Travel to Italy

The Unofficial Guide to Central Italy: Florence, Rome, Tuscany, and Umbria (Unofficial Guides)

Format: Paperback
Author: Melanie Mize Renzulli
ReleaseDate: 10 April, 2006
Publisher: Wiley
Rating:

Fun and Well-Rounded

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. I was pleasantly surprised with this book.
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...
In addition to this, the book was easy to read and follow, complete with excellent hotel, eating and shopping suggestions. This book details each and every inch of Rome and Tuscany. I would reccomend it to anyone traveling to Italy!.

Awesome, especially restaurant picks
We especially enjoyed the restaurant recommendations. My husband and I took this book on our honeymoon to Rome and Florence. . 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.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these Italy travel books.

	Frommer's Italy 2007 (Frommer's Complete)
	Rick Steves' Italian Phrase Book and Dictionary
	Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria: Revised Edition (Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria)
	Italy (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
	Fodor's Italy 2007 (Fodor's Gold Guides)