Guide Books for Rome

[rklrkl]

Going to Europe last week in October on Splendour of the Seas. I am looking for a good street guide book for Rome, Naples etc. Any good suggestions on the ultimate guide book?

[andydee]

The best I have seen is by Eyewitness Travel Guides; very good.

Andy

[SheilaNC]

I like Rick Steves Italy book. It covers all of the places we will be and includes (for most cities) recommended walking tours. Check out his Web site for free articles that are quite useful http://www.ricksteves.com

 

Sheila

[cruisingmimi]

I was at Borders Bookstore yesterday & they have a very comprehensive section of travel books on Italy. I didn't purchase anything though, just browsing.

 

I have checked out Rick Steeves online & he has an excellent website.

[wwinfl91]

We used the the AAA Spiral Guide to Venice and really found it useful. We are going to be in London in May and are getting a copy of their London version. Here is a link to a site that shows all the AAA Spiral guides to countries and cities in Europe that are available.

 

http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/insights/series/AAA/europe.htm

 

I can't guarante the Rome guide would be as good as the Venice one we used was but if it is then you will find in worth the money.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[Palms2Pines2Sea]

Rick Steves' Italy guide is absolutely great - it is the single best selling guidebook in America. His 'Rome' book is equally great and that is the one you want. Just remember that you will need to supplement it with a really good map which you should pick up in Rome.

 

The beauty of Rick Steves' books is his gift at giving you the highlights of a city as artistically and visually overwhelming as Rome. His "tour" of the Vatican Museum is spot on for 90% of us. As with any guidebook, use it as a guide, not as a bible. Leave yourself open to experiences that aren't recorded in any guidebook, except your own!

[wwinfl91]

The one problem I have found with Rick Steves guides are that they are more oriented to toruists who are staying more than a single day in an area or a city. When you are on a cruise your time to see things is generally pretty limited and you are usually trying to see the most highlights you can in the shortest time. Rick's books are great if you are traveling in Europe and staying for multiple days in a city or area as they really tell you about local highlights and local things to do but again for a typical cruise ship passenger who has 8 to 12 hours or so in a port may not have time to use a lot of his suggestions.

 

Just my opinion but I would be interested to see if others who have cruised have a similar opinion.

 

By the way for a great web site on European information check out the one below.

 

http://www.europeforvisitors.com/index.html

 

Have a great next cruise.

[Bruin Steve]

We used the the AAA Spiral Guide to Venice and really found it useful.

http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/insights/series/AAA/europe.htm

I've got to throw in my two cents of agreement here...

I'm one of those "you just can't be TOO prepared" types...I have sometimes purchased several guides for a single trip...When we did the Mediterranean in 2003, I actually purchased and brought with me SIX guide books (You should see my bookshelf at home)...But, when it came to actually touring the cities, I ONLY carried the Spiral Guides wherever I went...

 

I like Rick Steve's books as far as the information goes...but it really is aimed at a specific segment and the maps and drawings are rather amateurish and incomplete...

 

Eyewitness guides are excellent...and close in content to the Spiral Guides--but just a little less convenient to use and difficult to follow...

 

The Spiral Guides are pretty close to perfect...The maps are always excellent...and especially useful are the suggested walking tours--which even detail recommended time frames...They also contain a lot of information in a rather compact and lightweight package...and they even rate the importance of sites which allows you to plan well as to how to spend limited time...And the full color presentation and the layout make them interesting and easy...

 

Gee, they should pay me a sales commission, huh?

[SheilaNC]

Are the Spiral Guides for each city? Price? Seems like this could get a mite expensive. One thing I've done that really helped was to go to the travel section of our local library and take out the most recent versions of a variety of guides on the shelf. Then I purchase current version for where we want to go. Unfortunately haven't seen the AAA guides there :(

 

Sheila

[Bruin Steve]

Some of the Spiral Guides are for particular cities, others by region , others by country...

 

I just purchased a London and an Ireland from Amazon.com for $11.53 apiece...

And if you buy over $30 at one time, they offer free shipping (I bought a third book as well--Eyewitness Guide to Madrid--AAA has only Spain--or Barcelona or Andaluz or several other places in Spain, but no Madrid) ...

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-form/002-3142397-1757650012779[/url]

 

For Italy, for example, they have a Venice and a Rome, and also an "Italy"...Obviously, the City books go into a little more depth...

 

Yes, if you are stopping in several ports for only a day each, it's a little bit of overkill to spend $11.53 on each...That's why I bought the Ireland book, rather than the "Dublin"...We'll be in Dublin for only a day, but we'll also be in Cork and in Belfast...

[wwinfl91]

I haven't had much luck finding the AAA Spiral guides in our local library either. I did fill in a request to get one for Los Vegas and they did get it but not until after I had actually taken the trip.

 

They cost $16.95 each on the web site I listed above. I saw someplace on the web that had them for $12.95 I think but I don't know if they were the current issues or not.

 

They don't have them for every city and some of them are for whole countries. Again check out the web site which I will post below.

 

http://www.thesavvytraveller.com/insights/series/AAA/europe.htm

 

Have a great next cruise.

 

I was glad to see the above post from Bruin Steve that he also found the AAA spiral guides useful above other guides. That was my experience also.

[SheilaNC]

Thanks for the great info, Bruin Steve - do you know how current the AAA guides are? How often are they revised? Couldn't see a publication year when I looked. Will purchase Italy for our cruise since we'll only be in each port for one day (except Venice and Barcelona-pre and post) and may get the city guides for V and B.

 

Thanks

 

Still love RickSteves and his Italy is a great one as well. We hope to go back to do a land trip in the next year or two

 

Sheila

[belgiancruiser]

I always use the Green Michelin Guides.

Though a bit dry, they are very good in giving the major sites, and their star rating (1/2/3/) is really trustworthy. It helps making choices more easy, certainly if you have only limited time in a place.

 

They are very comprehensive, but give always advice, for example, Rome in 1 day, Rome in 2 or 3 days.

 

Originally french, most of the more important ones are also in english (and even dutch) these days.

 

J

[Bruin Steve]

...do you know how current the AAA guides are? How often are they revised?

Sheila...

They tend to cycle the revisions at about 2-5 years...with publication dates staggered...The Ireland one I just ordered, for example, is "March 2005"...I think the London is 2004...

 

Barnes & Noble gives dates on their site...

 

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=AAA%20Spiral&userid=du2NVP2B9c&sourceid=00409533276282857031&bfdate=03%2D03%2D2005+12%3A22%3A32

 

But, be wary...They often show BOTH an earlier version and a later edition...For example, they are showing an Ireland from 2002, but if you keep clicking to later pages, you find the March 2005 edition as well!!!

[marp109]

I bought the AAA guides for Rome and Venice at Amazon, used, for approx. $8+shipping. As they didn't, at that time, have anything more current than 2001 0r 2002 it made sense. Both are in great condition and I can't wait to go! They have lots of great info and anything current I need, such as train fares, etc. I can get online before I go. Don't think they'll have changed the Forum too much!

[SheilaNC]

Thanks, that info is helpful. I may do the same.

 

Sheila

[queeng]

I bought the AAA guides for London, Venice and Barcelona. I have already been using then to plan out our limited time in each spot. I really like them and got them form Amazon also.Ginger

[SheilaNC]

OK, I'm delighted with the recommendations...just bought Venice and Barcelona and ordered the new Italy due out in July. We cruise end of October so that should be a good current reference. Thanks for all of your help.