Blue Guide Venice (Blue Guides Series) (Paperback)

~ Alta MacAdam (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Sets the standard for travel guides. -- Sunday Times [London] --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Description

Carefully devised routes lead the traveler away from the crowds, through labyrinthine alleyways to deserted squares, lively markets, and treasure-filled churches.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 6th edition (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393318052
• ISBN-13: 978-0393318050
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,812,033 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So you want to see Venice, February 20, 2000

By	John Schwartz (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

If you want to explore the soul of Venice, if you want to absorb every square centimeter of her charm, if you don't want to miss a thing, if you want to know all about every delightful thing you see, this is your guide book and none other. You'll never find these wonderful places any other way, and you'll never wonder what you're looking at anywhere in Venice.

The Blue Guides are incomparable: the are indispensable for a lover of the visual arts, a history buff, or a committed traveller.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent guide, but it only meets certain travel needs.., February 6, 2001

By	Just-a-girl "abc-survivors.net" - See all my reviews

If you are looking for a guide that will help you "narrow down" the choices of sights to see in Venice, this one is not for you. If you are looking for extensive lists and reviews of hotels, again this is not for you. Finally, if you're looking for detailed restauraunt information, you won't find it here. Basically, this guide is not a planning guide. I have used the Internet for most of my planning (e-mail me if you need some help finding some great sites [e-mail]).

What this guide does have to offer is an amazing amount of cultural, historic, and artistic information in a very packable sized guide. This will be the guide to read when you are doing your own tours of Venice. It will tell you far more than any tour guide would.

This guide also has map pages included. At first they are difficult to read and understand. But once you get the hang of them, you will love them. They are very detailed, and who wants to be seen walking around a city with a two foot map in their face??

The blue guide also gets you oriented to the city. Even if you don't use the Blue Guide's walks, they will show you which attractions are grouped together and will help you plan your routes (this is the one sense in which this guide works for planning). I haven't left yet,and my guide looks worn!

In conclusion, I am putting together my own itinerary that will contain details like restaurant and hotel addresses. And then this will be the only guidebook that I take with me to Venice. And I am looking forward to reading it and absorbing as much of the city as possible! If you are remotely interested in history and art and more, you will not regret purchasing this guide. I have used many guidebooks for trips, and the Blue Guides are the most informative and educated.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Blue Guide Shines, January 24, 2007

By	James Biernat (Southwest U.S.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Blue Guide Venice (Seventh Edition) (Paperback)

As an alternative to buying a souvenir guide to every site experienced, and missing a great deal more along the way, the Guide contains the specific and important details of major churches, museums, galleries and palazzos. I have used the Guide in Rome and found no need for additional guides. Focus is on what you'll see on your walks, and what you should see. No color pictures, fewer "ads" for stores and restaurants -- tho there are some -- but valuable-to-essential to the tourist serious about the experience in Venice.