Rating:

I’ve been to Italy and I would definitely agree on the spots the guide book recommended as spots that are must see first. (There are museums such as the one that houses Michelangelo’s David which really is only interesting because it has David.) If the rating is 3 stars I would definitely recommend visiting it. I think when they grade it 2 stars they mean that there are a couple of things of note but the rest…so-so. The only thing I didn’t agree on in Rome is that the Coliseum is a must see but I think it is kinda a rip off to pay to see inside. (You can pretty much see all the ruins from the outside.) And if you can and are a lover of gardens and fountains the Villa d’Este is well worth the extra travel to check out so I think it should be 3 stars, but I am a garden buff.

The problem with Italy is there is so much to see you can actually get tired of going to museums and seeing masterpieces so pace yourself. Then if you have the extra time and energy consider trying the lesser starred attractions. So attractions are something this book excels at. As to the lodging I am not really sure since most of the time I was never there long and can’t even remember the names of the places I stayed at. And the food was pretty much universally good. Most of the time we ate stuff we bought on the way and picnicked with since we were on the go so much.

Overall, I am pretty excited to take this book with me on my next trip and confident that it will prove invaluable on the cities that I haven’t been to. The only thing is that it is heavy and carrying it around could really be a pain. If you plan on only going to 1 or 2 cities it might be better to photocopy those pages and take the included map with you instead.

Rating:

In later chapters, we are treated to massive in-depth coverage of each city with beautiful color pictures sprinkled throughout. Returning to the same city in the book is as easy as memorizing the colored tab on the side of the book. The city of Florence alone gets 75 pages of coverage and other cities and geographic areas get similar treatment. From the must-see statues to the places to stay to even the local doctors and the telephone code, you can’t ask for a more comprehensive guide. Being used to the typical five-star system I had to get used to their rating system. All of the restaurants and hotels in their guide are recommended (even ones with no stars) up to three stars (exceptional). They will even point out if some of the more commonly known attractions are overrated.

Italy was the first Frommer’s Guide written and it shows. If you’re looking to travel to Italy, you can’t do better than this book.