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Title: Rick Steves' Rome 2010
ISBN: 1598802836
Author:
Rick Steves
Gene Openshaw
Publicate Date: 2009-09-15
Publish: 2009-09-15
List Price: $17.95
Average Customer Rating: 3.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $10.39
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $11.85
Amazon Merchant Price: $12.21
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Packed with useful information for budget conscious travelers.
I'm a little confused with previous reviews of Rick Steves' Rome book. Are we reading the same book? Poor content? Really? I'm planning my first trip to Rome and, if anything, this book has been an indispensable planning tool for our big trip. I have been "traveling" with Rick for many years now. I update my "Europe Through the Back Door" books whenever I plan a trip to Europe, and my 3 versions of these books are all dog-eared, full of highlighted sections and are well worn. Rick's books have been my best friends during past trips to the UK, France and Germany, so his book on Rome was the first book I bought when we began just even considering a trip to the Eternal City. And one of the best things about Rick's country/city books is that he updates them every year, so you know that you have the most up-to-date information available on print. His website is also a fantastic travel resource.
Rick Steves' Rome is subdivided into several categories: Introduction (planning tip, what to know before you go), Orientation, Sights, Sleeping (accomodations), Eating (restaurant suggestions), Rome with Children, Shopping, Nightlife, Transportation Connections, Daytrips, Roman History, Appendix and the Index.
* The "Sights" section alone covers over 230 pages with fantastic and detailed information on Self-Guided Walks (Nightly Walk, Trastevere Walk, Jewish Ghetto Walk) and Self-Guided Tours (including the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Capitoline Museum, Borghese Gallery, Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica to name a few). Each section of this self-guided tours and walks has practical information (hours, cost, how to get there, how to avoid long lines), background history, descriptions of the interior and exterior, maps, pictures and details on each "must see" (whether its a painting, sculpture, structure or item of architectural/historical interest). I've browsed through many travel books on Rome and Rick is one of the few (or the only one) who has given useful tips on the best tours to take, how to avoid long lines, what sights are not worth the trip, what sights are underrated, and how to travel well on a budget.
* "Sleeping" and "Eating" sections covers his recommendations for a wide range of budgets (although those who know Rick knows that he specializes in travel for cost-conscious travelers).
* "Shopping" covers tips on markets, ideas for souvenirs and general shopping tips. It is sparse, however, so if you plan to do some serious shopping, then I recommend that you supplement this book with a "Rome shopping guide" as well.
* "Daytrips" covers Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Naples and Pompeii (sights that are within a 2-hour train ride from Rome). If you are looking for sights around Tuscany/Umbria, then you will want to pick up Rick's "Florence" book for information on those areas.
I highly recommend this book to anyone (especially budget-conscious travelers) who is contemplating a trip to Rome. In my planning, I have also supplemented this book with the latest version of Rick's "Europe Through the Back Door" (fantastic practical planning guide) and "Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler." If Rick's books have a shortcoming (and, yes, no travel book is perfect), it is the lack of glitzy color pictures that some travel books have. What he lacks in snazzy pictures, he makes up for in content. His self-guided tours and walks, and his tips and budget recommendations are always excellent. However, if you are a "visual" person like me (who must have my pictures) and particularly if you are going on your first trip to Rome, then I have found that Fodor's Rome (Full-Color Gold Guides) with its color pictures, visuals and maps is the perfect complement to Rick's books. I always find that investing in a guidebook or two, and a really good map are well worth it. As a seasoned European traveler, I know that Rick's Rome book, Fodor's Rome and MapEasy's Guidemap to Rome are all I need to help me make my trip a success.
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2: good for practical; poor for content
This is your run of the mill Tour book that has good practical information (hours, maps, walking tours) but like all books made for all people and attempting not to offend any of the consumers, it lacks good content (about a paragraph per monument/church/museum). It is too thick for the lack of information it doesn't have.
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3: Good travel guide
Better than the average travel guide, except photos are limited. Good information. Typical of Rick Steves. doubt there are many changes from 2009, but have honestly not set down and compared them.
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