 2008-09-20 - "Rick Steves Most of Italy 2008" - he amputated the "foot".
Don't buy this if you expect to find information on the southern Italian mainland.
The map at the front of this book sums up its disappointing lack of coverage of southern Italy. The map stops at the Amalfi coast and does not show the "foot" part of the country. Rick Steves' Italian mainland ends at a line drawn between Paestum and Manfredonia. So .... no Lecce, no Matera, no Otranto - there's absolutely nothing on Puglia. Truncated map = truncated coverage.
The title should be "Rick Steves Most of Italy 2008".
 2008-09-12 - Rick Steves Italy 2008
Mr. Steves supplies a wealth of information for MOST of Italy, but unfortunately for those of us who desire to see Southern Italy, the book is not helpful. I would also like to suggest that Mr. Steves refrain from denigrating U.S. tourists. Many of us are well-seasoned travellers and can enjoy other cultures without the immature lectures offered by Steves.
2008-09-10 - Very limited coverage
What this guide covers it covers well but be forewarned that the title is a misnomer. Much of Italy is missing. Italy south of the Amalfi Coast on the West, nope. South of Ravenna on the Adriatic, nope. Sicily, nope. Sardinia, nope. To avoid disappointment make sure this guide covers the parts of Italy you plan to visit before you buy it.
 2008-09-08 - Highly useful.
It takes a little use to get used to the basic order of the city-specific information (intro, sights, hotels, food + other info). After you do, though, the guide is AMAZING. The self-guided walks in Rome are not to be missed.
2008-09-03 - Good Money-Saving Tips While Getting Lost
My girlfriend and I got this guide after reading some pretty good reviews here about Rick Steves' Italy. Rick Steves provided money saving tips like the Roma Pass which was useful and helped us saved time and money. His tip to call and reserve tickets with the galleries was a handy shortcut and allowed us to skip the queues. We saved some money by showing this book to a few hotels and restaurants too.
Little did we know that the poorly hand-drawn maps were to lead us in merry-go-rounds around Milan, Florence, Rome and Venice. Some of the recommended restaurants like Dante's Pizzatoria in Florence and Princi's at Milan were outright dishonest and rude. On top of that, the written directions to several places were vague. For example, we were unable to locate a recommended hotel in Venice listed on the guide even after two hours of relentless search.
To be fair to Rick, his information on Ferry transfer and train information were largely helpful. However, it would have been preferred if Rick had included cultural pointers for Asians. Having said this, we would like to prepare Asian or non-European travelers heading to Florence to handle their unique form of hospitality. Please note that our experiences at the city were less than pleasant.
We recommend that you get a proper map along with this book or have a look at Fodor's Italy 2008.
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