Frommer's Italy's Best-Loved Driving Tours (Best Loved Driving Tours) (Paperback)

by Paul Duncan (Author) "Italy is separated from the rest of the continent by the massive bulk of the Alps..." (more)
Key Phrases: museo civico, entrance portal, municipal museum, Santa Maria, San Giovanni, San Francesco (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
You are tootling along Italy's bucolic SS502, olive groves to the left of you, vineyards to the right of you, the rosemary-scented breeze in your hair, a picnic basket of focaccia, provolone, prosciutto, and a bottle of sangiovese in the back seat. All you need is a spare week, a charming companion, a rental car, and Frommer's guide to the pleasures of touring Italy by car. Italy's Best-Loved Driving Tours provides 25 motoring itineraries--all with easy-to-follow directions; quick approximations of how many days and miles/kilometers from start to finish; plus maps, photos, and descriptions of the highlights along the way, including coastal fishing villages, medieval towns, fortified hamlets, grand cathedrals, recommended walks, scenic passes, local shops, formal gardens, festivals, and historic sites. Some books serve as an inspiration and others as practical guides; this one does both. --Stephanie Gold --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Frommer's Driving Tours are packed with detailed, color-coded maps and stunning full-color photographs. Each guide outlines dozens of driving tour options and then helps you plan your route with exact directions, distances, and driving times. You'll see all the top sights and then have the flexibility to discover the hidden pleasures of each destination ñ our suggested routes include scenic detours and stops for spectacular views, easy walks, shopping, dining, and fun breaks for travelers with children. We'll show you how to enjoy some of the world's most spectacular drives!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Frommers; 5 edition (March 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764563653
• ISBN-13: 978-0764563652
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #959,747 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only buy one guide book for Italy, buy this one., November 7, 1999

By	Betsy Nicoletti (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Italy's Best-Loved Driving Tours (Frommer's Best-Loved Driving Tours. Italy, 4th ed) (Paperback)

This was the most helpful guide book I used on what to do and see in Italy. The pictures were helpful, and the routes they suggested included wonderful places that I would have overlooked. It doesn't include where to eat/stay, but it's terrific on what to see while you're there.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT! for a driving holiday "off the beaten track", September 15, 2000

By	sucheng (Silicon Valley) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frommer's Italy's Best-Loved Driving Tours (Frommer's Best-Loved Driving Tours. Italy, 4th ed) (Paperback)

This book is perfect if you are planning a driving vacation around Italy (or parts of it) and would like to get away from the touristy centers like Venice, Rome, Florence, etc. It doesn't even cover those major cities, but does provide a wealth of other suggested places to visit, which were relatively quiet and tourist-free, even at the end of August. We just returned from a 6-day visit, and rather than complete any single tour from the book (they're typically 3-4 days each), simply selected sections of the itineraries that fit into our timeframe and location.

2 things to note: this book does NOT provide any listings for places to stay, so you will need another resource (I found several excellent country inns on the Web.) Also, while detailed maps of each tour are included, you will also need a good roadmap or atlas of Italy, esp. if you will be visiting more than one part of the country.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bella Italia from behind the wheel or by zooming with a Vespa, February 3, 2006

By	Gabriel E. Borlean (San Jose - Capital of Silicon Valley, California USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Frommer's Italy's Best-Loved Driving Tours (Best Loved Driving Tours) (Paperback)

Excellent guide to seeing Italy with a car or a Vespa moped. You will enjoy some great driving tours and routes through Italia.

Frommers has recently come out with a "Best-Loved Driving Tours" series ... guides that are not very inexpensive, but are very well researched and quite comprehensive. One will have plenty of driving tours and routes to chose from, whether you like arts and museums, scenic roads and breathtaking views, urban towns and shopping, or just want to experience a regione's culture and life.

Unlike the other Frommer guides that are fatter and heavier, this little book gives you not too many specifics on lodging or eating. It is geared strictly for the person behind the wheel and her or his passengers.

I have had a great experience using this guide and will recommend it to anyone who can afford it. Also, you might want to check to see if your library carries it and check it out for the duration of your visit abroad.

When I backpacked 4 months through Europe I had a copy of the Lonely Planet for Europe (a thick and heavy book) because it covered more cities and esoteric towns, a ripped chapters of all the international youth hostals Europe of the countries I visited, and as primary guide for nominal cities and capitals I used Frommers (ripped the book and kept only chapters of countries planning to visit - so I can keep the weight down).