Completely updated every year! Frommer's Italy features gorgeous color photos and maps of the most of the ancient and modern cities, classical architecture and ruins, vineyards, villages, and gorgeous countryside vistas that await you. Much moredetailed and comprehensive than the major competition, this is simply the most reliable and in-depth guide you can buy.
It's personally researched and full of candid opinions. Our authors have chosen the very best places to stay, from the grand hotels of Rome and the chic resorts of Capri to charming and affordable inns and small hotels in regions like Tuscany and the Lake District. And of course, we'll make sure that you dine memorably throughout Italy, whether you're splurging on a world-class restaurant in Florence or looking for a little-known trattoria that serves all the classics.
Wherever you go, you'll rely on Frommer's for authoritative but fun-to-use coverage of all the historic, artistic, and cultural treasures. You'll get a complete shopper's guide, the latest trip-planning advice on everything from bargain airfares to rail passes, and a complete shopper's guide. Frommer's Italy even features a color fold-out map!
English Pass This One Up... I bought Frommers Italy 2008 on a lark as I was headed for a long weekend in Pisa/Florence and couldn't find my usual Lonely Planet or Let's Go travel guides. All I can say is that it was truly a disappointment. The authors stated that the Stazione Pisa Centrale (main train station for Pisa) was, "a 10 to 15-minute walk from the Leaning Tower." My husband and I walked to the Leaning Tower from the station at a good pace (we really enjoy walking), and it took us about 30 to 40 minutes to reach the station.
Secondly, the Antica Trattoria Da Bruno was one of only two recommended places to eat in Pisa. Again, the authors state that, "It served old-fashioned but market-fresh dishes of the Pisan kitchen", and, "It's one of Pisa's finest restaurants." Well after a long day spent wandering in Florence, we returned to Pisa, mouths watering in anticipation of a memorable Italian meal. What we got instead was bland, pinged-in-the-microwave pasta and straight-out-of-the-tin canellini beans! The bread was stale, pasta over-cooked and wine horrible. What the place capitalizes on, though, is over-the-top ambiance, a huge wine list, and a waiter that 'cheeses it up' for tourists. If you are ever in Pisa, please go to the Pizzeria Galilei. We ate there 3 times! The traditional home-made Tuscan specialties, gorgeous wine, tasteful decor, attentive staff made our time in Pisa heaven.
Don't get me started on the hotel recommendations (there are some wonderful pensiones in Pisa, but the tacky Jolly Hotel right across from the station got a mention?!).
If you want travel books you can trust, stick with Let's Go--they've never done me wrong, and I travel a lot!
