Italy, Instructions for Use: The Practical, On-Site Assistant for the Enthusiastic (Even Experienced) Traveler (Paperback)
May 18, 2009 by Destination Guide
Filed under Travel Italy Guides
From Publishers Weekly
An antidote to the hulking volumes that offer encyclopedic amounts of information on a locale, McElroy?s book is designed more along the lines of a operating manual. There are no suggestions for where to stay in Capri or how to see the Vatican in a day. Rather, this book enlightens readers on the how-to?s of traveling in Italy: when to go, how to get there, what to pack, how to read road signs, which class to ride in on a train, how to use Italian phones, what to order for an aperitivo and why the tabaccaio is a resourceful shop, even if you don?t smoke. For first-time visitors, it?s a boon. McElroy, who spends a few months a year in Italy, explains everything travelers need to know in order to blend in and enjoy their trip. Each chapter is color-coded for easy reference, and Italian vocabulary words augment every section.
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Review
After interviewing Nan McElroy and reading “Italy:Instructions for Use” I feel as though I’m an expert on Italy…which I am certainly not. A great read before you go , on the flight over and easy to put in your pocket as you’re out and about. — Sandy Fenton of AAA’s Let’s Talk Travel
An outstanding little guide…[this] palm-sized book has scads of information on how things are done…. — Don Groff, Newark Star-Ledger
Few [guidebooks] devote space to practical advice, because there’s no room to do more than touch on the basics… — Europe for Visitors, Durant Imboden
I’ve been traveling in Italy for over 20 years and seldom do I find a book as useful and eye-opening as “Italy: Instructions for Use”. — About.com’s Italy for Visitors, September, 2006
Italy: Instructions for Use has been updated for 2007! — Illustrata Press
Italy: Instructions for Use has been updated for 2007, with a larger typeface for even easier access. — Illustrata Press
McElroy’s “instruction book” really hits the mark. Like American Express, don’t leave home without it! — Louisville Courier Journal
Once in a while a perfect travel resource gets sent to me for review. This is one of those… — The Travel Consumer
I bought several books on Italy. This was the one book I carried with me at all times. As a novice traveller to Italy it got me through everything. I mastered the train system and Fast Ticket machines, travelling on the autostrada, getting gas, and use of the pay phones. I used it every day for reference and it never let me down. I even stopped carrying my phrase book because this book already had everything I needed to say. If space is a concern, forget those other books and rely on this one. It’s small and compact and has it all.
I recently toured Italy for the second time with Nan McElroy’s book in my purse. It was invaluable in getting my husband and me on and off the train and around town using both public transportation as well as the taxi. I particularly liked the information about tipping, restaurants and the Italian mind set. The vocabulary at the end of each chapter was helpful in formulating some halting Italian to order food and to find our way around Rome and Florence. Her information on money and protection from pickpockets was right on. I have traveled europe for over 10 years and found this book to be a most practical guide. I not only read it before I left home but as we were touring in Italy for it’s helpful hints. The book is small and lightweight enough to carry in your pocket and made our trip completely enjoyable and easy.
When it comes to getting ready for a trip with family or friends, I’m the planner. I always manage to build a pretty impressive collection of guide books and research the internet for months to find other traveler’s favorite things to see and do. While getting ready for our latest trip to Italy, I found myself becoming overwhelmed with all the information I had in front of me and I couldn’t make up my mind which guide to read. That’s when I settled down with the book that saved me from information overload and gave me dozens of practical gems that made seeing all the sites in Italy so much easier. I read “Italy, Instructions for Use” cover to cover. This perfectly pocket-sized “personal assistant” helped us to relax and enjoy our trip. We knew just what to do and what to look for. I took it with me and consulted it over and over again. It even helped me remember the Italian word for this and that and saved me from so many embarrassing moments. We used it to make train reservations; to know in advance what it was like to drive on the Autostrada and how to buy the right gas for our rental car; what to expect in a restaurant and so many other answers to the questions you forget to ask before you go. You’ll still need your favorite Travel Guide to read up on sites and pick hotels, but trust me; you will find that “Italy, Instructions for Use” is the best investment you can make before your next trip to Italy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
great little travel guide for Italy.
WOW, such a tiny little book that is just crammed full of everything you really need to know, about traveling through Italy!
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Guide will Stick With You
By Bill Marsano. I go to Italy every year, often twice, occasionally four times, once six. I visit cities, small towns and the countryside.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Little Italy Guide Book
This book has LOTs of tips and info not found in the standard guides. I highly recommend it.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
Pretty disappointing. The book is about 3 x 5 inches and maybe a quarter of it is taken up by vocabulary that is easily available in other guidebooks or on the web.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best book we bought on Italy!
Of the many books we purchased prior to going to Italy, this was far and away the most useful. It’s short and sweet–and very entertaining–and packed with useful tips for…
4.0 out of 5 stars
Italy: Instructions for use-I devoured it in one sitting
This is a wonderful book, especially for novice travelers.
The writer includes pictures to assist with vending machines
at the bus and railway terminal, phrases…
4.0 out of 5 stars
Italy, Instructions for Use
Italy: Instructions for Use* is a pocket sized travel guide for Italy. Unlike other travel guides however, this guide doesn’t give information on specific sites and events in…
5.0 out of 5 stars
A handy pocket guide for Italy travel
We found this book to be handy before traveling and particularly while abroad. It is full of succinct, on point, practical information – at one point early on I said to my…
1.0 out of 5 stars
For the inexperienced traveler
Unless you really are an inexperienced traveler, and an American who thinks that staying in a hotel room that does not have an ensuite is unthinkable, this book is not for you…
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a wonderful little book!
This is exactly what I was looking for… I am going with a tour group, so didn’t really need to know all the good places to go (besides there are tons of other tours books that…