Product Description

Completely updated every year! Frommer's Italy features gorgeous color photos and maps of the most of the ancient and modern cities, classical architecture and ruins, vineyards, villages, and gorgeous countryside vistas that await you. Much more detailed and comprehensive than the major competition, this is simply the most reliable and in-depth guide you can buy.

It's personally researched and full of candid opinions. Our authors have chosen the very best places to stay, from the grand hotels of Rome and the chic resorts of Capri to charming and affordable inns and small hotels in regions like Tuscany and the Lake District. And of course, we'll make sure that you dine memorably throughout Italy, whether you're splurging on a world-class restaurant in Florence or looking for a little-known trattoria that serves all the classics.

Wherever you go, you'll rely on Frommer's for authoritative but fun-to-use coverage of all the historic, artistic, and cultural treasures. You'll get a complete shopper's guide, the latest trip-planning advice on everything from bargain airfares to rail passes, and a complete shopper's guide. Frommer's Italy even features a color fold-out map!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20135 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 819 pages

From the Back Cover
Frommer's. The best trips start here.

Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.

• From the ruins of ancient Rome and the excavations at Pompeii, to the finest Italian wines and the best dining experiences, our authors provide up-to-date advice on how to make the most of your trip.

• Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.

• Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.

• Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.

Find great deals and book your trip at Frommers.com

About the Author
A team of veteran travel writers, Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have produced numerous titles for Frommer’s including best-selling guides to Italy, France, the Caribbean, England, and Germany. Porter is also a noted Hollywood biographer; his most recent releases are Howard Hughes: Hell’s Angels (2005) and Brando Unzipped (2006). He is a radio commentator and newspaper columnist on popular culture; his broadcasts are heard in all 50 states. Prince, formerly of the New York Times Paris bureau, is the president of Blood Moon Productions and other media-related firms.

Customer Reviews

With so many resources out there.. do you really need another guidebook?
I know, I know.. there are so many guidebooks out there, how do you pick the right one? Well, it depends what your need is. If you are looking for travel advice in general, the Rick Steves Rick Steves' Italy 2009 (Rick Steves) or the 'Italy for Dummies' Italy For Dummies (Dummies Travel)as they're both good. If you need information on history and highlights on the cities and sites, I would go with Eyewitness's Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guide). If you need suggestions on hotels or restaurants, the Michelin guides Michelin the Green Guide Italy (Michelin Green Guides) are better and less biased.
Frommers has a melange of all of the above, but I think overall it's a little dispersed.

Frommer's Italy 2008
Not a bad travel book, fairly complete, decent detail on many of the cities within the country, but the book does lack pictures, has a few in the front of the book. That would have made the book more complete and enjoyable. As the old saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

Just So-So
We are still in the planning process of our trip so I can't speak for how true the information in the book is, but I can say that it is not an easy read. I bought Rick Steve's book and read the entire book in 2 weeks (including highlighting and visiting websites). So, I thought I would go ahead and get another guidebook since our trip was 4 months away, and I planned to compare notes. I've had this book 1+ month and simply can't motivate myself to read it. It is much denser.

It does offer tons of information. Far more than the Rick Steve's book. The dining section is organized by area of town which I like, and I get the impression it lists every available attraction versus Rick Steve's which lists only the ones he thinks are worth visiting. I guess it depends on what you like. If you want to make the choice for yourself, this is probably better. If you are a first timer (like my husband and I), you appreciate someone kind of telling you what's better, than Rick Steve's is probably the better choice.

I'm also suspicious that there is an element of paid advertising to Frommer's. When I cross reference their recommendations with online travel reviews, Frommer's recs are offen crucified by travelers. Often with the inclusion "We chose this hotel based on Frommer's recommendations..." It worries me that its users are dissatisfied, yet the hotel stays in the book. Rick Steve's has a strict policy that he asks that you contact him directly with complaints or unfair pricing so he can keep his recommendations true.

Ultimately, I think this is a fine reference book with plenty of useful information. My personal preference is Rick Steve's style. My plan is to use Rick Steve's while in Italy and carry it with me, but make notes in it with info I picked out of Frommer's.