Blue Guide Florence, Ninth Edition

On his website, travel guru Rick Steves says that Blue Guides take "a dry and scholarly approach to the countries of Europe. They're ideal if you want to learn as much about history, art, architecture, and culture as you possibly can." This is basically true, though I much prefer a "dry and scholarly" tone to Rick's "nerdy and precious" style. He's great when it comes to practical tips, but he can't touch the historical, artistic and architectural content of the Blue Guides.

Blue Guides pack a tremendous amount of information into their pages, much more than any other guide I've used. They're wonderful for reading before and after your trip, but they're probably too dense to pack and take along for most people. Before leaving on my honeymoon to Italy, I photocopied the relevant pages of the Northern Italy book to avoid having to pack it because I knew I wouldn't be visiting most of the cities it covers. On that trip I field-tested three guides: Rick Steves,...Read more

If your trip to Florence is motivated by your love for art, history and the developement of the medieval and renaiscance city, this is your guide.
Buy the book before you go, and you will know what to look for and understand what you are seeing. Keep it after you return for reference.
IT IS NOT A PRACTICAL GUIDE for finding the cheapest lodging or restaurant. Graphics are not as glossy or convenient as some of the "younger generation" guides.
Enjoy your trip
E. Yarhi,Jerusalem. Israel

This is a very useful guide for Florence and the surrounding area. The book is divided into chapters, each chapter focusing on a neighborhood of the city, or on a village/town in the vicinity. For the most important sights the book gives a numbered floor plan, simplifying a visit. Less important or famous sights are well-covered too; these are often described in the context of a "walk." Several villages in the vicinity of Florence are also included, along with details of how to reach them & where to eat or have a snack during a visit. Moreover, there are appendices in the back describing churches and museums not mentioned in main body of the text, so that if you wander(or ring your way)into a small church with unlabeled works you aren't totally lost. However, as the book is not very often updated, you ought to check opening times of museums and churches online before you go, and annotate the book with the current times. However, this is the only difficulty with this book, and a tiny...Read more