Blue Guide Rome, Ninth Edition

Comment: The Blue Guide series published by Norton are excellent travel guides. Chocked full of useful and interesting information, they remain my favorite for travel anywhere.

Comment: In this review, the strengths and weaknesses of this travel guide will be listed. A few recommendations will also be given.

The Blue Guide Rome book is excellent as a guide for "high" culture such as art, ruins, monuments, and the like. It lists all the museums of importance, historical areas, ruins, churches, etc. Their hours and contact information are listed as well but admission is never listed. A good deal of secular information is given regarding each place. The focus is largely historical with a bit of politics thrown in as well. Much of the information on location and hours and the like, especially for churches, is difficult to find elsewhere. Also, the maps in back emphasize historic locations, which greatly aids in planning a day. The book is divided into chapters on various geographical areas, which helps plan a daily trip as well. Basic information such as bank hours, emergency numbers, public holidays, pharmacy info is included as well. A glossary lists some important terms and the index is thorough, although one or two places are listed differently in the index than they are on the map. As a "bonus" a chronological list of popes is thrown in. The maps are good but there aren't very many. After the chapters on literally hundreds of main sites, an appendix of lesser attractions (minor churches and things) and their contact information and hours is also given, which is very useful for the long term vacationer. These are the high points of the book.

Now for the minuses: The book's information on dining and lodgings is only applicable to those for whom cost is irrelevant, although a little is mentioned about snacking, which can serve as a meal. Its section on transportation is simply too brief to be very useful, although it does give some good tips. For the pilgrim, this is an annoying book because it seldom mentions that a saint is buried in this or that church. Instead, it focuses solely on architecture, patron, and the like. The book also has an anti-clerical tone, which may annoy some Catholics. Some folks dislike its judgments of various areas and works of art, but these can simply be ignored. Lastly, it calls itself a cultural guide but mentions virtually nothing about modern Italian culture and etiquette, which can be a bit of a shock to a foreigner. The emphasis is on art and history and little else is covered to any major degree.

If you're going to spend only a few days in Rome, don't buy this book. It is for a vacationer of a week or more. Instead, buy a standard travel guide and it will list more than enough wonderful things to keep one occupied. On the other hand, if you are staying for a while, this book will save you a lot of time and money in finding the less visited attractions and how and when to visit them (i.e. strange hours, how to make an appointment, when things aren't crowded, etc). The historical information is interesting as well. Additionally, however, you'll need a regular guide for getting about, finding a place to stay, and the like.

Comment: I would advise those considering purchasing this book to look elsewhere. Don't believe the hype that is generated around these guides. I purchased The Rome Blue Guide, because I had heard so much about it. I had avoided buying it in the past because of the cost. I decided to purchase it, and I was so disappointed. The historical sections of the book are excellent, but the travel guide sections are horribly written, far too judgmental and often inaccurate.

I was aghast to see cities, buildings and monuments described in such brutal terms as "ugly" -- this word is used many times throughout the book to describe locations in and around Rome. Read the section on Tivoli and tell me that the authors do not have something against it? Tivoli is one of the gems of Lazio, and anyone who has ever visited it would be hard-pressed to say otherwise. And there's much more to do there than see the Tivoli Gardens or Hadrian's Villa.

I found the whole compilation to be poorly organized. For what the book costs, I was expecting better writing and a better (and less personal) assessment of the Eternal City and its offerings. The authors make for decent historians but the practical portions are useless, I'm afraid. There's a snobbish tone to the book that is bound to put most readers off, and many of their suggestions in the book reinforce this.

Lonely Planet, Frommers, Rough Guides...they make for better value and are more accurate and much more useful. Steer clear of this work!

Comment: The Blue Guides, while excellent, are not usually my go-to guides for travel. They usually tell me more than I want or need to know, and their lack of practical information means you can only use it in conjunction with another guide. Rome was an exception. There's simply so much there, and sites are often so poorly labelled and have so little information, that I found I actually needed to carry it around with me. In fact, my original Blue Guide was in a bag that BA lost, and after attempting to see the Roman Forum without it, I found an English-language store and paid 29 for a new copy. It's that essential.

Comment: My husband and I travel every chance we get, and wherever we go, we take two guidebooks, one with color photos and overviews of major sites, and the other, the Blue Guide for the city or region in question. Blue Guides are not the practical choice for making reservations, finding out prices, or navigating the local transportation choices. When it comes to detail, however, about history, culture, not-to-be-missed or off-the-beaten-track treasures, they have no equal. City Guide Rome is no exception. Rome is a city best explored on foot, and this edition contains more than 25 guided walks. Because of this resource, we discovered San Clemente, with its amazing subterranean world beyond the Coliseum, the remarkable early Christian Church of St Agnese Fuori le Mure, and the lovely Roseto rose gardens. The background information provided for all listings is well researched, detailed, and interesting. Blue Guide Rome is worth every penny for travelers in search of an in-depth adventure.