1 comments about National Geographic Traveler: Piedmont & Northwest Italy, with Turin and the Alps (National Geographic Traveler).

1. This bookguide focuses on Turin, Piedmont, The Aosta Valley and Liguria.
   
   It includes one walking tour of Turin's historic center and three driving tours: The Langhe Region, Lake Maggiore and The Aosta Valley. It also includes articles on interesting facts: Cafe Life, Fiat, Contemporary Art, The Slow-Food Movement, Truffels, The Gardens of Lake Maggiore and Giuseppe Mazzini.
   
   I didn't give it 5 starts because I think it should've featured at least one more walking tour of Turin and maps of other cities (Aosta and Genoa for example). Besides, all the hotels listed are rather expensive, so this isn't a bookguide for those who travel on a budget.
   
   In general, it's quite good, so I highly recommend it.

5 comments about CIAO BAMBINO!: A Child's Tour of Italy.

1. What a refreshing idea in children's books! Parents of small children now have a resource to prepare their child for travel, which will help the little vacationer better connect with and understand where they are headed. The beautifull watercolor illustrations add to this highly engaging story as the child learns about the Italian language recognizing, colors, numbers and common speach. Included at the end of the book is a glossary of all the new words for both child and parent reference. If you are headed out on a family vacation, or have friends taking off, this little book is a great traveller. I still read it to my three year old at bedtime. Hopefully there will be more books from Danna Troncatty Leahy in the future.



2. We were so disappointed with this book that we returned it. For the price, it's a very thin book - only 30 pages. For preparing a child for a trip to Italy, the illustrations were especially disppointing. Only a few offered images of what might be seen in Italy. Most of the others were generic illustrations that could have been set anywhere, such as a child and his stuffed bear eating a pizza, the circle of a flashlight beam on the pavement.



3. I am an American of Italian descent and proud of my heritage. I purchased Ciao Bambino! to read to my grandchildren, Gianna and Dante. It's an excellent introduction to simple Italian words. Nicki"
   Date: 7/21/2005 Rated by Buyer: nicki_filipponi



4. What a wonderful introduction for young children to the Italian culture and language -- not to mention the notion of international travel in general! My daughter (4 yrs old at the time of purchase) loved it - particularly the opportunity to learn the Italian words. For a fairly short book (which I think is a good thing for young children) there are actually quite a few Italian vocabulary words presented in a fun, engaging way. The illustrations are charming and sweet.



5. I don't know if I was more disappointed or angered at this little insignificant but dangerous book. The contents has very little to do with what children, who travel to Italy, will ever encounter. What I find it does is continue the negative strereotyping of the Italians. Really! No one stomps on grapes and a child who will visit a farm in Italy will hardly see such outdated stereotypical occurrences. Can food be the only thing one would like of Italy? Of course, since the book failed to explain what other things of wonder a child might see. I bought this for my grandchildren, as sadly there are very few book on Italy with some italian words. I returned the book because I would NEVER introduce Italy to my grandchildren this way. A very expensive book that perpatuates outdated images. Poor job.

4 comments about Pocket Map and Guide Venice (EYEWITNESS POCKET MAP & GUIDE).

1. I love to plan trips. I'll use 2 or 3 travel guides to get excited and think of the things I want to see. But I don't want to carry them around. This gives me a map and small descriptions to jog my memory all in a small, easy to carry book. The map is very clearly printed. What more could I want?



2. Lots of pictures. Great concise descriptions. Maps. Small glossary of Italian. Organizes everything in a clear way. Perfect! Thought I was going to get another larger version of a travel guide for Venice but not anymore. It's all I need. If I do find something that it's missing I can look it up on the internet. The only thing that might be hard for some people is the small type. I have 20/20 vision and can read it perfectly. No problem whatsoever. But if you have vision problems you might find it somewhat hard to read. Its about the size of a Hershey Bar and jammed packed with information if that gives you an idea. I love it though!



3. We'll be cruising out of Venice in the fall. This guide is the perfect size for what we need - info on all the main sites, maps, travel information. It even has a small phrasebook in the back. I have the larger Italy Eyewitness Guidebook as well. This seems to give the same basic information, without all the historical background. When you are out and about, you really just need to know the sites and how to get to them. Many reviews say the text is small, but it's not that much smaller than the regular guides. It might be harder to read if your eyesight is poor...but it is fine for me. It's smaller than I expected, which is a good thing. They've really packed a lot of information into a totally portable guide.



4. Definitely small - about 8"x4" and 80 pages. And, as mentioned by the earlier reviewers, the print is very small. A map for each district and a couple for the entire city. Thumbnail sketches. Something I want to read - unlike the big books where I never have time to read it all. I keep perusinig this book. It includes a few (after all, how many can we try) restaurants in each district of varying price ranges. There are also details on traveling from the airport. It's clean and crisp which probably makes it easier to read than it otherwise might be. I'll be going to Venice in 10 days and it will fit right in my outside purse pocket. Finally, its price is undercut by no travel guide of which I'm aware.

No comments about La Bella Vita: Daily Inspiration from Italy.

1 comments about Italian Riviera & Piemonte, 4th (Country & Regional Guides - Cadogan).

1. Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (1/07)
   
   Being back in USA after the fabulous European trip last month makes me feel vaguely blue and lethargic. It is difficult to muster much enthusiasm for anything when the weather is grey and drab; all that one wants to do is to get under the covers and dream of the Mediterranean sunshine. The good news is that I do believe I found the cure for the winter blahs. Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls have written a number of great travel books, and the last I've read, "Italian Riviera & Piedmont" is no exception.
   
   Their writing summons images of sunny, wonderful Italy. If you open the book at random, the section you stumble upon is bound to make you smile. Let me give you an example: "Specialties of the Riviera, or the Marriage of Popeye and the Olive Oyl..." What a wonderful way to describe Ligurian cuisine. The authors go on and describe not only what kinds of foods are traditionally eaten in the area, but also why this is so. Some of the information will probably be quite surprising to most of the readers. If nothing else, it is bound to make you hungry!
   
   As always, their writing is refreshing and wonderfully insightful, slightly irreverent, always informative and never boring. Take, for example, their brief introduction to the city of Turin: "Detroit without the degradation; the absolutist capital of the Savoys; a stately, masculine Baroque city of porticoed avenues and royal squares; the home of the Holy Shroud, of Juventus, vermouth, an endearingly outrageous Mole and the centre of the black magic in the Mediterranean - Piedmont's capital, Turin (Torino, pop. 900,000) is not your typical Italian city. Positioned midway between the pole and the equator, its winters are colder than Copenhagen's; its most renowned museum is Egyptian. It straddles the Po, so close to its source that the water is almost clean. One of its nicknames is Grissinopoli (`breadstickville')."
   
   Such wonderfully colorful and imaginative descriptions do not take away from down to earth, practical information at all. Facaros and Pauls have obviously mastered the art of form not taking away from the function and function not taking away from the form. The guidebook covers all of the usual, necessary facets of travel. History, art, architecture, food and drink, practical advice on how to get ready for the trip and detailed descriptions of the areas encompassed in this book (Riviera di Ponente, Genoa, Riviera di Levante, Turin, Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta) are all very detailed and exceptionally useful. Even for such a relatively small area the authors included information on over 450 places to stay and over 400 places to eat and drink. The photography section conveys some of the intriguing beauty of the areas visited. Over 20 maps included in the book will prove extremely useful for the individual travelers for sure. They are detailed and very easy to read. At the end of the book authors included a short linguistic section with some useful words and phrases as well as a glossary. And if this book provokes a desire to know more about this particular part of the world, the authors also compiled a great list of suggested further reading.
   
   I would highly recommend "Italian Riviera & Piedmont" to anybody who desires a deeper understanding of Italy, particularly the areas described within. As for myself, I will certainly look for more books written by this talented team.

3 comments about Rome Laminated Pocket Map by Pocket-Pilot.

1. I now have several of these maps and they are GRRREAT!!! Rome, Venice, London, New York, Florence to name a few.
   
   Hardy tough and well thought out with good detail. One side is all map and the other is brief highlights of the city and some facts, listings, top sights and break out of the "quarters" of the city.
   
   Small and compact perfect for traveling. And it includes rail lines and bus routs in great detail.
   
   If you want a good travel map of a city, don't hesitate, get it, you won't be disappointed!



2. I was looking for a more detailed map of Rome with more streets. This map is just like the ones that some of the Rome hotels have for distribution in their lobbies.



3. After going over many options for maps in my local bookstore, and several chain bookstores I choose pocket pilot. It is made from a tear resistant/water resistant material, its the perfect size, very readable and easy to fold.

No comments about Italy 2008 (Michelin National Maps).

No comments about Michelin Valle D'Aosta, Piemonte, Lombardia, Liguria.

1 comments about Shorter Walks in the Dolomites: 40 Selected Walks (Cicerone Mountain Walking).

1. I was pleased to find this book about shorter walks in the Dolomites, written in eloquent English. This is a wonderful area of German and Ladino-speaking Italy with many hiking options. I was completely unfamiliar with what we might encounter and this book gave ideas on where to go and what to do. There are many lifts and gondolas that run during the late spring, summer, and fall to take hikers from the main road to higher elevations to start hiking. There is nothing like this in the US so it was difficult to envision. The author gives an overview of the area and then describes each numbered hike (location found on large scale map) in exquisite detail, including directions to the trailheads, mileage, elevation gain (in meters), and walking time. There are beautiful color photos and small-scale maps of each hike. I emailed the author prior to our trip and she answered immediately with suggestions on which hikes to do given the location of our lodging.
   
   We had no idea how long it would take to drive even a short distance on the map. As it turned out, we stayed within a very small area as the roads are narrow and winding and we wanted to spend more time hiking and less time driving (although the scenery was spectacular!). We also had no idea how much the various lifts cost. It depended on the type of lift, location, and whether going one-way or round trip, but the ones we went on ranged from about 8-15 Euros per person. That can add up. Another thing we learned the hard way is that lifts close in the late afternoon and might be closed mid-day while hikers are at elevation and not yet ready to go down. You can always sit at the upper station, which likely has a cafe, and enjoy the scenery if they are not yet open for the descent. Be sure to check the closing time and make sure you beat it or it might be a painful, steep trip down.
   
   The rifugios, or huts, are a delight. Again, coming from the US we had no idea what they would be like. They are much bigger and have more services than expected. You can get some great food and hot and cold drinks. They have restrooms which they prefer you to use rather than the countryside. We would have enjoyed spending nights at them had we known how to go about doing this. We look forward to returning!
   
   Gillian Price has done an excellent job at putting together a rather comprehensive book of day hikes in the Dolomites. Note that there are many hikes available that are not mentioned. She picked a smattering of the best, and there is great variety.

1 comments about Authentic Umbria: Perugia - Assisi - Gubbio - Spoleto - Todi - Orvieto - Trasimeno Lake (Authentic Italy).

1. The copy I have has the same ISBN number as the one shown here, but the numbers specifying what is included in the guide listed on the cover are different. This guide has plenty of information but one thing that is very frustrating is that it doesn't tell you where certain things mentioned in the text are located. The larger scale maps of Umbria are rather weak . An example of missing information pertains to the section "medieval umbria." A number of places are mentioned in that section but there is no information as to their location.