Travel books?

[imbues]

Can any of you recommend travel books for Italy in particular? I'm mostly interested in Rome, Florence and Venice, but I expect to return there more than once, so a general book would be alright.

[jashermd]

Hello,

I do a lot of long weekends in Europe and I've found that the best city guides are the ones published by TimeOut. They're written by local people and updated annually so the information is very current. TimeOut guides can sometimes be a bit hard to come by in the US but you can certainly get them through Amazon.

Cheers,
Julian

[kyshel]

Imbues--I really love the Eyewitness Guides (published by D&K). They offer them for many cities, as well as regional or national versions for extended travel. I am fortunate enough to have a local library only 3 miles away--I can reserve online and pick up same day. I like them enough to buy special ones for my fave destinations.I slap post-it notes all over the library books.

Pros--Timeless color sections for museums, palaces, etc--layout maps and specifics about floors, permanent exhibits and such. Divided by sections of cities/areas to avoid flipping back and forth.
General map inside front cover/transport routes inside back cover
Cons--Detailed maps are in the back--I'd prefer to have them in each section with the "scenic" maps.
Great pics, generous size but still compact. Priced around $15--avail all over web or bookstores.
Amazon has huge inventory--discounts avail thru overstock.com too.

[kyshel]

Julian--are those the guides with the pull-out maps in the back pocket? I had one in Bangkok that was very cool and easy to use, but I lost it...

[obrienkf]

imbues



my own recommendations: general travel books --- eyewitness guides. they are published annually, i have often found them at reduced prices, they are not full of 'hotel and dining' recommendations, which i normally dont seek in a guide book anyway..and concentrate on what to see and do. just about every capital city in the world, and certainly one for each Rome, Venice and Florence. maps, full colour, useful, and easy to read.



now, for more interesting travel recommendations, i suggest the 'citysecrets' books, not many around yet, i found the one for Rome exceptional. There is one for NY and one for London, and a new one, that covers Florence, Venice and some italian towns. more obscure, out of the way recommendations, from architects, writers, politicians, historians and archaeogists. premium travel advice on little known corners of rome, little churches that have a unique bernini that is off the beaten track etc. see www.citysecrets.com published by The Little Bookroom. Great book.



kind regards (you may want to revisit the destinations italy section on luxury link.... i have posted these before, and is lots of destination specfic information on those boards.....)

[funtimes]

Imbues I am a traditionalist and believe you can't go wrong with Fodors or Frommers We found Seives ? Steve Seives the guide on many PBS stations to be good also. I would suggest getting a Berlitz CD Italian Language teaching guide as well It was wonderful to know a few phrases in advance...in case you are not fluent in Italian alraedy Enjoy! ...Funtimes

[bonniejoy03]

Funny thing about travel books...I was quoting some information from Lonely Planet or Fodors in Belize to our Mayan Tour guide. He said...where did you get that info? It is quite old. (The question had to do with the safety and security in Guatemala.) He said a lot of travel books don't update info especially developing countries. This reallly opened my eyes. Just thought I would pass that on.



I did use a lot of information from different country forums. It provided great restaurant ideas and activies of more local places at great prices.

[jashermd]

Hi,

The Time Out guides don't have pull-out maps, but the maps are in an easy-to-use section on the back. They're definitely more accurate than those featured in other guidebooks I've used (Fodors, Lonely Planet, Rough Guide).

Cheers,
Julian

[imbues]

Thanks for your replies and I will be looking at all of your suggestions. If anyone can think of any others or a specific guide for other destinations feel free to post about it. I'm interested in almost all aspects of travel.

My travel plan list includes 3-4 trips to Europe and at least one trip to Asia in the next ten years, sprinkled with one or two trips a year around the US, Canada and Mexico. I'm not ready to travel to Africa, OZ, India or South America yet. I've been to Jamaica and Puerto Rico several times and I'm not that interested in going to the Caribbean right now. However, I'm still interested in reading about it. I get excited just reading about all your experiences and it will prepare me for when I can go to those places.

Thanks again!

[jashermd]

Hello Imbues,

You might enjoy 'Venetian Dreaming' by Paula Weideger, a New York who goes to live in Venice for a year. It's a great book which gives you a nice feel for the city.

Cheers,
Julian