General Books

Rick Steves' Italy 2008 (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves

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Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> Guidebooks

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Steves usually has a good take 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Rick Steves did a great job on his ITALY 2008 book. I was going to the Cinque Terre and he has a great breakdown for that area in the book. Also, he made good calls on nearby Pisa and Lucca. Steves said that one need not spend A LOT of time in these cities and he is right. A few hours to see the main sights in Pisa (3 including the leaning tower) are fine and a good 2-hour walk-a-round in Lucca is enough too. Special Note on Lucca: Puccini was born in Lucca and they perform recitals of his works in one of the churches there. This would be worth an overnight to catch a recital if you want to soak in more culture than you can from just street scenes. Suggestion: travel to Pisa early in the day, visit the Field of Miracles, then end up in Lucca in the PM (short train ride between the two) for your overnight. Do your Lucca walk-a-round PLUS attend a Puccini recital. Then you will have done most if not all of what you should do in these two "competing" towns. Steves points out stuff like this. This was the first time I used a Steves book. Normally I use Michelin Green Guides. But now I would use more tour books by Steves. His style is engaging, even if sometimes it might be a bit preachy for those of us who already know how to mind our (American) manners! In my travels in early June 2008 I did not see any Americans out of line, whatsoever. Not along the Cinque Terre and not at either Pisa or Lucca. In fact, I did not note anyone out-of-line, or drinking too much, or similar stuff, in any of my recent travels. I accept such things can happen, but during my recent excursion I did not notice any such disappointing behavior.

Editorial Review:

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best way to see Rome, Venice, Florence, the hill towns of central Italy, the Dolomites, and the Amalfi Coast? With Rick Steves’ Italy 2008, travelers can experience the best of everything Italy has to offer — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, this guide includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans, walking tours and trip itineraries, and clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Steves' time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Streetwise Paris Map - Laminated City Street Map of Paris, France - with integrated metro map including lines and stations

Michael Brown

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Streetwise Maps Amazon Marketplace: 23 new & used starting at $3.91

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 66 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Don't leave for Paris without it 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It was accurate, easy to carry, easy to read, detailed with specific buildings, gardens, museums - laminated. The only map you will need for the trip, if in fact you stay in Paris.

Don't waste your money! 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I needed to add on a few dollars to get the free shipment for my books, but the map is very difficult to read. It fails to clearly show the subway routes. I have seen much better maps of Paris. It is also nicely laminated, but too large to carry!

great products 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

these maps are great for city center and heavy traveled areas near city. Be sure to review them before you leave to be sure they cover the area you will be in because they are mostly city center and heavy traveled areas near city. these maps are compact and easy to carry while traveling in city. they also have public transit information so you have it all in one easy to carry fold and laminated map. Did not use for driving but why drive in Europe? I would buy these for all my city travels.

Editorial Review:

Streetwise Paris Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of Paris, France - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated metro map including lines & stations

This map covers the following areas:
Main Paris Map 1:14,000
Paris Metro Map
Map of France

Rick Steves' Paris 2008 (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves, Steve Smith, Gene Openshaw

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 91 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Rick Steves, author of 21 guidebooks and host of the television series Travels in Europe with Rick Steves, has spent 100 days a year traveling Europe, every year, since 1973. If any American knows Paris, he does, and his self-imposed mission is to make the city just as accessible to those of us who don't have the good fortune to spend months there at a time.

In his amiable, informed, and ruthlessly candid way, Steves focuses on the best--including nice places to stay and eat that give lots in the way of character and take relatively little in the way of francs. He suggests walking tours, museums, and itineraries that include both famous landmarks and little-known finds. He knows it all: art galleries and crêpe stands, street cafés and romantic neighborhoods, activities for kids, and great places to shop. Most importantly, he knows how Parisians live, and his guide provides the best information to let you experience not just the sights of Paris, but Parisian life as well. --Stephanie Gold

Quiet Corners of Paris

Jean-Christophe Napias

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Not your usual Paris sights 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

A friend gave us this book before we left for a month's visit to Paris. We had been there, done that three times before, so we welcomed a guide to the kinds of places we had overlooked on previous visits. This book accomplished that. We visited more than half of the places and enjoyed almost all of them immensely.

Charming! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is wonderful. Not only can one locate unusual spots to explore and soak up atmosphere; it is a treasure trove of historical and cultural minutia which add greatly to your enjoyment of these out-of-the-way finds. This is like having a Parisian friend who loves history and an entire library of reference books rolled into one. Kudos!

Editorial Review:

More than eighty of the loveliest, most tranquil, and sometimes hidden places in Paris are celebrated in this charming guidebook

Quiet Corners of Paris is a beautifully illustrated peek into eighty-one often overlooked, always beautiful, locales: hidden villas, winding lanes, little-known 19th-century passages, serene gardens, and cobblestone courtyards. Some of the places have breathtaking views, others are filled with historic and architectural details, from stone archways, garden follies, boxwood mazes, ornamental statuary, stained glass, and Renaissance fountains. Follow a stone path under a trellis of blossoms or wander through a gate to discoverÉ

Rick Steves' Germany and Austria 2008 (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves

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Subjects -> Travel -> Europe -> Germany -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

For Rick Steves sycophants only 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book is typical Rick Steves. He has preordained that only certain places are worth visiting and therefore has excluded all others. It is true that his coverage of the Rhine and Mosel valleys is probably the best of any English-language guide book, but his omissions are many. He completely avoids any mention of the many castles and palaces in Bavaria, save the overly popular Neuschwanstein and a handful of others. Bavarian gems like Coburg Schloss Ehrenburg, Kempten Residenz, Ansbach Residenz, and Neuburg Palace, and others like Eisenach Wartburg Castle and Gotha Schloss Friedenstein are given a miss. Could it be that his guide books only cover the places his tours visit for obvious personal financial reasons? If you are a Rick Steves groupie, then feel free to buy his books. But if you want to see the best of Germany, read Rough Guides or Lonely Planet and decide for yourself.

Editorial Review:

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers how to take the Do-It-Yourself Dresden Baroque Blitz Tour or the Short and Scenic Black Forest Joyride? With Rick Steves’ Germany and Austria 2008, travelers can experience Steves' favorite destinations in Munich, Bavaria, Baden-Baden, Rothenburg, Würsburg, Frankfurt, the Rhine Valley, Dresden, Berlin, Vienna, and the Danube Valley — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, this guide includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans, walking tours and trip itineraries, and clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Steves' time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Rick Steves' Rome 2008 (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves, Gene Openshaw

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great guide, but beware of it's success 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This book was tremendously helpful during a May 2008 trip to Rome. It wasn't perfect but provided lots of good travel information.

The good:
- Covers most of the popular sites, and goes into the more detail for the important sites.
- Ranks each site with a level of importance/significance - this is very useful when deciding what sites are worthwhile and/or important. I agree with most site rankings.

The bad:
- Many prices are incorrect (add 1-2 euros to many museum and ticket prices).
- Some time information is incorrect (double check via phone if you are on or near holidays, weekends, or beginning/end of day).
- Overview maps (b/w hand drawn appearance) lack street level detail making them difficult to use for navigation.
- Street maps (color, in front of book) also lack sufficient street level detail. You may need a more detailed map from your hotel to navigate the complex city streets.

The worst problem with the 2008 edition may be its success. Every restaurant (and also the hotels) were mobbed by people with a Rick Steves guide. I've never seen so many people with the same book all trying to go to the same place. It kind of spoiled some of the magic since we were often surrounded by American travelers and not the eclectic mix of people you would expect on such a trip.

Editorial Review:

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers the best ways to see St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum? With Rick Steves’ Rome 2008, travelers can experience the best of everything Rome has to offer — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, this guide includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans, walking tours and trip itineraries, and clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Steves' time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

Streetwise London Map - Laminated City Street Map of London, England - with integrated London Underground map including tube lines and stations

Michael Brown

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Streetwise Maps Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $3.93

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Fine print, accurate but just an overview 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Too small a map for my taste. It just hits the high points and you better bring some reading glasses.

Nice laminated map of London 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

You're going to need a map in London. This is a well crafted graphic, easy to read and understand, and appears to be constructed well enough to withstand lots of references, and probably lots of exposure to London weather.

Don't Go Without 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Although this small, laminated, folding map will fit in you pocket or bag it was hardly ever there. On my recent trip to London I usually had it in my hand along with the London Mapguide. It is perfect for tourist wanting to see as much as possible within the city. It is very detailed with all the famous landmarks highlighted & color coded. It also has a list of the streets & other places of interest in ABC order with their position on the map, along with a subway map. Highly recommend!!!

Editorial Review:

Streetwise London Map - Laminated Center City Street Map of London, England - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated London Underground map including tube lines & stations

This map covers the following areas:
Main London City Map 1:20,000
London Underground Map - London Tube Map

Europe on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)

Sarah Johnstone, Aaron Anderson, Sarah Andrews, Ryan Ver Berkmoes

Amazon Price: $18.47 List Price: $27.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lonely Planet Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $14.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 30 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Party in Tallinn or pose in Cannes; hike the Curonian Spit; be seduced by the Aya Sofia in Istanbul or simply learn the art of the Spanish siesta. Your European Adventure starts here with the most detailed guide available, featuring more than 40 countries, 200 maps and insider tips to help you to go further, stay longer and pay less for the ultimate European grand tour.

Grand Turismo - Itineraries to aid your planning and splurge features to help you decide where to splash out, whether it be a night in an ice hotel or haute cuisine in Paris.

Be In The Know - with a detailed Directory and dedicated language chapter, plus look out for our author picks highlighting the best of the best.

Time Is Of The Essence - A Year in Europe helps you find out what's happening when, from the best music and sporting events to where to chase the northern lights.

Do The Right Thing - travel ethically and lightly with advice from our unique Responsible Travel section and make a positive difference along the way.

Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe

Bill Bryson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 160 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Full of clichés but entertaining 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Neither Here Nor There is probably more for the novice than the experienced traveller, but it is entertaining and has a usefully broad scope. Bill Bryson, an American resident in London, takes his readers from the Arctic Circle to Istanbul in something like a couple of months, mixing in parts of Scandinavia, the Benelux, France, Germany and Italy among others before passing through the Balkans.

Inevitably a lot is about finding hotels and places to eat, misplaced reservations and the pitfalls of communicating with strangers. This is travel writing, after all. And inevitably there tends to be quite a few clichés and national stereotyping. The commentary ranges from insightful (e.g. different perceptions of Amsterdam) to expected but fun (the police episode in Florence), to downright vulgar ("Quick restaurants - as in quick, pass the bucket!"). I found the first and last chapters, set in northern Norway, then Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, the most interesting. Bryson has more to say in out-of-the-way settings. And having travelled to the latter two at about the same time, I thought his observations both original and to the point. Nor does the book, written in the early 1990s, generally feel out-of-date.

Bryson's style combines a wide descriptive vocabulary with a matter-of-fact, colloquial tone. It drips with irony and evinces plenty of sniggers. The same note is held too long, though, which may explain why one doesn't laugh as much as one would expect: the jokes and witticisms eventually lose an essential element of surprise.

Perhaps not unusually for the genre, the book ends up saying as much about the observer as the observed. It provides a snapshot of how an educated and informed American views the European continent.

Editorial Review:

Like many of his generation, Bill Bryson backpacked across Europe in the early seventies -- in search of enlightenment, beer, and women. Twenty years later he decided to retrace the journey he undertook in the halcyon days of his youth. The result is Neither Here Nor There, an affectionate and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul, with stops along the way in Europe's most diverting and historic locales. Like many of his generation, Bill Bryson backpacked across Europe in the early seventies--in search of enlightenment, beer, and women. Twenty years later he decided to retrace the journey he undertook in the halcyon days of his youth. The result is Neither Here Nor There, an affectionate and riotously funny pilgrimage from the frozen wastes of Scandinavia to the chaotic tumult of Istanbul, with stops along the way in Europe's most diverting and historic locales.

Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany 2008 (Rick Steves)

Rick Steves

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Avalon Travel Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $11.07

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Very helpful! 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

I spent 9 days this spring in Florence and Tuscany & found this book to be absolutely wonderful--full of great tips to get the most of your trip. Obviously, a lot of other people found him useful too, as everywhere we went, we saw people toting his book around! My German sister-in-law found it comical!

I am so glad that my friend introduced me to Rick Steves! I now own 3 of his books and am actually shopping for a couple more to use in the coming year!

Editorial Review:

Who but Rick Steves can tell travelers how to stroll the same streets walked by Michelangelo, explore world-reknown art museums, or sample Tuscan cuisine? With Rick Steves’ Florence and Tuscany 2008, travelers can experience Steves' favorite destinations in Florence, including the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Bargello, and the Ponte Vecchio — economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, this guide includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights, friendly places to eat and sleep, suggested day plans, walking tours and trip itineraries, and clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot. America’s number one authority on travel to Europe, Steves' time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.