5 comments about Italy For Dummies (Dummies Travel).

1. This book is great for planning, because it's packed with useful information so you know what to expect, especially if this is your first trip to Italy. I'm used to giving travel planning seminars on Italy all the time, and this book is a staple!! I like to recommend it to students who are going on an exchange program, as well as adults going on a family trip. I wouldn't say it's something you want to actually take with you on your trip, because it's big and a bit heavy. You don't want to compromise valuable suitcase space, when you know Italy is known for shopping!!!



2. ITALY FOR DUMMIES is so helpful. It's arranged so you can easily find famous sites, art, night spots, restaurants, discos and pubs, shopping, as well as practical how-to-get-where information for all the major tourist destinations and maps of many of the major cities. There are even sections to help you negotiate an upscale Italian menu as well as a pizza menu, which, believe me, is very useful to those of us who don't speak Italian. The excellent sidebar on Italian ice cream (which is probably the best ice cream in the world) recommends some of the most popular flavors, including my favorites bacio (hazelnut chocolate) and stracciatella (chocolate chip)! Try a dip of two or three flavors on your cone-that's the Italian way. Believe me, you'll walk it off. The book even tells you how to toss a coin in the Trevi Fountain Italian style. I highly recommend ITALY FOR DUMMIES, whether you are a first time traveler to Italy, or you've been there a half dozen times as I have. The book is great at telling you where all the great art is (some of the major works at each museum), how to get tickets and how long the lines will probably be. The book's weakness is that it doesn't help you understand the art--it's 5-word to 1-sentence descriptions of paintings and sculptures don't really do the job. It would be great if they offered a book called Italian Art for Dummies. They don't, so I got the next best thing, ART HISTORY FOR DUMMIES. I highly recommend the chapter on Ancient Rome, which is great for helping you understand the whole span of Roman art, architecture and history (and really fun and interesting to read!) and of course the Early and High Renaissance chapter, which is magnificent, the Mannerism chapter (which tells about one of the truly great off the beaten-path art sites, Palazzo Te in Mantova, aka Mantua, which isn't mentioned at all in Italy for Dummies), the Italian Baroque, and the really lively section on the Italian Futurists (who were around during the early 20th century). I packed both ART HISTORY FOR DUMMIES and ITALY FOR DUMMIES in my suitcase when I went to Venice, Florence, Rome and Mantua for ten days over the Christmas Holidays. Both of these books made my trip so much richer and more interesting than my previous five Italian adventures. I never saw so much of Italy in so short a time--I don't mean in terms of quantity but quality. These books help you to get inside the Italian experience much more deeply.



3. We found Italy for Dummies to be invaluable to our trip planning and in use on the trip. It was full of useful advice generally, and specifically, the maps and hotel and restaurant recommendations were apt and accurate. The Amazon online access was especially valuable, both because I was able to cut and paste (and print) custom maps specific to our plans before our trip, AND ON the trip because my fiance left the book on the kitchen table when we left. A best buy all round!



4. What I liked...super concise review of Italian history, nice "top 10" lists at the end; good basic information.
   
   What I didn't like...this particular book was kind of a disappointment in comparison to other "Dummies" travel books I have used. I found the London and Paris "Dummies" books absolutely invaluable. Perhaps because this book covers an entire country, rather than an individual city, did I find it to be much too general. I also found the English/Italian dictionary at the end to be really lacking. I did not expect it to be by any means extensive; however, the 2-page listing in a "Time Out" guide that I bought was much more meaningful in the choice of helpful words.
   
   Perhaps it is because I have done a bit more traveling, much of the basic information just seemed to be that...much too basic. What might be nice is if the "Dummies" series had just a book on "travel tips for Dummies," and then omitted a lot of that very basic content from these location guides. It would allow room to make the location guide much more comprehensive and meaningful.
   
   If this is your first trip to Europe, then by all means, this is a great book. But if you have been to Europe before and are comfortable with your basic travel know-how, you might want to look elsewhere.



5. What a great book! I have tabbed sections, highlighted information, and written notes in the margins. If you are looking for any information about the history of this great culture to where to eat in Rome, this is the book for you.

5 comments about Frommer's Europe by Rail (Frommer's Complete).

1. Not a safe bet, this European rail guide offers a strange mix of up-to-date and completely out-of-date information. It also tries to do too much, providing page after page of hotel, restaurant and museum listings by city but only a page of two of specific rail tips by country. The guide pushes Eurailpasses, as is to be expected from a publication endorsed by Rail Europe, the main stateside pass vendor.
   
   Points to watch out for...
   
   The guide is too optimistic about reservations and supplements. As the various continental railways move toward inevitable privatization, more and more premium services are being introduced. Most of the trips that tourists are likely to take will require reservations and supplements, in addition to Eurailpasses.
   
   The guide doesn't give point-to-point tickets a fair shake, listing full prices and only the most basic discounts. For example, SNCF's "Prem's" specials (advance purchase online tickets to French and international destinations) aren't mentioned. For many tourists, these specials would make point-to-point tickets cheaper than Eurailpasses.
   
   The guide lists only expensive, tourist-class hotels. I didn't see a single listing below 100 Euros in Paris, for example. There are many excellent, if humble, hotels throughout Europe. Use the Web to get current hotel information.
   
   My favorite example of out-of-date information in the guide has to do with the regional express train ("RER") from Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle aiport to Paris. The guide lists both first and second-class ticket prices, even though the first-class designation disappeared years ago.



2. I found this guide very useful in plotting out where I wanted to go, how to get there, and what to visit. It was also nice to know about the student discounts at various attractions. I didn't use it for the hotel recomendations, and I used a few of the restaurant ideas, which were usually excellent choices. I traveled all over Europe (12 countries) using this book, the maps provided, and my Eurail. It was helpful in figuring out the ferry options to get from Western Europe to Scandinavia as well. I definately recomend this book to anyone traveling to Europe, as I found it very easy to use as well as useful.



3. I paid half of what I normally would pay for this book in our school book store. Didn't even notice that is was slightly used. Received it quickly.



4. A very well written guide for anyone traveling in Europe. The "Fast Fact" sections are very helpful for getting a feel for the different countries and places of interest. The maps are great, especially, if your knowledge of European geography is weak.
   This book is fun and easy to read.



5. In trying to decide which book to get for traveling around Europe for a few months by rail, I looked through this book, Let's Go Europe 2008, Rick Steves Best of Europe 2008, and Europe by Eurail 2008. The latter of these was broken down into sections devoted to major cities, and day trips by train from those cities, which seemed too much like a trip organizer for me. Rick Steves didn't really include the practical point-to-point info I was looking for. Let's Go Europe was comprehensive, but the city maps just weren't that clear.
   
   At the beginning of each chapter (one per country), there's a map of the whole country, then in each city's subsection is a map of the city center with the train station clearly marked. There's a paragraph on each city's train station information, followed by information elsewhere and how best to get around the city. This is important to me, as I wanted a book that'd help me get my bearings upon arriving in a city. Let's Go is similarly formatted, and I think Fodor's is too, but this was the only one with this format geared specifically toward rail travel that I came across. This book also includes a nice laminated tear-out rail map, but I bought a separate map with more detailed city-to-city schedule info, and am also supplementing with timetables from eurail.com.
   
   Before buying this, I had read the review mentioning that there's some out-of-date train ticket info in this book, but I feel like that's a risk you run with any book. It's true, though, that this book alone won't give one a clear understanding of specific ticket options and prices. Europe by Eurail gave a better explanation of these; you may want to glance over it in a store, or just visit www.ricksteves.com/rail or wikitravel.org/en/Eurail.

4 comments about Stockholm (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. Eyewitness travel guides are just the best in the world. They really contain everything: where to go for eating, shopping, site seeing,...
   
   This book about Stockholm is so compact but also so complete; you just wouldn't want to miss it! Everyone visiting Stockholm definitely should have this book; you won't regret it!



2. This is the updated version of the comprehensive Eyewitness Travel Guide to Stockholm, capital of Sweden and a remarkable destination. As with other guides in this series, "Stockholm" features an information-packed format that includes maps, photographs, narrative, and diagrams of important attractions.
   
   The guide opens with maps that place Stockholm in its geographic context on the Baltic Sea and an historical essay that establishes its place as Sweden's ancient and modern capital. A breakout of Stockholm's most interesting historical and tourist attractions follows by area, including excursions near the city. Among the highlights: the Nordiska Museum, detailing everyday life since the 1500s; the Vasamuseet, containing the well-preserved remains of a 17th century Swedish warship; and the Skansen, Stockholm's huge open-air folk museum. The guide closes with some practical information on traveling to and around Stockholm.
   
   This guide is very highly recommended to anyone planning a trip to Stockholm.



3. This book provides a lot of useful information on the sites, getting to and from the airport, taxis, trains, currency issues etc. as well as good maps on how to get around. It is worth the money if you are going to Stockholm.



4. I usually don't like these glossy, visual travel guides: I prefer those thick guides with too many pages, full of historical and cultural contexts.
   
   This book is an exception to my general rule. DK Publishing has done a really good job of presenting this beautiful city in stunning color photography, good maps, and enough words to present the city completely and accurately. A visual guide to Stockholm makes sense because Stockholm is such a visually appealing city. It works. The aerial photograph of Gamla Stan that opens the catalog chapters of this guide will just blow your hair back!
   
   Obviously, those readers and travelers who enjoy art and architecture will also enjoy this book.
   
   The coverage is good, with chapters dedicated to Gamla Stan, the City Center, Blasieholmen, Skeppsholmen, Djurgarden, and (especially) Sodermalm. I was slightly disappointed that the "excursions" chapter did not include pieces on Visby and Uppsala, without a doubt the best excursions from Stockholm. The guide includes particularly good sections on Stockholm's many superb museums.
   
   Listings are not entirely comprehensive, and tend to focus on the excruciatingly expensive luxury segment. If you're most concerned about a pragmatic guide with comprehensive listings covering the entire range of prices and options, the Rough Guide will be a better choice (but be sure to get a recent edition! Rough Guides go out of date quickly since they tend to focus on the quirky, "off-the-beaten-path" options).

2 comments about Michelin the Green Guide Spain (Michelin Green Guides).

1. As expected from the Michelin Green Guides series, this one too is a wonderful travel companion. Accurate and up to date, covers all important milestones and goes past the shallow surface barely scratched by other travel guides.
   This Michelin Green Guides is the best available, if you're going to travel to Spain don't leave home without it.



2. I used this book in 2005 to visit Madrid/Toledo/Segovia/Seville/Granada and Cordoba and then again in 2007 on a 10 day trip through Galicia. The book's main advantage is that towns/cities are in alphabetical order, so info is easy to find.
   
   However, I find the text lacking in sparkle--a bit too dull.........It was my #3 choice for information. (I also had the DK guide and the Rough Guide)
   
   The size and shape of this book make it easy to carry during the day, but most of the time, I carried the DK guide!!

3 comments about Fodor's London 2008 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. My last "Fodor's London" was five years old, so I figured it was time to get a new one. I just returned from my trip and - once again - Fodor's was invaluable. One thing that I miss from the old guide is having London broken down into 4 day-long walking tours - each with its own map.
   
   To be fair, there are maps aplenty in this book - and you'll need them. I've been to London four times and I still get lost. Without the close-up maps, you'd never find the restaurants they recommend. The most useful map is the detachable one at the back of the book, for when you don't want to look too much like a tourist.
   
   London's most salient characteristic is its price - it has got to be one of the most expensive cities in the world, especially with the current exchange rate. Fodor's helped me find a hotel in my budget range that actually had its own bathroom. For those willing to spend even less money, they have a good selection of B&B's and hostels as well.
   
   I was able to find good, affordable meals and the best pubs in town. (Go to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street for some meat pies!) The book also has great sections on markets, day excursions (I did Greenwich), and activities for those who feel there is nothing new left to see.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. I just purchased this book yesterday. My edition is copyrighted 2008, and it's early '08 now. I was excited to read it because it goes into more depth on the attractions and hotels than some of the guides. But after skimming the book, I feel disappointed and even a little ripped off. I've already discovered errors and hurried work that makes it seem as if they did just enough updates to be able to slap the word "2008" on the cover. For example, in the section on Greenwich they do mention that the Cutty Sark basically burned down in 2007 (restoration efforts are under way), but in the section on day trips toward the back of the book, the Cutty Sark is still alive and well. In the hotel section they list Five Sumner Place, which closed down many months ago and reopened in a different location as the Sumner Hotel, which has no listing.
   
   A few other preliminary quibbles: There is one reference to Jack the Ripper in the index, but in fact Jack is mentioned elsewhere as well in a paragraph about a walking tour. But that paragraph conspicuously omits mention of the most highly regarded J.T.R. walking tour, the one offered by Original London Walks, a company that is, to Fodor's credit, mentioned elsewhere in the book in regard to walking tours more generally. Placement of maps is also not as user-friendly as it could be, but that's a minor complaint.
   
   Fodor's does deserve "props" for daring to include Tipping the Velvet as a recommended novel featuring London, and they offer a terrific self-guided walking tour of Westminster, as well as their good descriptions overall.
   
   Honestly, I would recommend the small but excellent guide from Eyewitness called Top 10 London, as well as Frommer's Best Day Trips from London and Rick Steves' (hey, the apostrophe error is his) London (which has the best touring plans for museums) before I would recommend this guide that certainly does have many merits but that leaves one (or at least me) feeling a little manipulated.



3. I bought both Paris and London 2008 books for my upcoming trip to Europe, and I enjoy both. The guides are easy to read, tell you how to make the most of your time at various locations, tell you how to get to where you want to go and provide a variety of eating and shopping locations for all budgets.

5 comments about Trekking in the Annapurna Region, 4th: Nepal Trekking Guides.

1. I found the information in the book was great help. The maps together with the estimated timings were particularly helpful in deciding the route to take.

   In addition to the treks Bryn Thomas also gives useful information on places to stay.

   We used the book when treking from Jomsom to Pokhara and it was invaluable.




2. This guide is all you need for the Annapurna. Beats the pants off Lonely Planet. Great maps, highlights, places to stay, etc.; small and lightweight; good gear list for preparing, info on when to go; bits on Kathmandu and Pokhara. We hiked the entire circuit and used Bryn several times each day.



3. I did the Annapurna Circuit trek (Around Annapurna) last September with this book. I was my bible.
   The book has very good chapters about Nepal in general, Kathmandu and Pokhara but it's strength lies in the trail maps and text.
   The maps are very very detailed (you can't get lost...), they indicate where is the next steep climbing and how much time does it takes to the next village. In the text you can find recommendations for eating and lodging (that never miss...).
   The book covers all the popular treks in the Annapurna region but also offer side treks for more adventrous trekkers.

   The bottom line : Worth every Penny!




4. I bought this fantastic little guide in a bookstore in Kathmandu. I used it during my trek around Annapurna and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Much better than the LP guide, and small enough that it doesn't get in the way.



5. This is definitely the best guidebook to carry while trekking in the Annapurna region: loads of maps with most of the teahouses labeled, accurate times for both directions, interesting cultural information, small so as to make it more portable, and fairly up to date. I used it in November 2007, so there are some changes as one would expect, but still is excellent. Highly recommend!

5 comments about A Culinary Traveller in Tuscany.

1. Beth Elon's descriptions and recommendations are spot-on. I got this book just in time for a trip to Tuscany and found it extraordinarily useful. We loved visiting the places she mentioned and found her recipes and description of local specialties a great help in making fantastic menu selections. Back home, the recipes are like having Tuscany in our kitchen. It's now my favorite book to give to food- and travel-loving friends.



2. This book is what so many books claim to be but aren't -- an off-the-beaten-track gem. For any visitor to Tuscany with the time or inclination to go beyond the usual Florence-Lucca-Pisa-San Gimignano-Siena type of itinerary (to name just one), the book offers a wonderfully imaginative alternative: plan your days -- or the entire trip -- around the best restaurants to be found in the little towns that most tourists never visit. The author gives tantalizing descriptions of both the towns and restaurants (with maps and itineraries), and supplies plenty of recipes to boot. So the book will function in the kitchen just as well as on the road -- it is essentially half cookbook and half guidebook. But for me (not being much of a cook, and planning a trip to Italy) it was the places the author describes that were the most delectable of all. The book is a great idea, beautifully executed and beautifully written.



3. 
   A fabulous travel guide, which my wife and I used extensively on our recent visit to Tuscany. The author provides details of wonderful restaurants, spectacular settings and hidden gems in small towns and villages throughout the region!
   
   If you are planning a visit to Tuscany, don't leave home without this book. If you are over 50 and look forward to a good meal at the end of a well-travelled day, this book is a must-read.
   
   Mike and Michal
   New York City



4. Beth Elton's title isn't just a cookbook - it takes a culinary tour of Tuscany into regions largely uncovered in other titles - and surveys the special kitchens and products of over fifty restaurants whose cooks produce original recipes revealed just for this title. All dishes have been adapted for home cooks but retain the authenticity of generations of development, so cooks seeking a blend of travelogue and new dishes to try will find delightful the blend of travel insights and easy dishes. No photos, but the simple instructions don't need them.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



5. I love all about Tuscany would love to live ther and be able to write about it

4 comments about Moleskine City Notebook Paris (Moleskine City Pocket Book).

1. Was given this book as a gift for my trip to Paris. It was THE book I kept on me at all times. An indispensible tool for the travler who likes to travel light. The maps, broken down in areas, were great for walking the often complex Paris streets. Blank sheets to jot down addresses of that special restarurant or patisserie. Smaller note sheets to tear out after using them, say, for metro directions. A small pocket for ticket stubs. A truly useful tool for getting around. Going to Rome later this year and will get the Rome version. Another bonus, you can give your book to friends after you use it so they can benefit from your notes and book info. It does not have destination information, so you'll have to use another book for that, like Eyewitness Travel (good also). So get out there!



2. The city book series by Moleskine is very compact and useful. It is small enough to fit in my purse and has a wonderful city maps section that is very useful. I love these city books. I want them to add more cities!



3. if you've already been to Paris and you just want to re-live your experiences and jot down your thoughts that's your option. The quality of the street finder is very good. In my case i used the 6 or 7 guides i had at hand and took note in the book of adresses and phone numbers and brought just this guide to Paris



4. Excellent in all respects. I'm so happy Moleskine is back! I can now leave my Petit Plan de Paris at home, except for the more extensive stays. I love having my maps and travel notes all in one place.

No comments about Poland (Country Guide).

5 comments about Lonely Planet Provence & the Cote D'Azur.

1. contains very useful information. However, the authors only covers major cities and tourist attractions, and ignore many beautiful villages and towns in country side. For this reason, I recommend reading other guide books and travel essays.



2. I had taken out the prior version of this book from the library and was pleased to see that there was a 2007 updated version to read. However, in the prior version there was much more specifically directed toward traveling with kids. In this version, most of that was eliminated, and I was bummed not to have that pointed out. While the color pictures are beautiful in the front of the book, more maps and more detail about traveling would have been more useful to me, rather than looking at fields of lavendar. I think a couple driving around for 3 weeks in Provence would have found it really useful. For our 1 week trip with three kids, I found I just didn't use the book very much.
   
   The information on internet cafes was very useful as was the entrance fee and time information to exhibits, etc.



3. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RLRJWZ9K98MV3 A quick video review for Lonely Planet Provence & the Cote D'Azur, to better see what you get...



4. This book is obviously aimed at young, hip readers, interested in "in" places and night life. I did not find it as helpful for "senior" travelers such as I.



5. Not impressed with this guide book. The authors give a brief synopsis of the travel locations and it is up to the reader to decide if they want to attend. I prefer to read an opinion of a hotel, restaurant, and tourist area rather than read a brief overview. I left my guide book in the hotel.