Lonely Planet Italy

Average customer rating:

a disappointment
excellent service
Good for getting around & trivia, but not much else.
great book, but the cross-referencing...
Decent,...but I wouldn't use it alone

Lonely Planet Italy
Damien Simonis , Duncan Garwood , Paula Hardy , Alex Leviton , Josephine Quintero , Miles Roddis , and Richard Watkins
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet Rome: City Guides (Lonely Planet Rome)

ASIN: 1741043034

Amazon.com

From Antarctica to Zimbabwe, if you're going there, chances are Lonely Planet has been there first. With a pithy and matter-of-fact writing style, these guides are guaranteed to calm the nerves of first-time world travelers, while still listing off-the-beaten-path finds sure to thrill even the most jaded globetrotters. Lonely Planet has been perfecting its guidebooks for nearly 30 years and as a result, has the experience and know-how similar to an older sibling's "been there" advice. The original backpacker's bible, the LP series has recently widened its reach. While still giving insights for the low-budget traveler, the books now list a wide range of accommodations and itineraries for those with less time than money.

Explore the riches of Italy with Lonely Planet's essential guide. Featuring a special color feature on Italian art and architecture, this book also contains insider's advice on the best pasta and gelati; skiing and trekking information, notes on history, culture and current politics; as well as practical food and accommodation suggestions for every budget. Delightful sidebars add insight into the culture, with details on everything from gladiators to mushroom picking. --Kathryn True

Book Description

Buzz through Rome on a scooter, cook up a feast in Tuscany, float down Venice's Grand Canal and hang out with the glitterati on the Amalfi Coast - Italy is the real deal. Make sure you are pointing in the right direction with this best-selling guide.

o EXPLORE - in-depth coverage takes you beyond the classic cities into the heart of Italy's rolling countryside, craggy mountains and tiny hilltop towns o PUT IT IN CONTEXT - detailed history, culture, art and food chapters help you get under the skin of this incredibly diverse country o HATCH A PLAN - inspirational itineraries and comprehensive practical information enable you to make the most of your time in Italy o STAY IN STYLE - whether it's a cosy B&B for a night or a week in Puglia's trulli, our listings deliver o DINE OUT - from humble trattorie to fine-dining institutions, our hand-picked reviews highlight the best of Italy's regional cuisine

Customer Reviews:

a disappointment.......2007-06-11

I own about 20 Lonely Planet guides and am a real fan.
This is probably the most disappointing one to date.
The info seems to be all over the place, sometimes completely wrong or the opposite of what you would expect : A luxury complex in the book was a real dump in reality, a palace not worth while, was probably the best thing we saw on our 10 day trip.
Complete "must see" places are missing and others who LP claims to be "must see" were not that great, so overall the weakest LP guide I've read and used so far.
They should start this one from scratch

excellent service.......2007-05-03

wonderful speedy service from the bookseller. I am in New Zealand and I was getting a little apprehensive - I thought I would not get the book in time for our trip to Italy at the beginning of June but no it arrived here today and I am thrilled - thank you J K Books

Good for getting around & trivia, but not much else........2007-04-18

We just returned from a 10-day trip to Italy, mostly in Florence, Rome, and Milan. We carried both Lonely Planet Italy and DK Travel's EyeWitness Italy. Even though I've been a Lonely Planet devotee for years, I was very disappointed with Lonely Planet Italy.

Good points:

- Lonely Planet is GREAT for getting around. It has fantastic details on how to get from place to place. Even though we were flying in and out of lesser-known airports, the information we needed was there. Also, the Lonely Planet info made it a breeze to plan day trips to some of the smaller cities.

- Great tips! I think this is the biggest saving grace of Lonely Planet Italy. There were some fantastic tips for beating the crowds. In addition to information about advance bookings for museums (both in and outside of Italy), there was some great advice for avoiding queues at other major sights. This was especially helpful travelling during the super-crowded Easter holiday!

- Interesting Trivia. The one area of content that I actually picked up the Lonely Planet book to read was the little boxes of trivia. Things like a short history of Michelangelo's disagreements with the Popes. Most of these are usually fun and interesting to read.

- Lots of things to do! There were lots more listings in the Lonely Planet book compared to our Eyewitness.

- Extensive Hotel and Restarant Listings. The hotel listings are fine if you don't have another way to research them, but with so many great travel sites with candid traveller reviews, this doesn't make so much of a difference anymore. The restaurant listings are still helpful.

- Listings with admission fees. Our other guide mentioned in their listings if there were admission fees at places, but they didn't give the amount. It was nice to check Lonely Planet and know just how much things would cost, since some of the museums are not cheap!

- Lots of websites. I do most of my travel planning online before I leave, so I appreciated having the URLs for everything from hotels to museums to transportation.

Bad points:

- Crazy Itineraries. One thing I've always liked about the Lonely Planet books is the suggested itineraries like "Rome in 5 days." In the Italy book, this was only provided for Rome, which was disappointing, but the itineraries themselves were insane! There's actually a 2-day itinerary that covers almost ALL of Rome, which would be great for a whirlwind tour. The problem is that the longer itineraries were simply to finish the 2-day whirlwind and then see some more obscure sights. It seems that a better option would be to spend more time at the places visited in the 2-day trip. For example, explore some of the great museums that are in some of the areas glossed over by the 2-day plan.

- Absolutely no ratings of listed attractions. The problem with listing so many things to do is that you have no idea which ones you should actually do! I've found this to be a general problem in the Lonely Planet series. In more than one case, we've gone to see something after reading an interesting description in our LP guide, only to find that it's actually pretty boring, and the ONLY interesting points were the ones mentioned in the book. Eyewitness had a "Star Sight" system to mark their highest suggestions, and we absolutely loved this.

- Not enough descriptions or explanations. For example, the Lonely Planet description of the Roman Forums is something like, "To the left was the Temple of So-and-So. Across from that are the remains of the columns that formed the Such-and-Such." Unfortunately, it never explains anything about Such-and-Such or So-and-So, or why they were important. So you really have no idea what you're actually seeing (except the name).

- Too hard to follow. I've accepted this for years, because Lonely Planet keeps the book costs down by printing mostly black and white text, but in some places, it's just too hard to describe where something is. It's too hard to walk through a city square and try to read the prose descriptions of what's around you, especially when it's decorated with a the small literary flourishes that adorned the descriptions in this guide.

Overall, I feel that I just wouldn't have gotten as much out of the trip with only the Lonely Planet book. It's great for the logistics of travelling, but once we'd reached our destination, it wasn't very helpful at all. I highly recommend the Eyewitness guide if you want to learn more about Italy while you're there: Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

great book, but the cross-referencing..........2007-03-29

Great book, great line of books, but here's L.P.'s great quirk: despite an almost too complicated web of cross-references, you can't easily go from an item on the map to the description of that item. That is, if you're standing on Via del Corso and see that you are near five restaurants, it becomes a Herculean effort of page turning to find each of those five restaurants in the text. This seems like a minor point, but it will leave your cursing in the streets of Naples.
A solution that I came to in my more intense and grimy days of backpacking in small groups through Europe was to have one person carry a (well researched) Lonely Planet and another carry a (user friendly) Let's Go. This usually left us with all our bases covered.

Decent,...but I wouldn't use it alone.......2007-03-26

Lonely Planet is a great book, and it provides great advice, help on eateries, lodging, etc. I also got the Rick Steve's Italy book...and that has better advice, and it narrows down certain spots in each area to focus on. Lonely planet gives a little bit more history, but Rick Steve's Italy tells you the walking tours you should take, and narrows down 3 hotels rather than list all 10 that are okay in the neighborhood.

Average customer rating:

Excellent book
Came in handy for all sorts of scenarios you'll enounter...
Potty Mouth Phrases
Great Language
my favorite pocketbook!

Italian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Karina Coates , Pietro Iagnocco , Susie Walker , and Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet Italy
French: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
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Lonely Planet Tuscany & Umbria
Spanish: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

ASIN: 1864503173

Book Description

I thought I spoke Italian but the only thing I could think of to describe the Sistine Chapel was 'Mama mia!' Then I opened my phrasebook and entered a world beyond the Italy I thought I knew. <ul>

extensive two-way dictionary & easy-to-use sentence builder </li>

pronunciation for every word </li>

real language for a truly authentic Italian travel experience - art, soccer, food & wine plus classic pick-ups & put-downs </li>

special travellers' Latin for decoding historical sights </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book.......2007-06-12

I purchased this book to help me with my family trip. It was quite helpful when I don't know how to say certain
things. I was able to learn how to ask for directions during our driving trips to Tuscany town. I was able to purchase fresh grocery, order food.

I also learn some Italian from the CDs I purchased from Amazon.

I highly recommend this book. My children picked up some Italian, too.

Came in handy for all sorts of scenarios you'll enounter..........2007-04-10

I travelled alone in Italy for one week, and this little book was so helpful...referenced it again and again during my visit. It came in handy for practical situations travelers always encounter...directions, menu verbiage, and basic conversation with locals.
It also helped in more specific situations...for women traveling, this will help you formulate quick responses to the "ciao bellas" you'll receive. Bene!

Potty Mouth Phrases.......2007-03-09

I thought this would be a great way for my 10 year old and me to learn a few phrases before our trip to Italy. This would have been fine if I was 20 years younger and traveling with a bunch of free loving hippies. Using this book, I can use pick up someone up at a bar, ask for a condom, let everyone know I brought my own needle and call people derogatory names. Sure, I can learn to order spaghetti for dinner, but this is definitely not what I was expecting. In the future, I will have to read over a phrase book in person before purchasing.

Great Language.......2007-01-16

This little book is magic, is clear, easy to understand. It going to help us a lot in our trip.

my favorite pocketbook!.......2006-09-13

i carry it everywhere, when in the states or italy- great and easy set-up, extremely comprehensible pronouciation tips and helpful/useful blurbs about not-so-well-know (by the outside world) cultural practices, lingo, actions, etc. pleanty of categories, and explanations that make learning bits and peices easier to understand- cant say enough good!

Lonely Planet Rome: City Guides (Lonely Planet Rome)

Average customer rating:

Excellent all-round guide to visiting Rome
A must for a Rome vacation
Good overall, but iffy restaurant recommendations

Lonely Planet Rome: City Guides (Lonely Planet Rome)
Duncan Garwood
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1740597109

Book Description

A timeless city built by saints and emperors, Rome's grandeur awes and inspires. Be conquered by the greatness of the Pantheon, St Peter's or the Roman Forum, discover seemingly forgotten frescoes and ancient mosaics or amble through sun-drenched piazzas and indulge yourself at Rome's best gelaterie. Choose your own Roman adventure with this stylish guide by our resident author.

o FULL-COLOUR MAPS - make navigating the cobbled alleys and remote quarters of Rome easy o ART & ARCHITECTURE - the lowdown on the most notable monuments and hidden galleries o BEST DAY TRIPS - all the practical information you need to explore beyond the centre o DISCERNING REVIEWS - from designer restaurants to family-run trattorias, we'll take you to the best of this gastronomic heartland

Customer Reviews:

Excellent all-round guide to visiting Rome.......2007-01-09

I just (January 2007) spent six days with this guide as my constant companion on a holiday in Rome. I also saw many other people carrying this book around with them - so it seems it is a popular choice! I would say this book was an essential part of the success of my trip.

* Walking around central Rome I noticed that every other person seemed to be carrying some sort of map! The maps in the guide are clear enough for navigation in the city - once you understand their limits. For example, not every street is shown and/or labelled, but in the centre of the city you're never all that far away from a street that _is_ shown. Once I got the hang of the rather chaotic way the streets work, I felt comfortable with wandering around for a while and then finding my place on the map. But if (like me) you had booked a room in a hotel well outside the city centre, you will want to get a proper map of Rome and/or take a printout of the area from Google Maps - I did both. But in the city centre it's much easier to have the guide open to the map pages than to use a large folding map.

* In the shopping section there is a strong (but certainly not exclusive) emphasis on clothes/fashion/design. There's no doubt that this correctly reflects the vast number of such shops in Rome. Nevertheless, that is not my sort of thing and I would have liked more coverage of other types of store.

* The walking tour section is excellent. I did two of the walks pretty much as per the directions and found them very enjoyable. Be aware though that if you want to go in to the places on the tour you need to check opening times - for example, I started the Trastevere tour at about 10:30 and by the time I got to the second half of the tour most of the places were closed. Well, that was my fault - the book gives opening times for the places mentioned on the tours.

* Every place mentioned has specific directions on how to use public transport (metro and/or bus) to get there from Termini station - these directions were invaluable and I relied on them many times.

A must for a Rome vacation.......2006-11-03

Excellent book.
Very helpful while planning a vacation & during.

Good overall, but iffy restaurant recommendations.......2005-08-16

I took this book to Rome in 2004. It covered the sights well enough, and I managed to get a very decent hotel using its recommendations. The restaurant list was where it was weakest. I did much better eating at restaurants that were not in the book--its selections, when I ate at them, were mediocre to not very good at all.

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Tuscany & Umbria, 4th Edition, 2006

Lonely Planet Tuscany & Umbria
Alex Leviton , and Miles Roddis
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

San Marino & Umbria | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1740599195

Book Description

Beyond the magnificent Renaissance cities is a rolling landscape crying out for exploration, whether it's bustling markets and medieval hill towns, drowsy piazzas and ancient vineyards, or frenetic festivals and thermal springs. With detailed regional coverage, this definitive guide to Tuscany and Umbria is the key to your perfect getaway. TREASURE HUNT - tracking down fine art or hunting great espresso, our in-depth descriptions ensure you find the region's hidden gems ESCAPE - leave the crowds behind with detours to local haunts and insider tips for getting off the beaten track WINE & DINE - from family-run trattorie to truffle festivals, seek out the regions' outstanding cuisine with over 250 refined restaurant reviews KNOW YOUR WAY - inspirational itineraries and comprehensive maps help you plan ahead and get the most from your holiday

Customer Reviews:

Lonely Planet Tuscany & Umbria, 4th Edition, 2006.......2007-03-02

My partner and I used this guide for our trip to Tuscany (Toscana) in June 2006, and we found it very serviceable. The places we visited were Siena, Florence (Firenze), Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, and Volterra, among others.

Lonely Planet's guide gave us all the options available for getting to and from each city and town in the region. Whether by train, car, bicycle, or foot, it provides enough information to help you get there and back without too much trouble. This is in contrast to the Let's Go guidebooks which provide more information about staying in the towns themselves than about how to get there. This guide helped us with taking the train from Rome (Roma), and renting a car in Siena and making daytrips to Assisi, Perugia, and Orvieto.

The information on hotels is sufficient but I'd recommend doing a little research online about places to stay BEFORE you leave. LP guides give you a sampling of hotels and inns and a little blurb about each, but don't expect too much information on them. The quoted price ranges can be a little off, but LP assumes one is travelling during the peak season (July-August).

The information on restaurants is okay, and LP provides a decent listing of places to eat in whatever town you may be. It was either hit or miss for us. A few of the places LP recommended turned out to be duds but a few were spot on. One of the hits was a little taverna in Assisi that served linguini with black truffle sauce--yum!

As far as sites and attractions go, don't expect a wealth of information. LP gives a brief history/description for all the major sites but a lot of minor ones are either only touched upon or passed over altogether. One would be better off using the Michelin Green Guides for more detailed information about specific sites and attractions, as those provide a plethora of names, dates, and events that make them more akin to history books than travel guides.

The maps in the book are really good; they are accurate and easy to read. For all the major cities and towns covered in the guide, LP plots out the locations of all the hotels, restaurants, and attractions they mention. In this regard they are exactly like Let's Go (and all other guides, I imagine).

In my opinion this Lonely Planet guide is not the definitive book on Tuscany, but when used with other guides it can be an invaluable resource for your trip to this wonderful region of Italy. Pack it with you when you go--and don't forget the sunscreen!

Average customer rating:

A+ Seller
Not as good as Eyewitness
INVALUABLE ... Lonely Planet kicks it up several notches!
For Venice - anything but Lonely Planet. Sorry.
Venice is a "must see" and this guide is a "must have".

Lonely Planet Venice
Damien Simonis
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Lonely Planet Rome: City Guides (Lonely Planet Rome)
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ASIN: 174059813X

Book Description

Jostling gondolas on the moonlit canal, spellbinding art in Byzantine basilicas, captivating islands adrift on the lagoon - your first glimpse of Venice will take your breath away. Unmask the city's secrets with this discerning guide. UNRAVEL THE MAZE - full-colour maps and detailed walking tours guide you through the labyrinth of alleyways and bridges FLOAT AWAY - discover hidden Venice with our insider tips for escaping the crowds STAY IN STYLE - from modest pensione to sophisticated mansions, our hand-picked accommodation listings won't let you down DINE LIKE A DOGE - opinionated restaurant reviews track down authentic Venetian cuisine as well as the city's best gelato INTO THE VENETO - go further with excursions to Verona, Padua, Vicenza, Treviso and b

Customer Reviews:

A+ Seller.......2005-10-26

Book was brand new. Can't wait to take it on vacation with me.

Not as good as Eyewitness.......2005-02-26

Although this guide book did have useful information and was small and easy to carry, I thought our Eyewitness Venice travel guide was much better. The Lonely Planet descriptions seemed to tell me about everything that was going badly in Venice and focused very little on the beautiful and positive side of the city. I would recommend checking out the Eyewitness book instead.

INVALUABLE ... Lonely Planet kicks it up several notches!.......2004-06-08

The 3 reviews earlier refers to the older version of this guide. Lonely Planet has recently started to revamp all their guides and I have the new Rome, Florence & Venice. They are absolutely flawless. I will focus on Venice here (Rome & Florence has the same format as well). You will have an Introduction to Venice, City Life, Art & Architecture, History, Food (as Italy was united in 1870, every region has their specialties) Shopping recommendations, extended accomodation listings from 5 star to budget. Excursions to Verona (home to the great Italian dry red Amarone), Padua etc., color map section, entertainment, directory of transportation and practicalities, walking tours in each sestieri etc. Everything is grouped in their respective sestieri (old municipal divisions) for ease.

As Venice is broken down into 6 sestieri (or old municipal divisions), you will have 6 recommended walking tours in each sestieri accompanied with maps. Walking tours range from 2.5km to 9 km (1 mile = 1.609km) ... absolutely awesome ... Special and/or useful interesting reads in color boxes ... Top 5 recommendations for small charming hotels, hotel gardens, luxury hotels, museums, galleries, books, cds, films, activities for children, meat restaurants, gelato shops, pastry shops, foreign eats (if you ever get tired of eating Italian), cafes, drinking establishments, shopping areas, craft shops & shops for Kids. Top 10 notable buildings. Top 5 quirky events. Commentaries on important sites, churches, artwork etc. Floorplan of Basilica di San Marco. Information on tickets, opening/closing times.

The directory is very useful with URLs, email and tel. nos. and recommended transportation tickets. Notes on special museum and church tickets. Recommended walking/vaporetto tours to take.

Highly recommended ... made planning sooo easy!

For Venice - anything but Lonely Planet. Sorry........2002-11-03

Some devoted followers of Lonely Planet will immediately click "NOT HELPFUL" to avenge this comment, I am sorry if this reviews disappoints you, but one has to be honest, right?

Yes, I admit I am not the greatest fan of Lonely Planet - although I recognize there are destinations where no-one does the trick better than this cheap-and-nasty house of publishing. In Africa, for example, Lonely Planet was the best guide available. But Venice, this magical and charming little patch of magic in the Adriatic? This guide is a joke, but I am not laughing.

The book is more concerned with righting the world than with doing its job. Do you want to read more of the same moans about evils of international tourism and how irresponsible travellers are ruining the world? If the answer is yes, go buy this book. It will certainly accomplish the mission of ruining all the enjoyment of travel to one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

However, if you need a travel guide, not a campaign newsletter, you will be better off with another book. A book which might tell you that all the tourist crowds in Venice occupy perhaps five percent of the city's territory, while the rest is the real Venice with people getting on with their lives, buying groceries in small shops and hanging their washing outside, Italian-style. Another book may show you how charming, how crazily enchanting and breathtakingly delicate this city is.

Maybe with another book you will realize that all the alarmist moans about Venice which will die in five/ten/fifteen years unless tourism is banned are just another shameless exagerrations, concocted by scaremongers and killjoys.

Writing is excessively dry and is difficult to follow or enjoy. I find it hard to believe that a reviewer was pleased with maps - they are just sad and amateurish, worse than anything that I have seen in my life, aside from Lonely Planet Iceland and Greenland, which is and probably will be the world champion of poor mapping.

This guide is not a match for Eyewitness or Fodor's, it does not even come close to being a good guidebook. Do yourself a favor - buy something else.

Venice is a "must see" and this guide is a "must have"........2001-04-11

Venice is slowly sinking (literally) and some say that it is because of the additional weight of tourist visiting the island (at peak tourist tides - high summer - 100,000+ tourists a day). Venice is comprised of one hundred islands, stapled together by 400 bridges, water taxis and gondola hawkers, making this one of the most captivating cities of the world, and one that especially needs and deserves its own guide.

Damions Simonis has produced the definitive guide on Venice. In his "Lonely Planet Venice" you have brilliant maps, a solid introduction section that covers Venice's history, government, economy, ecology, climate etc. An informative practical travel section and most important, a reliable and up to date listing of recommendations for lodging, restaurants, entertainment, places to see and things to do. These, along with the beginning of Internet references (though he fails to include hotel web sites and email addresses), make this a great guide on Venice.

Book Description

Scale the spectacular Dolomites, peer into brooding volcanoes, explore medieval villages or saunter along sparkling coastlines - this guide walks you through Italy's wealth of natural beauty, history and culture. <ul>

detailed descriptions of 55 walks, from easy day strolls to multi-day adventures </li>

quality two-colour maps for each walk </li>

tips on the best camping grounds, rifugi (mountain huts) and pensiones </li>

transport information to get you to and from the walks </li>

step-by-step introduction to the exciting vie ferrate (iron ways) </li>

illustrated section on Italy's flora and fauna </li></ul>

Customer Reviews:

okay but not very in depth.......2006-03-10

This book covers so much territory so quickly, i didn't find it useful for the amalfi coast. there it only covered a few main walks in main towns instead of getting very deep. the Sunflower Landscape series is much more thorough but doesn't have hotel recommendations.

All the details you'll ever need to walk in Italy.......2005-01-23

This book walked us through some great walks in northern Italy. It has all the details you may need. The track is described in a way you can't go wrong. They warn the reader about every possible obstacle, give exact transportaion schedule, recommend maps, seasons and walking gear.

The tracks vary in length and difficulty. The book mentions the length, duration, and difficulty of every walk, so the reader can stay with what suits them.

We even took their recommendation for a hotel, and it turned out to be a good recommendation. It was not fancy, but clean and pleasant, just as the book said.

(I refer to the hotel they recommend in Malcesina, on lake Garda).

All in all - I'm very glad to have bought this book. It brought our trip to a whole different level.

There is a lot of general information about each area. I found it verey interesting, and I think you should read the descriptions carefully before you start your walks.

Have fun!!

Molto Bene!.......2002-09-23

Seeing Italy in all its grand beauty is simply not enough by plane, train or vespa. NO my friend, you must get out and WALK. There is no better way to see the hidden wonders of this wonderful country, and Lonely planet is the only walking partner you need. Tips on the best walking tracks, great food, hidden splendors...they are all in this easy to carry wealth of a paperback. When your trip is over, you will not want to part ways with such a book. I often look over this book to conjure up memories of my trip. If your heading to Italy, get this book, I dont think there are any others that fare better in comparison to Lonely Planet.

Just the book for choosing a walk in wild Italy.......2001-05-10

The emphasis of this useful little handbook is on walking in rural, even wild Italy. It describes walks in nine areas: the western Alps, the Lake District, the Dolomites, Maritime Alps, Liguria, the southern Italian volcanoes, the Amalfi Coast & Sorrento Peninsula, Tuscany and Sardenia. Also, it describes four long-distance walks which traverse the length or, pretty nearly, the width of Italy.

Coverage of each geographic area is uneven, but it's always at least enough for a rapid overview. For example, Liguria gets just 13 pages. However, it has so many wonderful walks that it's worth a book of its own. The volcanoes of southern Italy get 40 pages. And that's just about right.

There are useful chapters about the housekeeping details of taking a walk in Italy. These cover how to get to Italy, finding transport to the site of each walk, health, safety and first aid tips, facts needed for planning a walk and those background details of Italy which may be important to a walker.

very useful book.......1999-04-01

Serious trekkers should add this invaluable guidebook to their travel shelves. In its rapidly growing walking guide series, Lonely Planet very effectively defines its audience and focus. Walking in Italy is aimed at travelers who want to include extensive hiking in their trips or those who plan long-distance trekking journeys. The authors have selected nine areas of walks and organized both regionally and thematically. Sections such as the "Volcanoes of Southern Italy" tempt readers to plan trips that will immerse them in the rich culture and natural history of the regions described.

My wife and I field-tested this guide on a recent trip to Southern Italy and greatly valued its level of detail. We found the maps and trail directions highly accurate and easy to follow, and we particularly appreciated the many sidebars on local culture, history, and the environment. Walk descriptions also include public transportation to trailheads, campgrounds, budget lodgings and restaurants, even local sources for maps and trail guides. The first quarter of this compact book, moreover, is devoted to general travel information, which just could make this single guide all the walker needs to carry on a trip to Italy.

Lonely Planet Best of Venice
Average customer rating:
Lonely Planet Best of Venice
Damien Simonis
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Italy | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
Venice | Italy | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Lonely Planet Best of Rome (Lonely Planet Best of Series)

Lonely Planet Best of Florence (Lonely Planet Encounter Series)

Lonely Planet Florence Condensed

Lonely Planet Best of Milan

Lonely Planet Italy

ASIN: 1740599780

Book Description

Graceful palaces and Gothic churches, High Renaissance art and high tides - the unique romance of Venice never fails to captivate the senses. Immerse yourself in its maze of alleyways and labyrinthine canals with Best of Venice, the book that puts the whole city in your pocket.

• DISCOVER VENICE - hand-picked highlights and the best museum and gallery listings help make the most of your time in the lagoon city

• DINE OUT - discerning reviews guide you to tasty local trattorias and refined canal-side restaurants

• FIND THE HAUNTS - enjoy a perfect Bellini before an evening out with the help of our first-rate entertainment recommendations

• STEER A COURSE - accessible fold-out maps and detailed walking tours make navigating Venice trouble free

Book Description

Awe-inspiring art, magnificent architecture, a turbulent history - glory in the artistic and cultural wealth of this Renaissance city. Inside this indispensable guide you'll find all the stars of the city plus where to shop for designer-wear and beautiful gifts, how to avoid those touristy trattorias, and accommodation options for discerning travellers in every budget. FOCUS ON FLORENCE - history, art, food and fashion intelligently covered by our expert author DETAILED WALKING TOURS - mapped tours take you beyond the centre so you won't miss a thing FESTIVALS & EVENTS - our month-by-month calendar makes planning your trip easy HONEST REVIEWS - the best places to indulge your senses, from top-notch Tuscan fare to sumptuous fornaio pastries

Customer Reviews:

save your money.......2007-06-02

I lived in Florence for 6 months and made the mistake of taking this book along...worthless!

great restaurants and good advice.......2006-10-17

I just came back from Florence and I used this guide. It had great restaurants listed and I visited serveral. It also gave me some great advice for going to Fiesole. I saw a private garden that was beautiful!

If you are the type that likes to go to local hangouts, this is your guide.

Worst travel book I have *tried* to rely on.......2005-03-27

On a recent trip to France and Italy, my wife and I picked up books from several different publishers to cover each of the four areas we were visiting: Paris, Florence, Venice, and Provence. Every book was a tremendous help - except for this one published by Lonely Planet. Without a doubt, this is the worst travel book I have ever tried to rely on. A heroin-addicted chimpanzee could organize a book better than the author and editor, who have eschewed alphabetizing in favor of the random topic jumps of a fashion magazine. Once the information is located, it is muddled with the author's stream of consciousness ramblings about the reader's anticipated viewing of the Florentines' summer tans. For the book to be of any use, a visitor would have to highlight and memorize the rare and sporadic meaningful passages long before setting foot on Italian soil. Finally, the publishers at Lonely Planet have elected to provide only a smattering of maps of Florence, and instead ask that you purchase a separate book for that purpose. I can say, without question, that there are only 3 legitimate reasons for purchasing this "guide": (1) you are related to the author and have some familial obligation that cannot be severed by divorce; (2) you are writing a travel guide yourself and need an example of the worst case scenario to avoid; or (3) you are suckered in by the Lonely Planet logo without a prior customer review to warn you how bad it is.

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Sardinia
Paula Hardy
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Authentic Sardinia (Authentic Italy)
Sardinia (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
The Rough Guide to Sardinia 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
Sardinia, 4th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan)
Lonely Planet Corsica

ASIN: 1740598725

Lonely Planet Fast Talk Italian: Essential Language for Short Trips (Fast Talk Guide)

Average customer rating:

Lonely Planet Fast Talk Italian: Essential Language for Short Trips (Fast Talk Guide)
Lonely Planet Publications
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Italian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Lonely Planet Italy
A Traveller's History of Italy seventh edition (Traveller's Histories Series)
Lonely Planet Fast Talk Spanish: Essential Language for Short Trips; Sightseeing, Business, Shopping, Sleeping, Transport (Fast Talk Guide)
Lonely Planet Fast Talk French (Fast Talk Guide)

ASIN: 1740599950

Book Description

When time is short, Fast Talk Italian gives you the essential language to:

* do the sights & shop till you drop * book a room & order a meal * get from A to B fast * clinch that crucial deal * get your message across

Includes easy pronunciation of all words & phrases plus a mini dictionary of key words.

Lonely Planet's Fast Talk series provides you with all the basics for a short trip or weekend away in a practical pocket-sized format, making sure your stay is fun, easy and hassle free.

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