Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers how to stroll the same streets walked by Michelangelo, explore world-reknown art museums, or sample Tuscan cuisine? With Rick Steves’ Florence and Tuscany 2007, travelers can experience Rick's favorite destinations in Florence, including the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Ponte Vecchio – economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves’ Florence and Tuscany 2007 includes:
• Opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights
• Friendly places to eat and sleep
• Suggested day plans
• Walking tours and trip itineraries
• Clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot
America’s #1 authority on travel to Europe, Rick’s time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
Very helpful and practical book.......2007-09-23
Good information with a sense of humor. Well organized and clearly written. Rick Steves knows his stuff.
Great walks, food and info.......2007-09-02
This is the type of tourist guide we like...lots of walking tours with information on what you are seeing. Excellent information on the major museums to assure you see all the great items, and some lesser items. The food guide was also excellent and included two that will become favorites with us. The humor is fun.
Rick Steves' Florence & Tuscany 2007.......2007-08-01
This book is packed with the kind of information that would be nearly impossible to find elsewhere and is essential for anyone wishing to visit Florence and Tuscany, even if they have been there before. The information and tips provided enable a tourist not to be obviously a tourist and to get the most out of the visit. This guide is "A Must".
Mike Sedgwick, Tucson AZ
Great giude for the traveler. Not a museum guidebook........2007-07-16
This book does not have pretty pictures or in-depth historical information about the sights, but there are plenty of books that do that.
This book's strength is that it makes your trip easy, painless and enjoyable. In my recent trip to Florence (June 26-29) I did not have to wait in line at any of the museums/cathedrals/domes etc. which made the trip much more relaxing and enjoyable.
Buy the Rough Guide instead!.......2007-07-14
I came across this in an apartment in Florence, wisely jettisoned by a traveler who had more useful things to carry in their luggage.
Steves' book IS quite good at the very practical nitty gritty of Florence: for example precisely how one collects pre-reserved Uffizi tickets, but his comments on cultural aspects are at best token and often stupid. Not everyone will want, like me, to know all about as much of the art as possible in a book about Florence, but for a travel guide to cover, say, Santa Croce and make reference to only one painting when the place is full of the most glorious and important fresco cycles by major figures is inexcusable. If the information is there, one can ignore it, but if it isn't, you might return to the US (the prime market, I imagine) and realise that you have been within yards of great paintings but the guide book didn't GUIDE you to go and look at them. Instead, in Santa Croce, he refers to admittedly interesting monuments, but fails to refer to the finest (Bruni's), he's only interested in the famous names.
His grasp of the art is very poor and he seems to address his readers as though they are 12 year olds needing asinine jokes to keep their attention. For him medieval painting is a world of never-neverland (his phrase) where the poor painters are struggling desperately to paint realistically but just can't do it! Simone Martine's Uffizi Annunciation is patronised: he can't see its beauty and sees it as a mere stone on the pathway to realism. Mary 'doesn't look too impressed': a good point if he only had the wit to see that perhaps the responsibility of her role is frightening and overwhelming - it's a very moving and human piece, but his approach seems to be,'Why try to elucidate when you can be folksy and jocular'. An early crucifixion is mocked for having Christ's head raised as on a wedge as though this is a pathetic effort at three-dimensionality when it is pretty obvious that the angle would enable viewers to see Christ's face (and suffering) more clearly from ground level and has little to do with aspiring to realism. He also says that the Siena Pinacoteca (a gallery full of wonderful Sienese painting) would tempt him in only if there was a downpour! (I dread to think what nonsense Steves writes about, say, Picasso, if REALISM is the criterion by which all is judged.)
A cardinal sin, for me, is the advice to 'leave this guide face up' in a number of restaurants to gain a reduction. When I travel I like to try to be as little like a tourist as possible, while still obviously being one. I know I stand out like a sore thumb, but Steves seems happy to be as obvious as an amputated leg. And what sort of arrangement leads a guide book writer to 'negotiate' deals for his readers? All very sad, especially as Steves seems to be the Guru of European travel for Americans. Perhaps he suits those, like the previous reviewer who praises Steves for enabling him to 'do' Pisa in 45 minutes and not miss anything, though how he would know he hadn't missed anything is beyond me.
The Rough Guide does everything Steves does well just as effectively, while the cultural stuff, whether great art, architecture etc or jazz clubs, bars, cinemas, clubs - is in another league. If you want a detailed guide to the art and history of the city, see American art historian Eve Borsook's Companion Guide: it has the art, the history and is a really good unfussy read.
And if you want to get a guide to the UK, PLEASE don't buy Steves': I dread to think what rubbish he writes, on the basis of this offering.
Not even worth the one star the site requires me to give!
Book Description
There is something for just about everyone in Florence and Tuscany. From viewing some of the world's greatest Renaissance art to wandering around designer boutiques. Discover a whole new side of Florence and Tuscany with the Eyewitness Travel Guide. This guide will give you practical information without any hassle. All of the important towns and other places to visit are described individually. Within each town or city, there is detailed information on important buildings and other sites. Make the most of your trip with the Eyewitness Travel Guide.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect As Usual.......2007-07-18
I have become such a fan of the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides that I never use anything else anymore. They are full of historical information, maps, area by area tips for sightseeing and guides to hotels, restaurants and shopping. They give you good information about traveling to and from, as well as, in and around your destination cities. My favorite thing about these guides is that they give you photograps of the different sites they recommend. I have had occassion to see a photograph of something I hadn't intended to see, been intrigued, and gone out of my way to see it. I've never been disappointed with these guides and this one for Florence and Tuscany are no exception. A great feature of these guides is that they also give maps of the inside of larger buildings such as cathedrals. This is very important in places that have specifically interesting or important pieces of artwork you'd like to see.
If you are traveling with a tour group it is especially nice that you can see what might be available to see in a smaller place you stop for only a few hours. The guide will lead you right to it and you don't waste your time wandering (unless wandering is what you love). Definitely study these guides before you leave. You're trip will be enriched.
Another thing I love about these guides that I've never seen in other guides is a list, complete with pictures, of the different foods that are native to where you're traveling and what the dish is made from. As I am not a particularly adventurous eater, this is very comforting!Florence and Tuscany (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
If you are an armchair traveler these are also great. With the photos and facts you will feel as if you've traveled to your dream destination.
The best overall guide available.......2007-07-03
There is no such thing as the perfect guidebook, but after 13 years of using them I've been most impressed by the Eyewitness series. I used the Rome book in college when I went there for 6 weeks, the London book when I lived in the UK for two years, and I bought the latest edition of the Rome and Florence/Tuscany books this year for my Italian honeymoon. I also brought along Rick Steves and Blue Guide to field-test them, but I used Eyewitness the most by a long shot. Rick Steves is very good for practical travel tips, but little else. Blue Guides are very good for historical/artistic/architectural detail, but they can be cumbersome and aren't the easiest to use while traveling. I made a point to notice which guides other travelers were using around Italy, and I saw Eyewitness guides far more than any other, carried in an amazing variety of language editions by travelers from all over the world.
Eyewitness guides are colorful, filled with photos, easy to carry, user-friendly, and they have great city maps. They provide a comprehensive overview that lets you decide what you want to see. They're also very durable and hold up extremely well in the rain. Foldout covers on front and back provide very handy bookmarks. They have their downsides too, of course: the restaurant and hotel recommendations are hit and miss (as with most guidebooks), the books are not always updated annually, and the short Italian dictionary in the back is all but useless.
This book will guide you to the places you most want to see in and around Florence. It won't tell you a lot about them when you get there, but for many travelers it's more than enough. I like to have more historical, artistic and architectural detail handy when I travel to a place like Italy, so I also travel with the much more detailed Blue Guides. If you're only going to bring one guidebook, I recommend Eyewitness.
Great Guide for detailed travel.......2007-06-15
I recently used this guide during a six-day stay in Florence, with side trips to Prato and Siena. The maps were wonderful, the descriptions helpful, the hints on using buses, trains, electricity, tipping, etc. were practical. The layout diagrams of the top sites showing the interiors of buildings and floorplans seem to be a unique feature of the Eyewitness Guide series -- they are a wonderful to orient oneself within a building. The guide greatly enhanced my trip. And, after my trip, it's been helpful in getting my images in order and identified.
I like this one a little better than Rick Steve's.......2007-05-25
Having read both and used as a planning guides for an Fall 2007 trip, I think this one is a bit better. There are some other great reviewers here to read, and I can only add having both will not hurt you in your preparations for Florence and the Tuscany area. I do beleive Rick Steve's is better on the restaurant reviews. I also recommend using both books to do internet searches of hotels and restaurants. You'd be surprised how many establishments have websites so you can see if you want to stay or eat at certain places.
A Great Guide.......2007-05-05
My family and I just returned from Tuscany and found this guide to be invaluable. The maps, diagrams and pictures are top notch. Although some of the historical and artistic themes are only covered briefly (e.g. the Medici family, Dante, Mannerist painting, etc) it is sufficient to give you a general sense of the key themes and players. The rest is up to you.
What was also particularly useful was the restuarant guide and off the beaten track locations such as Saturnia. Even though I'm moderately fluent in Italian the mini phrase book at the back came in handy. I couldn't remember how to say duck in Italian (l'anatra), and was surprised to find it in the guide.
If you're even remotely considering buying a Florence and/or Tuscany guide, look no further, this is the guide for you.
Book Description
From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World
"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
--Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
--The New York Times
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide:
* A complete planner to Florence, Rome, and the highlights of Tuscany, Umbria, Latium, and the Marches
* Honest advice that lets you feel safe and comfortable in the heart of Italy--whether you speak Italian or not
* Insider tips on finding the most charming hotels for the best price
* Hundreds of restaurants reviewed and ranked for quality and value
* A complete guide to the region's cultural and historic sights--with helpful hints for making the most of your time
Sample Rating
The Leaning Tower (Torre Pendente)
Appeal by Age Preschool Grade school Teens Young adults Over 30 Seniors
Campo dei Miracoli; # 050 560 547; www.torre.duomo.pisa.it
Type of attraction Icon of Pisa. Admission ¿15 at ticket office; ¿17 for online bookings. Hours Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., guided tours every 40 minutes. When to go This site is always mobbed. Reservations Required. Special comments Local superstition has it that seeing the Leaning Tower before an exam will guarantee a bad grade. How much time to allow 30 minutes. Author's rating
Customer Reviews:
Extremely useful!.......2007-10-04
My husband and I used this guide on our first trip to Rome and Florence. It was well written and well organized. The book contained some great tips about getting around using public transportation in both cities; the included maps were helpful.
Sights were rated based not only upon how interesting they were but on what age groups would be interested in them, from children through senior citizens. The restaurant reviews and recommendations were right on target. Everything from "inexpensive" to "very expensive" eateries were included.
This book was obviously written using input from a variety of real travelers, not some "high-brow" travel critic! The book included information on many smaller towns, too. The only drawback was that the book was a bit on the large side. It fit into a backpack but with the other things we commonly carried, (water bottles, camera), it was a little cumbersome. However, this book contains so much useful information, it was worth taking along! Read it before you go to Italy and take it on your travels. We were glad we did!
Good, Practical guide.......2007-07-25
This guide was very practical and useful in comparison to the guidebook my friend had with her. Hers had a lot of pictures but less practical information. We tried several of the restaurant recommendations - one in particular in Florence was one of our best meals and one of the best prices - half of the cost of any other meal on the trip. One recommended wine shop though was no longer open.
I was also dissappointed that the information on the galleries was not specific about how difficult it can be to get in on certain days - for example, The Uffizzi in Florence is quite difficult to get in to without an advance reservation on a Tuesday because it is closed on Mondays. This was the day I had planned to go and the line was 5 hours long just to attempt to get in.
I think it would also be helpful to include some information on the "after hours" touring options. While pricey, several of the Galleries, including the Vatican Museum have services that can provide a tour after the normal hours of the Museum when all the crowds are gone. This would likely be well worth it if you can afford the option or want to treat yourself to one special tour.
Overall I thought this was a good guidebook and easy to use.
Fun and Well-Rounded.......2007-01-13
I was pleasantly surprised with this book.
The way the attractions are organized, with star ratings for different age groups (apparently culled from tourists at each site) as well as the author's rating (sometimes the same, sometimes better or worse) helped give a better picture of each option, since not everyone likes the same thing.
The mini-history lesson for each town is also a bonus in my opinion. I really enjoy knowing a little background on where I'm going, as I feel it leads to better understanding of the things I see & people I encounter.
It is a little heavy on Rome & Florence, but is also sure to include some really unique spots.
I would definitely buy another one of these guides, but be sure to check the publication date to be sure it's within the last couple of years.
I don't rely on guide books too heavily for lodging or restaurants (I use internet research for that) since even a most recent edition takes some time to come to press and things change. I generally see that section of guide books as a starting point or fall back if needed but not as the primary source. Also, various attractions can vary widely in hours (sometimes they just change or are closed/limited due to constant renovations - just the nature of things in Italy), so be sure to double check directly with the attraction (by phone, e-mail, or on the website) before you go to avoid unexpected dissapointments.
It is also well written (although the editors missed some major typos in page headings and the like, but nothing that detracts from the book) - engaging but still informative, not fluff or personal opinion.
Details, Details..........2006-08-30
This book details each and every inch of Rome and Tuscany. In addition to this, the book was easy to read and follow, complete with excellent hotel, eating and shopping suggestions. I would reccomend it to anyone traveling to Italy!
Awesome, especially restaurant picks.......2006-08-16
My husband and I took this book on our honeymoon to Rome and Florence. We especially enjoyed the restaurant recommendations..every place we tried was excellent. Some things were a bit exaggerated, for example, the book indicated that we needed to be dressed in evening wear at some places, but the other patrons were wearing jeans! Also, it said that English was not spoken at some of the restaurants, but we found that all menus had an English translations and servers were mostly able to communicate with us.
We found the information regarding sightseeing to helpful and accurate as well.
Book Description
28 Self-guided Tours. 33 Maps. One Great Trip.
Features: Tuscany for Food & Wine lovers, Tuscany For Art & Architecture lovers, Tuscany For Families and more
At last, a travel guide that tells you how to see the best of everything--in the smartest, most time-efficient way.
-
The best of Florence & Tuscany in one, two, or three days
-
Thematic tours for every interest, schedule, and taste
-
Walking tours of the city's best-loved neighborhoods
-
Hundreds of evocative color photos
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Bulleted maps that show you how to go from place to place
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Hotels, restaurants, shopping, and nightlife for all budgets
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A tear-resistant foldout map--enclosed in a handy plastic wallet you can also use for tickets and souvenirs
Frommer's. The best trips start here. Visit us online at
Frommers.com
Customer Reviews:
I never got the product!.......2007-09-20
I ordered the product and I never received it. I complained to the seller and he said it wasn't his fault. At the end I didn't have the product and they never gave my money back. I WOULDN'T BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS SELLER.
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers how to stroll the same streets walked by Michelangelo or stay in a farmhouse in a Tuscan hill town? With Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2006, travelers can experience Rick's favorite destinations in Florence, including the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Ponte Vecchio - economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2006 includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's #1 authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
Florence and Tuscany Guide review.......2007-10-20
We just returned from a tour to Florence and Tuscany region, and feel this book is inadequate for the Tuscany region in general. It was very helpful for Florence, but many of the cities we visited were not even listed in the book. Therefore, I would consider this mainly a Tuscany guide book.
Packed with useful info!.......2007-10-18
We lived by this book for 4 days around Florence. The restaurants Rick suggests were really great (we tried 6 places), map is detailed, museum guides are adequately informative. He was wrong on a couple of museum prices - sometimes by 50%. I'm not sure if they are anticipating fee decrease in 2008 (we were just there last week). There are other guidebooks with color pictures and more detailed descriptions of sights - might also want to have those if you are not going to do a guided or audio tour. His suggestions on side trips to the hill towns were great. We went to Siena, Pisa, San Gimignano and Volterra by car. We are really glad to have had this book. Definitely recommend and will definitely buy Rick Steves books for our future travels.
Very helpful!.......2006-07-03
I spent 9 days this spring in Florence and Tuscany & found this book to be absolutely wonderful--full of great tips to get the most of your trip. Obviously, a lot of other people found him useful too, as everywhere we went, we saw people toting his book around! My German sister-in-law found it comical!
I am so glad that my friend introduced me to Rick Steves! I now own 3 of his books and am actually shopping for a couple more to use in the coming year!
Book Description
More than a million English-speaking visitors descend on Florence annually, but few venture beyond the usual circuit of tourist restaurants to experience authentic Tuscan cuisine. This updated guide to the best gourmet restaurants and off-the-beaten-path locales offers in-depth profiles of the spots Florentines themselves treasure. Arranged by neighborhood for easy navigation, THE FOOD LOVER'S GUIDE TO FLORENCE is the single essential companion for travelers, students, and expats.
Customer Reviews:
AMAZING!.......2006-06-03
You cannot go to Florence without this book! I was in Florence for five days and I wore this book out; I ate exclusively at places from this book and have never had a better culinary experience in Florence! Emily Wise-Miller takes you to the hidden gems and out-of-the-way places that tourists dream about! Writing this review is making my mouth water and my heart beg to go back, just so I can eat more delicious Florentine steak, pasta, gelato and drink the wine!
If you are planning a trip to Florence/Tuscany or simply want to learn about the culture and history of of Tuscany's culinary roots, BUY THIS BOOK! You will not be disappointed!!
Don't eat in Florence without it!.......2005-11-29
This book was the only book we needed in Florence. Emily's reviews were spot on and we never had a bad meal. We were often the only "tourists" in the eating establishment and garnered some looks from locals as in "how did you find this place!" We walked 2 miles outside the city to have the best pizza we've ever tasted and then 4 miles to spend Sunday lunch with Italian families eating "Spaghetti della Casa." I am extremely picky about food (being Italian and a chef for 15 years) so I cannot rave about this book enough...it made our trip!
very good and helpful food guide for florence.......2005-10-19
We brought this with us, along with several other more general food guides, on a recent 5 day stay in Florence. This was, by far, the most helpful of the guides, since it was devoted exclusively to florence (unlike any others that i am aware of, although there are several tuscan food guides). Because of this, it was far more detailed and afforded many more options than any other guide. As an added perk, it was very up to date, again, unlike several others. There will always be some disgreement when it comes to food recommendations, but I found this guide to be quite reliable. It is by far the most helpful eating guide for florence itself, so if you are traveling to florence for more than a day or two, and eating is at all important to you, I would recommend it very highly, despite the following caveats.
As another reviewer mentioned, the organization in this book leaves a lot to be desired. It is arranged by type of establishment (pizzeria, gelateria, restaurant by expense-category). Since most of one's stopping into gelateria, pastry shops and food markets (if not restaurants) is likely to occur semi-spontaneously as one is walking around, it is crucial to be able to quickly locate stores in your area. This would have been SO easy to address with either a numbered map (preferably) or an index/ list by area. The lack of area-organization combined with the sheer bulk of easily accessible eateries requires one to spend a cumbersome amount of time looking in the guide beforehand and planning stops, not necessarily how one wants to spend one's time. Quite often we realized later that we had walked right near or by a place of interest, which was frustrating. We discovered the last day that there was a highly interesting restaurant right around the corner from our hotel, but we hadn't put that together. So organization is my major complaint.
A few minor complaints: although she does lodge some criticisms, by and large the tone of the entries is a bit glowing. That's probably stylistic as well as a reflection of the quality of establishments that made the bar for inclusion in her list, but more notes on the negatives (not so good for vegetarians; can be very loud; reliable X, but not among the city's top 10, etc.) would have helped narrow down a sometimes undifferentiated list of similar sounding restaurants. She also has a thing for chocolate and seems to recommend almost exclusively chocolate desserts at restaurants. A few times the basic information (e.g., about hours) was wrong, though I think that is unavoidable in this kind of guide.
A final note: the author recommends reservations at restaurants. Although this was not always necessary, it usually was, so take note.
Exactly as advertised.......2005-10-19
This will be simple. My wife and I just returned from 8 days in Forence, and we used this book to guide our restaurant selections. Every recommendation was a winner! Nothing else need be said.
Good guide to Florentine food.......2004-08-14
Miller's book was our primary guide for culinary experiences on our recent trip to Florence. It didn't disappoint. While the section on restaurants is reliable, albeit somewhat tilted toward eateries in the Oltrarno, the real value of the book lies in pointing the reader to the better bakeries, markets and gelaterias around town. Too many other guides include the same old listings of places too often living on their past reputations. Look at the others when planning your trip, but take Miller with you.
Average customer rating:
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The Medici Wedding of 1589: Florentine Festival as Theatrum Mundi
James M. Saslow
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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Book Description
The marriage of Grand Duke Ferdinando de` Medici to French princess Christine of Lorraine in 1589 became a landmark event in Renaissance art, theatre, and politics. This book combines art and social history to present the first comprehensive reconstruction of this month-long wedding celebration, providing a fascinating picture of Florentine culture at its zenith.
Book Description
Who but Rick Steves can tell you how to stroll the same streets walked by Michelangelo or stay in a farmhouse in a Tuscan hill town? With Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2005, you can experience Rick's favorite destinations in Florence, including the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Ponte Vecchio-economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2005 includes color maps and photos, opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Florence and Tuscany have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique travel experience.
Customer Reviews:
Don't pass up this book!.......2005-08-30
The choice is clear...buy this book or regret not buying it.
I had been to Florence many, many years ago. Everything is still where it was, but times have changed. We indeed live in a different world, a different time, different circumstances, and a different economy. No more Italian lira. It's the power of the euro now. Things simply cost more. Business is business, scams are scams, good deals are good deals, and bad deals are bad deals.
Security is heavy and tight in many of the museums. These are, after all, icons of civilization and a religious society and history. Bags will be checked, metal detectors are in use, you will empty your pockets, and you will be scanned. In spite of a highly visible police force, thieves, gangs, and gypsies still stalk the tourists and still try their hand or tricks to part you and your money.
This book by Rick Steve prepares you for all the best and all the worst that Florence and Tuscany has to offer. You can not do Florence in just a day or two, but if you have no choice then you have to prepare long in advance.
I can not stress enough the importance of checking his web site for updates, most importantly the Florence area attractions. Otherwise, without this book and advice on his website, BE PREPARED TO STAND IN LINE AT THE UFFIZI FOR UP TO 7 HOURS! ACCADEMIA FOR UP TO 4 HOURS! Or you can buy this book, take his and my advice, and buy your tickets well in advance. No waiting in line, just show up at your scheduled time. It is that easy. You can order from several different sources online or wait until you get to Florence and call in your order and save additional service fees and shipping fees. As an example; while entering the Accademia, two young ladies studying in Spain from UCLA were behind us. All of us already had our tickets and were simply waiting for our assigned entry time. They had already been to the Uffizi earlier that day and also preordered tickets. They related talking to some other college students who had been in line for 5 hours trying to get in, were no where near the entry, and ran the risk of not getting in by the time they stopped allowing entry. For both the Uffizi and Accademia, those that have reservations have a separate line and entry point. So get your tickets in advance! Enough said.
The value of this book comes in many forms. This is a great tour guide through each and every museum with suggested routes and paths to take, highlights the features in each room along with some historical perspective, and guides you along effortlessly. This is what others pay big bucks for...tour guides. This book essentially does this very well. We found one of the best values in the "undiscovered" gems of Florence that Rick pointed out (some of the real bargains). You can stand in line for hours to enter the Duomo, you can stand in another line for hours to climb up to the dome of the Duomo, or you can walk over to the Bell Tower where there is no line. There is also no elevator, just 414 steps but equally impressive and incredible views of the Duomo and the Florentine landscape. You can admire the doors of the Baptistery if you can get close enough. Or you can go to the Duomo Museum behind the Duomo and see the originals. This museum is a real gem. No lines, reasonable admission, self paced tour. Oh, and you can take plenty of pictures. This was never an issue in any museum in the past but now NO FOTO is everywhere. They want to protect the precious works of art but I feel the main motivation is to buy the overpriced books and pictures in the museum shops. In the Duomo Museum, you will also find Michelangelo's second Pieta, works by Donatello, actual models of the dome as well as drawings, many original elements from the Duomo, and countless other Florentine and Renaissance works to rival the Uffizi and Accademia. Again, with no lines and take all the pictures you want. You will also enjoy the religious relics like St. John the Baptist's finger, a tooth from the same, St. Peter's chains, the jawbone of other saints (or are they?) as the author points out. Another great bargain and no standing in line is the Bargello in Palazzo Vecchio. See even more Michelangelo, Donatello, and four more variations of David. Great self paced tour at your leisure with art students sprawled out all over the place sketching the statures and perhaps the patrons.
Walk and enjoy Florence day and night. Even with all the preparation and advice taken from the book and web site, two gypsy girls did the "trip and fall" routine where one braces herself against the other and against an unsuspecting person. This person happened to be my wife whom had a hand run completely down inside her panties in attempts to find and snatch (no pun intended) a money belt. I was the one wearing the money belt so I missed out on a cheap thrill.
Rick is right on with this book. He is right on with the fact that Florence indeed HAS THE BEST GELATO (tried several and was never disappointed). We were unable to book any hotels recommended due to peak tourist season and the popularity of this book. The only contradiction I can mention is to avoid the recommended Ristorante il Cavallino on Palazzo Vecchio. We found this to be a sorry excuse for Tuscan cuisine, overpriced for the fare, and rude behavior from more than one waiter. This view was also shared by other diners. You end up getting stuck paying for the pathetic service (servizio) as this is included in your bill already.
Extremely useful and thorough guide.......2005-08-04
Once again I used one of Rick Steves' guides as a resource for my
trip. Once again, I found it to be thorough and extremely practical in making my selections throughout the journey.
Book Description
Hillsides blanketed with vineyards, silver-green olive groves, and enchanting medieval towns are the essence of Tuscany and Umbria. Throw in fantastic food, delicious wine, and the world's greatest Renaissance art, and you've got the makings of a trip to remember forever. Fodor’s Florence, Tuscany & Umbria brings the destination to life, with the abundant photos, in-depth features, and reader feedback that are the hallmark of a new generation of guides.
• Magazine-like "In Focus" features, laced with photos and graphics include topics such as Tuscany's “soul food,” the dos and don’ts of vineyard hopping, and a “Who's Who” of the geniuses behind Florence’s art treasures
• New chapter openings include annotated maps and "Planner Pages" with savvy advice on how travelers can make the most of their time and avoid common pitfalls
• Interviews with interesting locals let readers get to know the people in a way that no other guidebook does
• Additional maps—including a full-color pullout maps—give the lay of the land
• An 8-page color insert
Book Description
Meticulously researched by our expert author, Frommer’s Tuscany & Umbria is the only guide you need to discover the region’s artistic treasures, Renaissance architecture, rustic villages, vineyards, and fabulous shopping. This authoritative guide will reveal the best wines and hearty regional dining, tell you how to rent your own romantic villa, send you on scenic bike tours, and lead you away from the tourist crowds so you can discover the true flavor and leisurely pace of this sunny corner of Italy. We’ll show you the best of Florence and its treasure trove of art and architecture, then take you through the medieval alleyways of Siena, along the Chianti Road, and to lovely towns like San Gimignano, Lucca, Assisi, Perugia, and more.
Every one of our honest, in-depth hotel reviews is based on a recent personal inspection; every restaurant has been tried personally; and every sight, shop, and stroll was checked out in detail. You’ll get the latest trip-planning advice, valuable cultural insights, wonderful tips for venturing off the beaten path, and detailed, accurate maps. With Frommer’s in hand, it’s a snap to design the Italian adventure that’s right for you.
Download Description
Meticulously researched by our expert author, Frommer's Tuscany & Umbria is the only guide you need to discover the region's artistic treasures, Renaissance architecture, rustic villages, vineyards, and fabulous shopping. This authoritative guide will reveal the best wines and hearty regional dining, tell you how to rent your own romantic villa, send you on scenic bike tours, and lead you away from the tourist crowds so you can discover the true flavor and leisurely pace of this sunny corner of Italy. We'll show you the best of Florence and its treasure trove of art and architecture, then take you through the medieval alleyways of Siena, along the Chianti Road, and to lovely towns like San Gimignano, Lucca, Assisi, Perugia, and more. Every one of our honest, in-depth hotel reviews is based on a recent personal inspection; every restaurant has been tried personally; and every sight, shop, and stroll was checked out in detail. You'll get the latest trip-planning advice, valuable cultural insights, wonderful tips for venturing off the beaten path, and detailed, accurate maps. With Frommer's in hand, it's a snap to design the Italian adventure that's right for you.
Customer Reviews:
Beware the restaurant recommendations.......2006-07-02
While we found the guidebooks useful in some ways, the restaurant recommendations were extremely disappointing. We ate at two of the recommended restaurants (one recommended by the Frommer Tuscany guidebook, the other by the Frommer Rome guidebook) during a week long stay in Italy. They were the most average meals we had - certainly they were not worth the stars they were given by Frommer. The Rome guidebook also recommended a restaurant (Insalata Ricca) near Piazza Navona without mentioning it was part of a chain. We walked several blocks to this location with family who wanted a light meal before catching the train (we didn't eat there ourselves) and later discovered that there was another one right around the corner from our hotel. I do not plan on buying a Frommer's guidebook again, because I can't trust their recommendations. The facts and history are available in other guidebooks too.
I should also mention that the guidebook claimed that parking in Siena was exorbitantly expensive. Perhaps that is true if one parks the car and stays in a hotel in the city for several days. We visited the city for about 8 hours and paid about $15 which didn't seem too bad.
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