Customer Reviews

Streetwise Florence Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Florence, Italy - Folding pocket size travel map

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've used the Streetwise maps in many cities of the world. They're compact, waterproof, and generally useful.

I've tried this one, but the Streetwise format just doesn't seem to work for Florence, which is made up of about five districts and where many of the sights (and there are a great many) are on side streets.

A better guide for Florence is the Knopf Citymap for Florence. It has a separate fold-out page for each district and excellent recommendations for shopping and restaurants for each one, yet is still sturdy and compact.

I recently purchased Knopf's map for Barcelona and was equally pleased. In the future, I'll check first to see if they have a map for cities I visit, and only buy a Streetwise map as a second choice./

I, also, have used Streetwise maps and been pleased. However, the Florence map is basically useless. It's awkward to use and difficult to read. Every tour book I've seen has a better map. Do yourself a favor and don't buy this item.

We purchased this map from AMAZON only weeks before our trip to Italy. Either it was incorrect from the start or has never been updated since its publication....or there are one way gremlins afoot at the publishers!!After trying every approach into central Florence using this map we realized that at least HALF of one way streets are WRONGLY MARKED! Finally we chucked the map and followed the actual street signs and found our hotel.

I have purchased several Streetwise for various cities. I found ALL of them to be useful. For Florence, it was particularly useful because the streets in Florence are narrow and not straight. You can easily get a bit lost - but not if you have the Streetwise map with you. You can use it to quickly get your location, and to see where the nearest piazza, church or museum is located. It also takes you across the Arno to the Piti Palace and Boboli Gardens. It is easy to carry and for someone who has progressed to bifocals -- easy to read.

Driving directions can change on a dime (see previous review), but walking the streets, so to speak, rarely changes. There are maps with more detail, but this map is an essential. Lightweight, laminated (waterproof), pocket-sized, and with almost all the detail that most Florence visitors need. Fully-opened, it is still small and easy to use. A handy gazeteer lists many streets and monuments, with map grid locations. There are some very tiny streets/alleys that are hard to make out, but that is true for almost any pocket-sized folding map.

This is one of many Streetwise maps I brought with me to Europe. I found every one to be useful. The maps allowed me to see exactly where I wanted to go. I marked off with a tape for each famous places that I wanted to visit. (Since the maps are laminated, I can remove and change the tape as many times as I want.) Seeing where the places were located helped me get a bearing of the locations and the distance separating them. It was a great way to familiarize myself in a unfamiliar city. Keep in mind, however, that we walked, not drove. I'm not sure how helpful these maps will be if you drove. All I know is that the visual display of the map helped me plan my itinerary. For instance, this map allowed me to visit as many famous Florence sites as I could possibly squeezed in the very limited time I had and still get me to the SMN train station to catch the train to Pisa. (How can one leave Italy without visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa?!) Without this map, I don't think I could've pull that off. (No, it's impossible to see EVERYTHING in Florence in 1 day! You need to be realistic and prioritize. You are on a vacation after all, not a marathon!) Thanks, Streetwise and Amazon.com!

Note: Index of hotels and places of interest are on the side of the map. It is rather small print so you may need your reading glasses.

We bought this map and the one for Rome and Venice for our vacation. The lamination makes it much sturdier than the free maps you get at hotels and in visitor guides. We got around without any problems.

That's how the transaction went. I ordered it. I received it. In great condition. In a short amount of time. Zip! Zip!

What I like about these maps is that they are durable and waterproof. I cannot tell you how many wet European maps we have ended up trashing. On Streetwise maps, you can highlight your areas of interest with a fine-tip Sharpie pen and when you come back home, clean off the Sharpie with some denatured alcohol and you are ready to use them for your next trip. I just wish they came with a fitted poly zip-bag.

We have the "Streetwise" maps for several cities and had to replace our Florence edition because we lost our prior one. We didn't hesitate to buy this one again, as it is handy (folds up to pocket size) and easy to read. Highly recommend to all travelers!