Rome (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE) (Turtleback)
May 23, 2009 by Destination Guide
Filed under Travel Italy Guides
Amazon.com Review
Too bad the essence of Rome can’t be bottled and exported to a corner store near you. If it could, you could pick up a weekend’s worth of Rome along with your pint of milk and Snickers bar, and you’d probably never get to repainting the stairs, doing the laundry, or watching that new video release. Instead you’d be gawking at St. Peter’s, ogling the Temple of Vesta, devouring saltimbocca in a trattoria, and sipping Sangiovese at a wine bar. You might not even get to the Snickers bar. Okay, DK never said they’re trying to bottle Rome. But they do a stand-up job of imbuing their guidebook with the spirit, attitude, and élan of Rome. They don’t just provide information about where to stay and what to do when you’re there (though they do, in fact, provide all those necessary details), they go beyond the pragmatic and mundane to revel in Rome’s glory. They stimulate the appetite for a Roman holiday. The gorgeous pictures and engaging text draw you in. They inspire you to read and dream, set your travel date, and visit Rome for real. –Stephanie Gold
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
…You feel, looking at them, as if you could close the book and step into the street. — Contra Costa Times
…considered to be the world’s best travel resource to over 30 destinations around the world, make it easier to plan a splendid vacation. — North American Press Syndication
…each an intricate trove of 3-D aerial views, landmark floor plans, color photos and essential eating, shopping and entertainment info. — People Magazine
Each book is a visual as well as informational feast about a particular place. — The New York Times
The Best Guidebooks Ever — SKY MAGAZINE
The best travel guides ever. — Sky Magazine -Delta In flight Magazine
The most graphically exciting and visually pleasing series on the market. — Chicago Tribune
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Buy Rome (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE) (Turtleback) at Amazon
Do not go to Rome without this book! I read this book before going and was able to get an idea of what Rome was about, but when I arrived, this book did not leave my hands! This guide divides Rome into sections. We set out agenda according to sections in the book. The street-by-street map was invaluable and we were never lost. I am the worst with directions, but I knew extactly where I was during each day. With the maps, I navigated instead of my husband! The cut aways and guides to the various museums and attractions were also invaluable. We were able to walk into any attraction and know what the star features were and not have to miss a thing. We did not have to buy the extra tour books in each museum because our Eyewitness Guide gave us all the information we need and then some. Not only was I the navigator, but I was our personal tour guide. With the book, I was able to read out loud to my husband and tell him about everything we saw in Rome. There were many other tourist with the Eyewitnes Guides in their hands and I was pleasantly surprised to see the book in so many different languages. A tourist even came up to me at the Trevi Fountain asking me where I got the book because she saw so many people with it, and she was disappointed when I said I got it in the States because she was ready to pick up a copy immediately.
You can forget the credit cards, but DO NOT LEAVE HOME WITH THIS ONE!
I received the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Rome for Christmas, along with several other books in the DK series. Happily, I spied a bargain travel package to Rome the next weekend, signed my wife and myself up, and haven’t put the book down yet. The detail on each neighborhood and major sites is giving me a chance to plan each day and to prioritize dozens of sites. The immensity of Rome and the expansive lists of sites in the book assures me that I’m going to see exactly what I want, but I’ve been able to experience, at least through the descriptions, evrything that I’ll miss. The reason I took one star off is that it’s great for planning, but I most likely will leave the book at home and take a short list with us. The two drawbacks I’ve found are (1) the maps are too tiny, leaving out a lot of cross-street names to really be useful on site, and (2) the walking tours don’t seem as interesting as in other DK books (I followed several of the London tours and have been fascinated by reading the Paris tours). I feel that I’ll be better off with a notebook of plans, addresses,etc., a better set of walking guides, and a pocket-sized, more durable map. But, I’ll also have a great keeper of a souvenier when we get home.
We just returned from Rome and I can honestly say this book was worth every cent. The map in the back is very detailed, much more so than other books and hotel maps. The museum diagrams and photos were also very useful. The back flap of the cover works as a fantastic and useful bookmark. Good phrases and pronunciations, good symbols, metro and bus information was very helpful, and the photos were excellent. You see tourists of every corner of the world carrying this book. Only negative is that there wasn’t information on how organized tours really aren’t worth the money, unlike I found in a Rick Steves book after the fact. (By the way – if you are going to Rome, avoid almost every organized tour as they rush you through and you don’t get to see everything – especially at the Vatican). I will buy from the same publisher next time I travel!!
5.0 out of 5 stars
A MUST HAVE !!
THIS WAS A GREAT ASSET WHEN WE WENT TO ROME!!!!
In fact, every tourist had one. They sold the book there at every tourist vendor stand for way more then I paid here…
3.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty picture and good maps, but ZERO practical info
This is, as made clear by every review, a beautiful book. But on our trip to Italy, we found ourselves using Rick Steves WAY MORE.
5.0 out of 5 stars
ROME {EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE}
IF YOU ARE PLANNING A TRIP TO ROME IN THE NEAR FUTURE THEN THIS BOOK AND THE LAMINATED STREETWISE ROME MAP IS LIKE A BIBLE TO YOU. THE PICTURES IN THIS BOOK IS OUTSTANDING.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very helpful, easy to read
Used this on a trip to Rome earlier this month and found the information very helpful and up to date.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not perfect, but it served me well in Rome
Bad news first: this book has the issue of trying to cover too much in too small of a format and page count.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best guide, period
Look no further than any D&K guide for your travel needs, it covers everything and anyting; the guide divides any big area in sections and then suggests which routes, or…
2.0 out of 5 stars
Can’t understand all the 5 star reviews
— update: ‘looks like there are 2 guides published by eyewitness; this is *NOT* the “Top 10;” it seems like several of the reviews below are based on that book, not this one.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Eyewitness Rome Travel Book
Rome (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Eyewitness Travel Books are all we use! Very informative and easy to use!
Recommend these books for your travels anywhere!
5.0 out of 5 stars
DK is always superb
The Eyewitness series is always superb.
I won;t repeat all the glory heaped on this volume in other reviews, other than to say, apart from the superb cut-aways,…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unbelievably useful
Just returned from our first trip to Rome. Had a few guidebooks but found that this one was all we needed.