Book Review - Rick Steves' Italy 2005 by Rick Steves

 HIGHLY Recommended
Rick Steves' Europe travel guides are the best since they're updated every year. I took the 2004 edition of this book with me on a two-week backpacking trip through Italy, and it was indispensable. I carried it with me at almost all times. Rick always offers great advice on what to see and what to skip, and you can count on great hotel and restaurant information. The physical size of the book is also perfect for putting in your cargo pants pocket, jacket pocket, or backpack. While the Rick Steves' guides don't include pictures to help you in your planning, the information is simply the best real world, "how do I do this" advice you're going to find in a guidebook.

The front of the book includes a color map of Italy with major rail lines as well as double-page city maps of Venice, Rome, and Florence. I never bought or needed separate maps of Venice or Florence and purchased a detailed map of Rome only in order to look up some very specific addresses. The maps in the book are great! You'll also find maps throughout the text with locations of the major sites, hotels, and restaurants listed in the book pointed out on the map. I purchased the Rick Steve's Italy fold-out map before my trip but never needed it.

If you're going to Italy, don't try to do it without this book!

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