Rick Steves’ Florence and Tuscany 2009 (Paperback)
May 13, 2009 by Destination Guide
Filed under Travel Italy Guides
Review
Steves preaches a low-cost, low-to-the-ground style that not only saves money, but gets you closer to the real Europe, the way Europeans experience it.
Product Description
Rick Steves’ Florence & Tuscany 2009 is the definitive guide to Europe’s cultural capital and the surrounding Tuscan countryside. Rick includes expert advice on exploring the endless cultural sights of Florence, from the Bargello, the prison-turned-museum that houses works by Michelangelo and Donatello, to the Duomo, the Gothic cathedral complete with the first Renaissance dome. Rick also covers the quant hill towns of Tuscany, where travelers can enjoy Etruscan art and some of Italy’s finest wine. With self-guided tours of all the major museums and tips on transportation, accommodations, and dining, Rick Steves’ Florence & Tuscany 2009 allows any traveler to experience everything that this remarkable region has to offer.
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My wife and I just returned from a Fall trip to Tuscany. This little book never left my back pack the whole trip. We read and followed it from cover to cover all over the Tuscan countryside. From museums (we literally read the book from art to art throught the Uffizi) to places to eat — it was perfect. The tips included (like ordering tickets to David by phone in advance and picking them up at will call — phone numbers included) are literally worth the price of the book. Rick Steves makes traveling abroad enjoyable and educational. This book and the fact that it is annually updated is perfect.
On my honeymoon to Italy, I brought three guidebooks: Rick Steves, Eyewitness Guide, and Blue Guide. It made for a lot of extra weight, but I wanted to field-test them and see which were the most useful. Rick’s books are meant for the traveler who wants to hit the highlights and doesn’t care about excess detail, and he often leaves out sights (even whole areas of cities, as in Rome) that are well-worth seeing even on a short trip. Rick is very good when it comes to practical travel tips such as packing, avoiding thieves, and choosing rail passes (he also sells some great travel gear), but I prefer a more comprehensive guide that lays it all out and lets me decide what I want to see, even if it means sacrificing detail. Also, I find Rick’s writing style silly and his historical commentary not always accurate (especially when dealing with Christian history, a not unimportant thing in Italy!). Unless you plan to stick to Rick’s itineraries exactly and like the experience of having a very American type of tourguide in your hand, consider looking elsewhere. For my money, the colorful and user-friendly Eyewitness guides provide a good broad overview of a place and have detailed city maps. For those who like a lot of historical, artistic, and architectural detail, Blue Guides are a great choice. Get Rick’s travel tips on his website and buy one of his travel bags, but pass his book by. I left mine behind in a Florence hotel lobby.
This book does not have pretty pictures or in-depth historical information about the sights, but there are plenty of books that do that.
This book’s strength is that it makes your trip easy, painless and enjoyable. In my recent trip to Florence (June 26-29) I did not have to wait in line at any of the museums/cathedrals/domes etc. which made the trip much more relaxing and enjoyable.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Guidebook for self-tour
A very written book with budget travellers in mind.
This books covers many arts description for different museums, you will save alot by not having to buy those Museum guide…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Do not leave home without this book
My wife and I just got back from Florence. This book was invaluable. We had another guide book from another author. It was practically worthless, so get Rick Steves’ book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very helpful and practical book
Good information with a sense of humor. Well organized and clearly written. Rick Steves knows his stuff.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great walks, food and info
This is the type of tourist guide we like…lots of walking tours with information on what you are seeing.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rick Steves’ Florence & Tuscany 2007
This book is packed with the kind of information that would be nearly impossible to find elsewhere and is essential for anyone wishing to visit Florence and Tuscany, even if they…
1.0 out of 5 stars
Buy the Rough Guide instead!
I came across this in an apartment in Florence, wisely jettisoned by a traveler who had more useful things to carry in their luggage.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rick Steves’ Florence and Tuscany 2007
Absolutely BRILLIANT!
I would reccommend this book to anyone who is going to Firenze for the first time*
I myself lived in Firenze in the late 70′s but was too…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Guide
I bought this 2007 book a few months ago and have been studying it in preparation of visiting Florence in October of 2007.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tour like a local
We split our time in Rome with two days in Florence. We had Rick Steve’s Rome for the Rome portion of our 10 days but we found ourselves in Florence without his Florence and…
4.0 out of 5 stars
The old standby to start planning a vacation in Europe
I usually find Rick Steves’ books the best way to start planning a vacation to Europe. His suggestions for sleeping accomodations and transportation I use to narrow my search for…