Rick Steves' Italy 2012

You can count on Rick Steves to tell you what you really need to know when traveling in Italy.

From the beaches to the Alps, from fine art to fine pasta, Italy has it all. With this book, you’ll trace Italian culture from Rome’s Colosseum to Michelangelo’s David to the bustling elegance of Milan. Experience the art-drenched cities of Venice and Florence, explore the ancient ruins of the Roman Forum, and learn how to avoid the lines at the most popular museums. Discover the villages of Tuscany and Umbria and the lazy rhythms of the Cinque Terre. Shop at local market stalls, sip a cappuccino at an outdoor café, and pick up a picknic lunch at an allimentari. Relax and enjoy the life of Bella Italia!

Rick’s candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. He’ll help you plan where to go and what to see, depending on the length of your trip. You’ll get up-to-date recommendations about what is worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.

 (24 customer reviews)

I like the book and found it very useful, but do have issues with it. First, Trieste isn't covered. Granted, Trieste is not a hugely popular tourist destination, but it is a great place to visit with much history.

The maps are readable for us older folks, but not really very good. Streets are left out and featured places of interest are misplaced. A good example is in Verona where the "Devotional Column," which is across the street from the arena, is shown over a block away. Take the book, but get a better map from the TI or elsewhere.

Verona also provides a good example of another deficiency. The suggested self-guided walk includes things of seemingly limited interest, like the house of Juliet (completely created for tourists--Juliet was fictional, and so never had a house) and leaves out the fascinating Roman theater, which is just a block off the suggested walk.

For Herculaneum, though, the tip on how to turn the lights on in the gymnasium was...Read more

While Rick Steve's guidebooks aren't filled with beautiful pictures they are chock full of practical information. Example: In the Milan train station stand with your back to the tracks and the ATMs are on your right and the restrooms are on your left. With all the information on the Web it can still be difficult to find out if there is an English bookstore in town or a laundromat or where there are Internet cafes or free Wi-Fi. Rick Steves guidebooks will give you all that information and more. I never leave home without one.

I went on my honeymoon to Italy and this book was the only thing I used to guide me around Rome. Rick Steves is simply AWESOME! One example I remember was following his tip about buying the Colosseum tickets on the Colina Palatina booth, in order to skip the HUGE lines on the Colosseum! I did just that and me and my wife went laughing ALL the way from the back of a 200 person line to the entrance and into the Colosseum! AMAZING! This book is filled with MANY, MANY secrets like this and I couldn't find any situation on which Mr. Steves was wrong. If you are going to Italy, take this book with you and SAVE a TON of money! Highly Recommended!