Rick Steves' Italy 2004 (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Bella Italia! It has Europe's richest, craziest culture..." (more)
Key Phrases: rooms into three categories, tabacchi shop, free loaner bikes, Cinque Terre, Mark's Square, Santa Maria (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Join Rick Steves on a trip to a land of breathtaking countryside, fascinating history, fabulous wine and food, and beautiful people. Rick Steves' Italy 2004 covers the Cinque Terre; Florence; Pisa, San Gimignano, and Siena; Orvieto and Civita; Rome; Naples, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and Paestum; Venice and Verona; Bolzano and the Dolomites; Varenna, Lake Como, and Milan. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Italy 2004 includes color maps, opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566915333
• ISBN-13: 978-1566915335
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (147 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #843,897 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

215 of 222 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this guide book first, April 8, 2000

By	"sbgantz" (Alexandria, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rick Steves' Italy 1999 (Rick Steves' Italy, 1999) (Paperback)

This was the 3rd guide that I have used in this extremely useful series. If you are planning a trip to Italy, buy this guide first. It is concise and will focus your attention on the most worthy destinations in Italy. Once you have decided on which regions to visit you can buy supplementary regional/city guides geared towards your specific interests.

As expected with this series, the guide provides great coverage for compact regions served by great public transport. For example, the chapter covering the Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento/Amalfi/Paestum region is particularly excellent. The maps and directions for using the local commuter transportation were flawless. I used buses, trains, and boats to move around the region with ease, avoiding the readily available and costly tour buses. Rick also correctly instructs you to stay in Sorrento, which is pleasant and safe, rather than Naples, which is neither.

I also visited Florence and the Hill Towns of Tuscany and Umbria. Once again, Rick's recommendations were on the mark, correctly focusing you on the most enjoyable destinations such as Siena and Assisi. If you want to cover the region in depth, as I did, you will need an additional guide (I recommend Blue or Green).

Other chapters that looked particulary good were those for Rome, Venice (great maps and instructions for using commuter boats), Cinque Terre, and the Dolomites. I can't wait for my next trip to Italy!

I found the hotel and restaurant recommendations somewhat low-end for my needs, but did have success with 2 hotels and a few of the restaurants.

86 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Most Recent Info Available, November 26, 2002

By	Wallace V. French III (Boston MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Rick Steves' Italy 2003 (Paperback)

I was looking for a guide book to help with an upcoming trip to one of the lesser known places to see in Italy. Paestum. Rick Steves' book was the only one that had a comprehensive guide to the city and ruins of Paestum. All the other Italy tour guide books only slightly mentioned it and how to get there. Steves' has a great layout of the ruins and a guide to the museum and places around Paestum to visit. This book is also a great guide for people coming to Italy for an extended period of time. The book has information for the big places to visit (Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan) as well as the lesser known places to visit (Paestum, Puglia, Assisi, and Cortona). A must for the traveller. Not much of a difference with the 2002 book. It mostly has updated phone numbers and updated prices. If you have the 2002 book and don't have the money you really don't need this one, but if you are crazy about Italy or are looking for a book on travelling around Italy this is the best book out there.

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take this with you!, August 4, 2000

By	E. Taylor (Monmouth, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Rick Steves' Italy 2000 (Paperback)

We've just returned from Italy and Rick Steves' Italy 2000 was the travel book we could not have done without. Rick does a great job of highlighting the sites as well as providing useful information about the best times of day to visit, how to make reservations for the busiest sites, and easy to understand maps. The book's size also makes it easy to carry with you as you travel during the day.