5 comments about Ireland (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. After using my DK Germany guide while in Germany I will never travel to another country without having bought the book for it. DK Publishing is true to their rich informative heritage with this Ireland guide and offer an expansive amount of information in a compact and retainable form. This product is a must-buy if you are heading to Ireland any time soon.



2. Bought this guidebook for our trip to Ireland in 2007. Incredibly useful for picking out things to do/see, places to visit, what to avoid. There were even maps of the floorplans for historic buildings! This book was dog-eared long before the trip and carried in the totebag every day. Dublin seems to have a phobia with street signs so I used the hotel listings in the back to determine how much further was the walk from that hotel to Trinity College - worked like a charm! Galway was far and away the best part of the trip due to the extensive recommendations. And County Meath - we would never had gone to the mid-lands if not for this book and I am so glad that we did go. Trim was quaint and charming and convenient for traveling around castle gazing and visiting the Bru na Boinne and Tara.
   
   Best advice from this book: ride the Iarnrod Eireann (train) cross country rather than driving - it's quicker, hassle-free and cheaper than car rental and a tank of very expensive European gasoline (buy tickets on-line while in America to cut down on the fees for turning dollars into the Euro). We also hired a driver for the day we spent traveling about the Bru and the fee was cheaper than renting a car. Not to mention you don't have to worry about getting lost on those very narrow, very winding roads. I still thumb through this book remembering how great our trip was....



3. This guide is very informative and very visual. It makes it a lot easier to know what to expect when you get to Ireland and gives some great suggestions. Most important to me is the thumbnail history of Ireland... up to now my interest in Ireland has been indirect; in other words, it has always been about Ireland in relation to England the the British Empire.
   
   I'm looking forward to using this book during our summer vacation this year!



4. Ireland worth a visit and this guide will be very helpful. Great country and great people! Dia duit!



5. Hands down, this is THE travel book one needs for planning a trip to Ireland. Filled with wonderful photos and drawings and interesting text that really tells you about each area, this will be a wonderful resource prior to and during your travels.
   
   The book starts with basic information about Ireland including the people, the economy and a wonderful historical time-line of the country. Of course, it's not exhaustive but it is a great overview of the basics. Next you can explore region by region all that Ireland has to offer. The photos are beautiful and there is an appropriate amount of text (unlike Frommers and Fodors who inundate the reader with too much detail and not enough visual items).
   
   So - the book is pretty and fun to read, but does it include good information? YES! It gives you tons of options of sites to see in each area. It also tells you how best to see each area (by foot or by car) and how long you might want to spend in each area (an afternoon or a few days).
   
   I can't say enough about this book. It is the primary book I've used for planning past trips and the upcoming one I'll be taking. It will also be the only one I carry over to Ireland - it is worth it's weight in gold for the information it contains.

5 comments about Rome (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. -- update: 'looks like there are 2 guides published by eyewitness; this is *NOT* the "Top 10;" it seems like several of the reviews below are based on that book, not this one. Be careful. --
   
   5 stars? Am I reading the same book?
   
   The book has an average of 4 pictures or graphics per page -- they're small and the text is squeezed around them. Some pages have 10 graphics or pictures. The whole thing seems like a textbook case in how not to design something to be user friendly.
   
   I found the text to be wanting, big time! I've spent a lot of time with Rome guidebooks, and this is clearly the worst of the lot -- sorry I spent the money. Even Fodors and Frommers are better than this. I recommend you take a look at Rick Steves (very plain, but good info) and Access (great idea of putting everything - food, hotel sights, together, block by block, but the seriies isn't what it used to be -- I think the company was sold a few years ago. The best I've found so far is the Rough Guide -- highly recommended



2. Look no further than any D&K guide for your travel needs, it covers everything and anyting; the guide divides any big area in sections and then suggests which routes, or attractions you must see; it also covers a historical background on them. From history of the city in question as to how to get there, how to use public transportation, basic conversation dialogues a tourist may encounter, places to eat, see, stay, do, it's all there.
   
   To me, there are no better guides than D&K guides. Recommend 100%.



3. Bad news first: this book has the issue of trying to cover too much in too small of a format and page count. As a result, you'll run into some cases where entries are text only. This is not too big of a deal, but sometimes a photo would really help identify a place when you're hemmed in by roads and buildings with little in the way of addresses to guide you. When in Rome, this can be a problem for the uninitiated.
   
   On the other hand, I found the descriptions, diagrams, and photos of the major areas to be more than adequate. I also found on several occasions that the guide pointed out little details (such as the location of Raphael's tomb in the Pantheon) that I would have missed otherwise. The restaurant and refreshment recommendations (save yourself some ground money by drinking from the aqueduct fountains) were right on - not a bad meal in the bunch. Which reminds me...if you like coffee, stop by Tazza d'Oro next to the Pantheon for a really good cup.
   
   To sum up, you cannot go wrong with this guide. Actually, all of the Eyewitness Guides I own - Rome, Florence, Naples, Venice, and Amsterdam - are essentially the same: not exactly perfect, but very good. Other than the minor issue of missing photos on some pages where it would have been useful, I can think of no complaint.



4. Used this on a trip to Rome earlier this month and found the information very helpful and up to date. One aspect of this guide that I enjoyed was the division of Rome into neighborhoods. It was nice to see at a glance what was located in each neighborhood and plan my day accordingly. It also listed some lesser known streets around Campo di Fiori where furniture is restored and antique books are sold. We didn't run into any tourists on those streets! The book had some nice maps, but I would recommend picking up a more detailed one locally in Rome.



5. IF YOU ARE PLANNING A TRIP TO ROME IN THE NEAR FUTURE THEN THIS BOOK AND THE LAMINATED STREETWISE ROME MAP IS LIKE A BIBLE TO YOU. THE PICTURES IN THIS BOOK IS OUTSTANDING. THE AUTHOR BREAKS EACH SECTION DOWN INTO MAPS, DIRECTION AND INFORMATION ON EACH MONUMENTS,CHURCHES, AND PLACES OF INTEREST IN EACH SECTION. THE BOOK ALSO DESCRIBE MOST OF THE HOTELS AND BED-N-BREAKFAST THROUGHTOUT ROME, RESTAURANTS AND SHOPPING. IT ALSO GO INTO DETAIL OF THE SUBWAY SYSTEM. WITH THIS BOOK YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL NOT ONLY HAVE A ROMAN VACATION YOU WILL EXPERIENCE A ROMAN EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME. WHAT REALLY STANDS OUT IS AN INDEPT OF ST. PETER'S BASILICA AND THE COLOSSEUM

5 comments about Hungry for Paris: The Ultimate Guide to the City's 102 Best Restaurants.

1. Will be sampling a few of Lobrano's suggestions in the next few weeks. Delightful reading. Spot on reviews. All too often the tourist gets "ripped off" in going to supposedly great local restaurants, which have long since lost their shine. I can't attest to the authenticity yet - but just the reading has me salivating. Indeed, as one reviewer noted, if nothing else, as one who will be eating solo during this particular trip, the book makes you wish you could find such a great eating companion. I just know I wont be disappointed.



2. Being American in Paris does not qualify one to write an authoritative book on Paris restaurants -- in a very real way, expat writers like Lobrano (and Patricia Wells, for that matter) condescend to the local culture and visiting tourists too. After all, would any American think to buy a book that purports to be the authority on American restaurants -- which across the board are now better than French ones anyway -- written by a Frenchman? Of course not. I would argue that Lobrano is as qualified to recommend Paris restaurants as George Bush is to draft a coherent strategy for lasting peace in Iraq. Consumers would be better off buying the book Parisians actually read, the Pudlow Paris guide, written by a Parisian and now in English, too. Jer



3. I think this is probably a good book for anyone looking for a vicarious Parisian dining experience. There are some very interesting commentaries about the kinds of eats and eating establishments that exist in Paris (and elsewhere in France). Someone not familiar with Paris and not headed there anytime soon can nevertheless enjoy the descriptions of food and environment that author Lobrano provides in his chatty book.
   
   There is, in my opinion at least, a really insightful chapter on dining alone in Europe that goes beyond the vicarious and hits the bulls eye on the practical side of travel.
   
   Author Lobrano, clearly a Paris insider, also has a lot to offer the actual visitor to that city with lists of some great sounding restaurants and menus that seem much less covered by other food guides. He ventures, for example, into the far corners of several districts of the city that are seldom frequented by visitors, but deserve exploring just for the food to be had there.
   
   The book will be less interesting to someone knowledgeable about food and Paris. There is a lot of space given to comments on "French cooking 101" that aren't going to appeal to someone already in the know about the scene. Also mildly irritating is the author's inclusion of extensive details about his dining partners, the dispositions of the waiters/hosts/chefs at the restaurants visited and other superfluous chit-chat about mood, environment, etc.
   
   When all is said and done, opinions about food and restaurants are entirely subjective. At his best, Lobrano is a well-informed expat in Paris who supplies the reader with some interesting dining possibilities. Some wading through verbose commentary is needed to get to the good stuff. It may be worth your time if you are not as familiar or comfortable with the city as Lobrano is. On other hand, there are other sources of dining advice, as at least one other reviewer has suggested--notably the Pudlow guide which is frequently updated and speaks to a local audience.



4. Having just returned from Paris, I highly recommend HUNGRY FOR PARIS as a superb source of restaurant information and an absolutely wonderful read. What I especially loved about this book is that it offers a brilliantly chosen selection of restaurants for every possible occasion and pocketbook; guidebooks that offer 500 or 1000 restaurants are of no use to me--how do I know which ones are really good? Lobrano's sensible selection solves this problem, and even better, his writing is sublime. With great originality, he's created a hybrid book that's a mixture of a guidebook, a memoir and a delightful portrait of Paris. I loved this book!



5. As a Paris resident and food travel pro, my job is to refer clients to the best dining options around the world. I rely on a combination of personal experience and expert food journalist knowledge to make the best possible suggestions. It is often the equivalent of being asked to arrange a blind date though, since individual preferences vary and expectations are high, i.e. "This is our first trip to Paris and we can't wait! Can you suggest a charming restaurant in a fun area, with great food and wine that is not too expensive?" What is charming, fun, with 'great food & wine', and affordable for me personally might not be to someone else. I usually need to ask more questions to understand what the client is expecting, so that they aren't let down.
   
   In my experience, I have found that what most people are actually looking for is an ambiance suggestion, yet, most culinary guides heavily reference the chef and menu items. Knowing the chef trained with Ducasse and that the writer dined on langoustines with ginger foam is significant - perhaps more for serious foodies than the casual visitor - but where a chef trained and what 'was' on the menu doesn't say enough about what to expect overall.
   
   Hungry for Paris is one of the few reference books that I trust based upon M. Lobrano's discerning palate and his extensive dining experience in Paris. However, it is the "In a Word" section at the end of each listing that is the most valuable in my making a decision. For instance, page 259 recommends restaurant Carte Blanche in detail, and then sums up, "Excellent, imaginative contemporary French food in a pleasant setting with well-drilled service makes this restaurant in the heart of the city well worth seeking out." Based on the detailed entry plus the summary, I would know what the client will most likely experience as well as who is in the kitchen and what kind of food will be on the menu.
   
   Congratulations (and thank you) to Alexander Lobrano for setting expectations while comprehensively paving the way to the best dining suggestions.

5 comments about Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour.

1. Kate Fox, a social anthropologist and Co-Director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, who has lived in England, America, Ireland and France, takes a revealing look at the quirks and habits of the English people. Being very English herself, she holds a mirror up to the English national character and reveals the most famous traits as well as the most bizarre reflex reactions. She attempts to discover the curious, hidden rules of behaviour that all English people seem to follow, but few are aware even exist. In a separate section consisting of 14 pages she focuses on defining Englishness and attempts to define Englishness in contrast to being British.
   
   Writing with gentle humour and astute perception she portrays the foibles in the English and in herself as well. Kate Fox is immensely perceptive about all kinds of English cultural values, behaviours and oddities. Watching the English falls into two main parts: part one - Conversation codes; part two - Behaviour codes. The first part covers everything from the obsession with the weather through English humour to how people use mobile phones. The second part deals with how the English behave inside their own homes or when visiting other people's homes, life in the workplace, food, drink, eating-habits, sex... and many more topics.
   
   Though the smallish print might irritate some, it's an easy read with good flow and the reader will get much material to provoke lively discussion with anyone interested in the English.
   
   Anthropologist Kate Fox, has forced herself to engage in many humiliating field tests-- like bumping into people on purpose and seeing how many people say `sorry'-- in order to test the common theories about English behaviour. Watching the English is the result of her research. Fox's book displays most of the traits that she points out as representing the English: being sensitive to the tiny signifiers of class status (e.g. the `M&S test', which identifies your class by your shopping choices at that particular department store), it purposely avoids taking itself too seriously and is continuously self-deprecating (of course, this is the `popular anthropology', not the real scientific one). Admitting to being neither, Watching the English is positioned between satire and science.
   
   Warmly recommended for anyone from another culture, who tries to survive living in Britain, or live among the English abroad. People working in international teams with English members or bosses would have many aha-insights through this book.



2. I had read Barzini's well known works on the Europeans and thoroughly enjoyed this book on the English.
   
   The approach is academic yet palatable, laden with insightful observations and well deserves consideration as a work of anthropological interest. The author maintains an objective distance and professional methodology which impart a delicious irony; we are conditioned to primitive cultures as the provenance of these studies, she turns the focus upon what some may argue as the bastion of civilization.
   
   As a guidebook to a cultural understanding of the English this work is invaluable. The expose on class is penetrating and amuses as there are unexpected twists; such as decorating your home or garden with a modicum of lower class objects, the inside joke apparent only to the cognoscienti.



3. I've only just begun reading, but so far, it's been quite enjoyable. The author writes with humor. I've some British online friends. I've been able to use tidbits from the book when joking around with them.



4. A pleasure to read and to smile at some of the most British ways of seeing life and smelling the weather!



5. Social anthroplogist, Kate Fox, has observed the English (she is one) in in all seasons and conditions, and particularly in the places where they are most comfortable. Her books include PUB WATCHING with Desmond Morris, and PASSPORT TO THE PUB; The Tourist's Guide to Pub Etiquette. The book is witty in its analysis of the ways of English conversation and behaviour with its unwritten codes, and of weather-speak, reflex apology, ironic-gnome, money talk, and panaroid-pantomime rules which belie the underlying scholarship and serious study. It can be taken up at random, however, to delight the reader with its anecdotes and many acute observations.
   
   In defining the characteristics of Englishness the core appears to be the Social Dis-ease, the short-hand term for all their social inhibitions and hang-ups. They can be over-polite, buttoned up and awkwardly restrained, or loud, crude or generally obnoxious. Humor, however, is the the most effective built-in antedote to the SD. They do not have a global monopoly on humor but it is the sheer pervasiveness and supreme importance of humor in English every day life and culture which is distinctive. When in doubt, joke, particularly when earnestness is threatened. Response to earnestness is cynicism, ironic detachment and a squeamish distaste for sentimentality.
   
   She has it right in my book, speaking as a fellow Brit who is fearsome of all forms of political correctness. You really must read this eloquent and funny book on human behaviour

3 comments about Frommer's Paris 2008 (Frommer's Complete).

1. This was my first trip to Paris and I don't know what I would have done without this guide glued to my side. I used the suggested itineraries as my starting off point, then subtracted and added "top attractions" as needed. My husband and I stayed in Montparnasse, so the sections on each arrondissement were invaluable. I even found the brief summaries on the architecture and history of Paris helpful. I've become a true francophile because of this guide and hope my trip is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with the city of lights!



2. This book is full of great information about the City of Lights! It includes everything from the top sites to see, hints about how to save on your trip,great places to eat, stay and watch Parisian life! It also includes three self guided walking tours, a quick history of Paris, and a Glossary of useful French words, including food, menu and cooking terms. The back flap has a handy Paris metro map, the front flap has a metric conversion chart.Of course, many datailed maps so that you know exactly where to go, includes a large pull out map of the entire city of Paris! Complete, accurate, easy to read and a must have companion for your trip to Paris!



3. This was the greatest thing we had on our trip to Paris. Especially when it came to great places to eat. The book says to stay away from restaurants located near tourist areas and it is correct. The only great meals we had were ones we found from restaurants in this book. Cafe Constant was very affordable and superb! It also has perfect day itineraries that were great and easy to follow! This book covers EVERYTHING! If you are new to Paris, you will love this book. I particularly love how this book discusses a lot of the hidden treasures of Paris and doesn't just focus on the main attractions. We really got a great feel of what a wonderful place Paris is and a lot of it is because of this book.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Spain 2008 (Rick Steves).

1. Good book with good comments. Maps are useful but could be more detailed. I generally also like more pictures.



2. i'm thrilled with the purchase of our first rick steves travel book. his website and tv shows are VERY informative and practical and this 2008 book on Spain does not disappoint. it's not too clunky to take with us on our travels - yet, for day trips, we're photocopying a few "walking tour" pages so we don't have to take the book with us when we're travelling lighter. ... while he doesn't highlight EVERY inch of spain, he surely hits all the highlights! NO complaints and we look forward to experiencing more of the world through his expertise!



3. I always use Rick's books when traveling Europe! He is very detailed & walks you thru every step of your trip!



4. I used this book and found helpful information. In Madrid the two restaurant suggestions near our hotel were great. I was disappointed to find no information on Valencia. There is a reference to a website but that is after the fact once you are travelling. Also, the great buildup for Nerja at the Costa del Sol is not justified. We were at Torremolinos and thought we must go to Nerja since it was so fondly written about. However, we were extremely disappointed and the water quality was inferior to where we were. And it takes hours to get there by train and bus. I guess any travel book is good once you go for the second time, but, many of the references to places were confusing to me on a first time visit and I missed doing all that I wanted.



5. The book was great for our trip to spain. We are always able to see much more than if we went without the book

5 comments about Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe.

1. A hilarious madcap ride through Europe. Bill Bryson always makes me laugh out loud. Don't miss the chapters on France and Belgium; they are priceless, especially if you have ever spent any time in those countries. This book is a must-read for all those with wanderlust and a sense of humor.



2. In this book, Bill Bryson embarks on the grown-up version of backpacking across Europe. Having wandered Europe twenty years previously with a friend named Katz, he revisited some places and observes how they have changed.
   
   Bryson has the idea of starting at Hammerfest, in far northern Norway, and then working his way south to Rome. Because he wants to see the northern lights, his journeys begin in winter, when the Arctic is still dark and, of course, cold. The northern lights don't appear to him for a couple of weeks, so the book begins at a leisurely pace, with Bryson hanging out in a dark, cold city where there really isn't much for a tourist to do.
   
   Moving south from Hammerfest gives Bryson many cold, rainy days in Copenhagen and Stockholm before he can't take it any more and goes to Italy. From there he hops from one city to another, ending in Sofia, Bulgaria. His slower pace in the first part of the book gave him many opportunities to talk about the people in each place; in Italy, his observations tend to focus on the physical plant instead. When he gets to Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, however, his observations tun personal again.
   
   Oddly enough, Bryson's most pithy observations are about the people but he doesn't spend much time meeting them. He comes across as a loner who is happiest wandering the streets of an unfamiliar city, visiting the museums, and then having a large number of beers at the end of the day. That strategy means that he risks making unfamiliar generalizations about the people around him, so it's remarkable that his observations don't necessarily jibe with the stereotypes. However, he doesn't pass up a stereotype if he can make a good joke.
   
   Bryson is at his best when on the road less-traveled, from Hammerfest to Sofia, and he doesn't have much to say about the Romes of the world. He's a gifted writer, and it's a pleasure to accompany him.



3. Bill Bryson is so right on with the quirks of Europe. It's a great read for those who've traveled there, because he can take you back to those moments and make you laugh. I recommend to my friends who haven't been there to let them know how Europe really is. Even after being to Europe and reading his book, I'm still going back there on Vacation !!!



4. Neither Here Nor There is probably more for the novice than the experienced traveller, but it is entertaining and has a usefully broad scope. Bill Bryson, an American resident in London, takes his readers from the Arctic Circle to Istanbul in something like a couple of months, mixing in parts of Scandinavia, the Benelux, France, Germany and Italy among others before passing through the Balkans.
   
   Inevitably a lot is about finding hotels and places to eat, misplaced reservations and the pitfalls of communicating with strangers. This is travel writing, after all. And inevitably there tends to be quite a few clichés and national stereotyping. The commentary ranges from insightful (e.g. different perceptions of Amsterdam) to expected but fun (the police episode in Florence), to downright vulgar ("Quick restaurants - as in quick, pass the bucket!"). I found the first and last chapters, set in northern Norway, then Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, the most interesting. Bryson has more to say in out-of-the-way settings. And having travelled to the latter two at about the same time, I thought his observations both original and to the point. Nor does the book, written in the early 1990s, generally feel out-of-date.
   
   Bryson's style combines a wide descriptive vocabulary with a matter-of-fact, colloquial tone. It drips with irony and evinces plenty of sniggers. The same note is held too long, though, which may explain why one doesn't laugh as much as one would expect: the jokes and witticisms eventually lose an essential element of surprise.
   
   Perhaps not unusually for the genre, the book ends up saying as much about the observer as the observed. It provides a snapshot of how an educated and informed American views the European continent.



5. Bryson brings his characteristic humor to his explorations of Europe. While his observations can sometimes be a bit mean-spirited, he also pokes fun at himself, and many of his observations are quite funny, if clearly exaggerated. Starting in the artic north of Norway, and continuing in a zigzag pattern across the continent, Bryson explores many of the most famous of Europe's cities, as well as some more obscure locals. While he notes the changes in Sofia that occurred after his visit, his descriptions of Yugoslavia are even more dated (starting with the fact that Yugoslavia doesn't exist anymore!). Fans of Bryson's humor won't be disappointed, but if you're looking for a guide to traveling in Europe, this probably won't be your best resource.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Best of Europe 2008 (Rick Steves).

1. Let me start by stating something that should be obvious: if for whatever reason you do not like Rick Steves, you will not enjoy reading through this guidebook. Although Rick is not the only contributor, it is very much written in his style of speaking. Personally, I think it makes his guidebooks more approachable, especially for people with little travel experience.
   
   This book is more for people who don't really know where in Europe they would like to go, or for those planning a multi-nation trip and would rather not buy an armful of books on each country. That being said, do not limit your trip research to only this book or you will miss other Rick Steves favorite locales that didn't make it into this book. Rick's website (along with his shows and radio/podcasts) has a wealth of information.
   
   Take a look at this book's Table of Contents to see what places are included. Rick includes information on traveling from one place to another (mainly by rail and air), sights (description, costs, hours, websites, phone #s, and his rating), recommended hotels in a variety of price ranges, places to eat, when to see sights in order to avoid long tourist lines, important tips (like which sights you should get reservations for), self-guided walking tours, regular tours, how long you need in each locale, etc.



2. Rick Steves' does a great job taking you to the hot spots and off the beaten path. Has a ton of info on each area (ie phone numbers, addresses, names, etc).



3. If Rick Steves has a book for your destination(s), then do yourself a favor - buy it. You do not need any other guide for your trip. We've just returned from a trip through much of western Europe (London, Paris, Milan, Florence, Venice, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona and Brugge) and this guide was indispensable.
   
   We avoided long lines to visit museums in Venice and Florence, lived in great local hotels and dined in non-touristy and cheap restaurants serving amazing local food. We also had Frommer's with us at the beginning of the trip but we threw it half way through the trip - it was too bulky and did not add any value to our experience.
   
   Rick Steve's conversational style is non-intimidating and makes for a much more interesting read compared to the cut-and-dry, facts only style of other guides. All guides will have some out of date information but this guide is very current. In fact, a tour-guide with a company in Rome that is recommended by Rick Steves' told us that while other publishers just call them every year to verify that they are still in business, only Rick Steves' company actually sends someone to take part in the tours to make sure that the experience is still consistent with the description in the book.
   
   This book is a must have for your Europe trip.



4. Ricke Steves always gives excellent advice to the budget traveler. His advice is comprehensive and and at times humorous.



5. This book was very helpful with lots of useful tips on travel through Europe. We took the advice on several of the hotels and were very pleased with the recommendations.

5 comments about Florence and Tuscany (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. My husband and I are free spirit travelers that like to keep the planning somewhat spontaneous, yet still have enough planning to get the most from the experience. We enjoyed this book for providing enough history and background to provide context for the experiene. Plus this book (along with the help of a great GPS system) was great for mapping and planning the day. I actually used a friend's books for our trip and thought they were so great that I bought a copy for myself as a keepsake for when we returned.



2. The travel sections of most bookstores, particularly the larger ones, are awash in books about Italy, and in particular, the region of Tuscany. This is clearly too much of a good thing; take 10 of these books----and there must be closer to 20 of them----and you will find much duplication. How is a traveler, particularly the first-time traveler to central Italy, to know which guides are helpful and which merely rehash information that has been available for many years? One of the problems is that many of the guides issue a new edition each year in an apparent attempt to render last year's guide obsolete. Nonsense! I have some travel guides that are 15 years old and are still valuable. Keep in mind that the Etruscans were in Tuscany well over 2,000 years ago; their monuments and culture is not going to change much between 2007 and 2008.
   
   In short, this book serves a purpose but so do many others with similar titles.



3. We enjoyed this guidebook on our recent trip to Florence. It was comprehensive, easy to use, and fun to read. This publisher also offers a companion map and mini-guide book to use on the go.



4. Yeah, doesn't everyone? There is so much in this book outside of Florence and I really wanted to make the trek into the Tuscan hills around the city, especially to Pisa and Siena. But alas, I was trapped in Florence...and what a prison it was! Everyone should find themselves thus abused at some point in their life, I believe.
   
   This DK guide made the punishment a lot easier to endure, saving me time and headache by thoroughly breaking down specific areas of the city in detailed maps. From Palazzo and Ponte Vecchio, to the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (il Duomo), and on to Brancacci Chapel and Santa Croce and everything in between. This guide gave me detailed information on each of the sites and helped enrich the experience. The exploded diagrams cover the finer points, giving the reader recognizable visual elements to look for along the way. This is so much better than words alone.
   
   Overall, I highly recommend this book...and the city itself. Florence is a place like no other!



5. We used this guide and found it to be excellent. We had several guides but this was the most complete and easy to use.

5 comments about Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2008: The Travel Skills Handbook (Rick Steves).

1. I found this book very useful, it offered many practical time and money saving tips. The accommodation and transportation strategies were particularly good. However, as an Aussie I found this book very US centric! While some advice was EXTREMELY obvious, I appreciated the opinionated style of writing. Please note that a lot of information covered in this book is also located in Rick's website.



2. This is an excellent reference book. We used it in preparation for our trip to UK, along with Rick's Great Britain 2008 guide. We also referred to it while on the trip. Wish I had more time to read it more thoroughly before we left, but the packing tips and money-exchange information were especially helpful. Good practical book to add to one's library.



3. This book is a must for those travelling to Europe for the first time, or just needing a background review of the smart way to travel. It covers the basics from train and plane travel to how to book a hotel in Europe and what to expect. The second part of this book gives some suggestions of places to visit, but that is not where it shines (see Best of Europe book for that info) it is giving you the knowledge to feel comfortable and confident while traveling that this book makes it mark.



4. We have several of Rick Steve's books, but this one has practical and helpful information.



5. I bought this guide for my son's trip to Europe, And we found that it was helpfull.