did, taken a couple tours. Also, be advised that the Sistine Chapel keeps weird hours from what I understand, so plan around it. And as for the Forum, or Il Foro Romano, nothing is labeled, and there are no official tours as far as I know, so learn about it beforehand if you want to fully appreciate it. That is my completely off-the-cuff, amateur and unsubstantiated advice. : )

This was my first Top 10 book, and I will buy them from now on. Seeing a city like Rome is overwhelming because there's so much to do there. Top 10 Rome helps you prioritize. It includes helpful maps and insightful excerpts about the society and history of the place. You should get it.

This little book was our bible on a recent trip to Rome. I will always be grateful that DK included San Clemente in their top 10. This amazing little church is like a layer cake of fascinating things to see. The street level is a lovely 12th century church with beautiful floors, columns, and frescoes. Underneath is an excavated 4th century church that includes a frescoe with the first sentence ever written in Italian: "Fili de le pute traite", or "Pull, you sons of whores!" I kid you not. This level also includes the tomb of Saint Cyril, creator of the Cyrillic alphabet, and a wonderful tombstone with a pagan inscription on one side, and on the other, an early Christian inscription -- it was recycled! They have it set up so you can flip it over to see both sides. Finally, the bottom level has ancient ruins, including a Mithraic (pagan) shrine.

The only time the book let us down was its recommendation of Da Augusto, a restaurant in Trastevere. This was their #1 listing under "Cheap Eats" for Trastevere but it was the only unappetizing food we were served in our whole trip.

I had the good fortune to enroll in a class in graduate school that allowed me to spend over three weeks in Rome and its immediate environs. During that time, I was treated to lectures from architects, archaeologists, historians, and the like. Despite all my touring with know-it-alls, I found myself returning to the Top 10 Rome Guide to re-orient myself - where exactly were we when we saw that? Its maps are superb and the compact size makes it the only book you are really willing to carry amidst the Roman summer heat. I would reccomend the book to any would-be travelor, even an experienced veteran.
N.B.: some of the entrance prices for museums are no longer accurate - add 3 to 4 Euros each to adjust.

If you are traveling to a city and spending only a short time (3 or less days) you need nothing more than an Eyewitness Top 10 Guide. I will never go anywhere without one. It categorizes and boils things down, but the print is large enough to read. If you will be spending longer in your destination (for instance you are studying abroad) you will want a more comprehensive guide. Don't hesitate to buy any of the Eyewitness Top 10 Guides -- I have 3 of them.

the top 10 guides are the greatest books for traveling. they give the top 10 of everything you would like to know-sights, resturants, hotels. we traveled through europe and book several different types of books and the top 10 were our favorites! some of the info is a little off like the hours of the collsium and the prices of somethings so i would confirm

We took this on our Rome trip- I'd use it again because it was a great way to narrow down things we wanted to see, and to discover new cool things we wouldn't have thought of otherwise. The accuracy was really hit or miss- don't trust this book for bus routes, business hours, or historical facts.