Italy 2012 Guidebook
Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:
Best: Naples - Pina Esposito
Why: I took a group of 36 university students and professors for the first time solo to Italy. I wanted to give my students more than just a tour, but an experience. Out of the many wonderful guides we had (recommended by Rick), the person that really stands out for me is Pina Esposito. First, her tour of Pompeii was outstanding. I felt that we were just scratching the surface of her knowledge. As others have said, her tour of Pompeii really made the site come alive. However, I needed her help well beyond Pompeii. I wanted to give the students a true cultural tour of the south, which included finding authentic southern Italian cuisine at a good rate, getting tickets to the opera in Naples and an afternoon of just sharing with the students her own heritage. The help she gave me was above and beyond and I am grateful. I can't wait to visit again with my next class.
Will Prigge Briar Cliff University
Will Prigge in Sioux City, IA USA 02/03/2012
Best: I flew to Rome - drove to Cannes to venece - through tuscany to naples and back to rome
Why: I enjoyed Pisa and Verona the best - a little touristy but not overbearable.
jamie fields in detroit, mi USA 01/05/2012
Best: Descriptions of each town in Cinque Terre and train tips
Why: Helped us get around each of the 5 towns more easily
Jack Hay in White Plains, Md USA 12/22/2011
Best: Borghese Gallery (Rome); Vernazza in the Cinque Terre; and Rome
Why: Of all of the art that we saw during our trip, the Borghese Gallery had the best. We made reservations through our hotel (thank you for that recommendation!) and rented the audio guide. We plan to return if/when we go back to Rome. Vernazza in the Cinque Terre was wonderful: Beautiful, relaxing, friendly people, good food, and not expensive. Rome is a fabulous city - so much to see, do, and experience. We loved it.
Worst: Venice
Why: Only because of the souvenir kiosks on the waterfront near Piazza San Marco, and all of the tour groups following umbrella-toting guides. It was disappointing to see that it has been completely taken over by tourism. Having said that, Venice was lovely and quiet in the evenings when the tour groups left. We would return on another visit to Italy.
Karen in Winnipeg, MB Canada 11/27/2011
Best: Cristina Giannicchi, Great Rome Tour Guide
Why: We could never have found Cris without Rick's recommendation. What a find! Cris is delightful and fun in addition to being so well versed in art in history. There is no way we could have puzzled our way through the Vatican by ourselves. Cris made the morning vibrant, fresh, interesting, and meaningful. Cris definitely gave us our very best memories of Rome! We can't wait to return to Rome to do more touring with Cris Giannicchi.
Deborah in Lebanon, NJ USA 11/21/2011
Worst: Phone cards in Italy
Why: My traveling companion purchased a phone card which was of no use in any of the phones we encountered in Lucca, Florence, or the Cinque Terre. She tried both pay phones (few & far between) and hotel & business phones. Nothing worked except borrowed cell phones from kind lenders, and the rate was several hundred times the rate quoted on the phone card. We never did find those touted cheap disposable cell phones which the Guidebook recommends.
Arlene Geist in Seattle, WA USA 11/08/2011
Best: Colleseum in Rome with the RS audio guide
Why: Really awesome!! Rome was the best place and 2nd was Venice.
Jolanda Terhoeven in Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA 11/07/2011
Best: Montalcino
Why: Awesome wine touring, beautiful views, great restaurants and a nice little town to enjoy in the evening
Worst: Florence
Why: Too many tourists, narrow streets, traffic, long lines
John Osgood in New York, NY USA 11/01/2011
Best: Rick Steves' Audio Guides, an evening with Alessandro Schezzini in Venice
Why: Cannot imagine touring many of the sights in Venice, Florence, and Rome without Rick's audios. They gave cohesion and depth of understanding to huge collections of artwork and complex buildings. Friends had the IPad version which provided visual clues as well (as when the Uffizi moves a painting or you get turned around at St. Peter's). While I greatly appreciated all of the advice and guidance from Italy 2011, these guides were the icing on the cake.
Can't imagine a first visit to Venice without an evening with Alessandro. We took both is "Rick Steves Tour" and the Classic Venice Bars Tour" allowing us to see a side of Venice that eludes the normal traveler and the chance to ask a real Venician what living there is like. The wine, the food, and the company made for a delightful evening.
Pat in Middletown, DE USA 10/31/2011
Best: Roma Pass
Why: WORTH THE COST! even if you don't visit 2 sights. It's good for 72 hours after you validate it on the turnstile or the metro. Even in mid October, the line to the Colosseum in the afternoon was at least an hour or so long. Would hate to have seen the line for Foro Romano. We just walked right past the line, and followed an arrow marked "Roma Pass" and went through the turnstiles with no one in front of us. Sweet! Same applies to the Vatican Museum. Best to order tickets online before even if you have to pay the service charge. Extra cost is worth skipping the lines.
Kay Ishii in Renton, WA USA 10/30/2011
Best: trails from Vernazza
Why: incredible views, fun. It IS tough. I am 68 and in pretty good shape, so made it without much trouble, but was tired. I saw several overweight people on the trail that had that look of 'why am i here?'
Dale Kingsbury in St. Paul, mn USA 10/28/2011
Best: trails from Vernazza
Why: incredible views, fun. It IS tough. I am 68 and in pretty good shape, so made it without much trouble, but was tired. I saw several overweight people on the trail that had that look of 'why am i here?'
Dale Kingsbury in St. Paul, mn USA 10/28/2011
Worst: Milan Train Station
Why: ALERT: bums hover around the train ticket machines looking for confused travelers to "help". I was having trouble getting tickets using my credit cards. The bums then hustle you for a "donation" or simply grab your change from a cash transaction and take off. The rest of our trip, we decided to allow a bit of extra time and buy our tickets directly from an Trenitalia agent. We never waited more than 5 minutes and we found that the agents know enough English to easily get us the correct tickets without any hassles.
Chuck&Merilee Hill in Chehalis, WA USA 10/24/2011
Best: Enoteca con bar Oreste Dal Zovo
Why: After circling around, we found Oreste sitting outside his establishment. We had a glass of Valpolicella while he told us, in Italian, of his life and showed us photo of himself and famous Rick Steves. We showed our Rick Steves book. Ta bene.
Elizabeth Lynch in Vacaville, CA USA 10/22/2011
Best: Mamertine Prison, Rome
Why: Very moving to see where Apostles Peter and Paul were imprisoned. Guided tour included in price of 6 euros.
Mark and Doreen in Pittsburgh, PA USA 10/21/2011
Best: Cinque Terre region, and Lucca.
Why: Had never heard of it and it was breath-taking. Lucca was a lovely, peaceful retreat after busy days of site-seeing.
Worst: The train from Naples to Sorrento was a very miserable hour.
Why: Heat, very crowded, inadequate seating, multiple stops.
Julie Roehl in Toledo, OH USA 10/20/2011
Worst: Cinque Terre
Why: We anticipated that Cinque Terre would be the highlight of our trip. We spent two nights in Monterrosso - and if it is any indication, we could not find a room anywhere in Vernazza or in Monterrosso. One of the overbooked hotels we contacted arranged for us to stay in an apartment for what turned out to be the most expensive stay of our trip. Our two nights in some random dude's third floor apartment in Monterroso cost more than two nights at the Hotel Metropole in Bellagio. If CT lived up to the hype, then it might have been worth it. I felt like I flew all the way to Italy to spend two nights in Atlantic City, New Jersey. There was nothing charming or authentic by being constantly overwhelmed by crowds of tourists, wearing "I love Cinque Terre" t-shirts, muscling their way past me in the street, pushing onto ferries and trains, hovering over me at my dinner table waiting for my seat - - and this was the first week of October - - hardly peak season. Our Ligurian food fantasies were extinguished with mediocre meals made worse by the fact that we were surrounded elbow-to-elbow by tourists talking about Costco, The Real Housewives, and The Cake Boss. We just sat back, drank our wine, and discussed how we could have had a more authentic Italian dining experience visiting an Olive Garden, or, perhaps a Sbarro at a mall food court. Instead of photos of the idyllic coast, I have pictures of my bemused husband pretending to throw Rick's book into the sea, or off of a cliff, or into a garbage can. Our last night in town, we returned from dinner in Vernazza on the train, seated behind a woman from Texas reading Rick's book out loud like she was giving a sermon to her companions ("Rick says that we should try the sardines"). She was interrupted by the conductor who, when he asked us for our tickets, claimed miraculously that they had expired despite being purchased within the hour. As the train pulled into Monterosso, he said that he would let us off the train for $10 Euro - CASH - or he would have to write us a ticket for a 'big fine'. A fitting end to a visit which felt more like a mugging than a vacation. As someone who discovered hidden gems throughout Ireland using Rick Steve's advice, this was a terrible disappointment and I hope that his upcoming 2012 Italy book reflects the tourist trap that CT has become.
Gina R. in Metuchen, NJ USA 10/14/2011
Best: Riomaggiore, Vernazza
Why: Small fairy-tale pastel village life
Worst: Andrea Poggi owner of Hotel La Spiaggia
Why: He's the owner of the bait & switch hotel, he is either an out & out scammer & a old person with advanced mental disease.
Lee Bruning in Hayward, CA USA 10/10/2011
Worst: Trattoria GianniinVernazza,CinqueTerre
Why: Tiny rooms,no service, sour owners, rude daughter.These people act like they hate tourists. Worst hotel we have ever stayed at. Worst recommendation by Rick Steves.
frank o'toole in mc lean, va USA 10/05/2011
Best: Cortona
Why: other than the taxi issue, clear descriptions and recommendations.
Worst: Assisi
Why: Most of your advice was spot on, however, we found the self guided walk to be confusing and we lost our way immediately. Managed to have a great time anyway
Marianne Ferguson in Auburn, n USA 10/04/2011
Best: Cristina Giannicchi
Why: Cristina was our tour guide for Ancient Rome and the Vatican City. We toured with our family of 14 people - adults & teenagers. Cristina seemed to have a vast knowledge of the area and the history of the area. As she gave us a great presentation of each area, Cristina was able to answer any question we had about artifacts, buildings, historical events, anything about the area! We all had a great time with Cristina. With her enthusiasm, flexibility, and patience, she fit right in with our family. Everyone in our family was excited the next day when we met Cristina to tour the Vatican City. The tour of the Vatican City was just as great as the first day! We were sad to end our time with Cristina. We would definitely recommend touring with Cristina. She also has a great website with pictures of Cristina with tour groups!
http://www.crisacross.com/
Alexis Gerrish in Minneapolis, MN USA 10/02/2011
Best: Ristorante Bagus (Pisa)
Why: We usually refer to other books for eating recommendations, since we've found Steve's criteria is often just 'the cheapest' available. Bagus is a great restaurant! Nice wine-themed atmosphere with soft jazz CDs playing. Food is excellent--the best Caponata I've eaten!
Pete in Cincinnati, OH USA 10/02/2011
Best: Pantheon in Rome
Why: it was mind-blowing when we arrived. We even went back two more times just to have it take our breath away!
Worst: Fast Bar in Monterosso
Why: We went to Fast Bar on a Sunday night and they had an American football game on. When we approached the bartender, we tried to order in two beers and two wines in Italian and he gave us dirty looks & shook his head. We tried English and he still didn't seem to understand. We finally just pointed to the tap, said 'birra, por favore' and he gave us our drinks. We left 4 euros as a tip, hoping that help him be slightly friendlier to us. A customer walked in and it appeared he knew the bartender, we then overheard the bartender speaking perfect English to the other customer! Five minutes later, they turned the channel from the Steelers game to a soccer game. A big group of Americans, all wearing Steelers jerseys eventually got up and left. When they had all left, the two bartenders smiled and gave each other a high-five! They then started whispering and looking over at us. They turned up the soccer game extremely loud, until we finally decided to just leave as well. I would like to add that the other group of Americans were sitting pretty quietly, purchasing drinks and tipping heavily. We were also doing the same thing. I understand some American football watching crowds might be difficult to deal with, but they really did not seem to want any customers in the bar, except their one friend...
Kelly Moffa in Irvine, CA USA 10/01/2011
Best: The Cinque Terre
Why: It had panache!! Romantic, stunning views. I felt like I was in the Italy that I wanted to see. And for the most part, didn't.
Worst: Rome in September
Why: Crammed with tourists--everywhere! Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel incredibly mobbed, a waste of time--no way to look at art. ( Not the guidebook's fault.)
Dick and Denise Devlin in Kingston, NH USA 09/26/2011
Best: Anthony Buonocore, Amalfi Coast Tour
Why: We just completed an all day tour of the Amalfi Coast with Anthony. The tour was extremely enjoyable and completely stress free. We had arranged for the tour way ahead of time having read that it would be difficult to enjoy the coast while driving it ourselves. I had emailed Anthony several times and his responses were always prompt and on point. On the day of the tour, he arrived 10 minutes early. Anthony was very friendly and had a great sense of humor while always remaining professional. Though we had some specific requirements for the tour, which he accommodated without question, we mostly relied on Anthony to guide us based on his experience. We are so glad we did. We saw many beautiful villages, coastal scenery, stopped for wine, limoncello and olive oil tasting and even had the free time we requested. We had an excellent lunch at his recommended restaurant which was very reasonably priced. We would have never seen as much of the coast nor would we had known the best places to stop without Anthony. We highly recommend Anthony.We grabbed his business card as a souvenir: here is his info: +39 3494410336 www.amalfitransfer.com buonocoreanthony@yahoo.it
John M in Rochester, NY USA 09/26/2011
Best: Guided tours in Rome by Giovanna Terzuilli. Drive down the Amalfi Coast with Raffaele Monetti.
Why: Giovanna was extremely knowledgable, organized and charming. Raffaele made us feel safe on the hair raising drive. He too was knowledgable and fun. Raffaele went beyond the call of duty when he made and appointment with his dentist for my husband when he had a dental emergency. His dad picked us up at our hotel and delivered us to the dentist at 7:00PM!
Worst: Naples Train Station
Why: We felt so unsafe that we rented a car for our return trip to Rome.
Barbara James in Beaufort , SC USA 09/25/2011
Best: Carmello Monetti
Why: We just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for recommending Carmello as our guide for the tour of the Amalfi Coast. We spent a marvelous day with Carmello learning the history and culture, and experiencing the beauty of this fabulous region. Carmello was charming, and witty but more importantly knowledgeable and patient. He made sure we had photo ops at all the best vantage points and every sweat spot imaginable. He patiently waited on the return ride while we chose a special piece of local ceramic that could be shipped home to Canada. No rush, Carmello would insist. He professes to respect, appreciate and protect the tourists he has the privilege to serve and he does just that. Carmello was a delight, he practices gratitude and paying it forward. He is truly an Ambassador of Sorrento and Italy - his passion and love for his homeland is contagious We wish Carmello many more years of health and success doing what he loves.
Michel & Joan Bonin in Ottawa, ON Canada 09/13/2011
Best: Monterosso, Manarola, Varenna
Why: Monterosso: My husband and I are both 33 and this was our favorite of the 5 towns- we liked that it was spread out and we loved Il Casello (the owner was so nice and food was so good!) and Ristorante Belvedere- yum! We were on our honeymoon and it was so romantic here at night, we want to go back and stay in the town next time. We also enjoyed the Manarola Vineyard Walk but we were too wiped out from hiking the #2 trail the day before to do the Torre Guardiola trail in Riomaggiore (even though the trail from Manarola to Corniglia was closed and we took the train). Varenna was amazing and we loved that there was so little to do- we enjoyed every minute there.
Worst: La Spezia, Bellagio
Why: We read your book after a travel agent booked our hotel here and we wished we had stayed in one of the Cinque Terre villages! Although Hotel Firenze (La Spezia) was decent and close to the train station next time we know better!!! It was sad to get on the train each night and leave the Cinque Terre wonderland!
Bellagio was way too busy for us, especially after being in Varenna 2 nights prior (prices in the shops were higher too) It was great at night though and we enjoyed walking around and some treats at Gelateria del Borgo.
Liza in Syracuse, NY USA 09/05/2011
Best: Paestum
Why: No crowds. Magical.
Worst: Paestum and Vesuvius cid:11.3582177656@web56606.mail.re3.yahoo.com/6AE6A96A09E8487E81E9F1F3D656E7A210104.jpg
Why: If you don't use the Salerno bus the hassle is HUGE. Worth it, though.
K in Rizzo, Va USA 08/23/2011
Best: Florence
Why: Central locale, more art than you can absorb. Also, we hired a personal guide in Rome. Costly but well worth it.
Worst: Die Frescobaldi restaurant in Florence
Why: Horrible food and the manager was rude and could have care less whether we like our dinner or not.
Pat Geddes in Berthoud, CO USA 08/16/2011
Best: Tour of Vatican City with Cristina Giannicchi
Why: We toured with Cristina Giannicchi, whose name we found in the Italy 2011 book, and we found her to be friendly, very informative, and interesting and humorous. She tailored our tour to meet our time schedule and was attentive to our specific questions and areas of interest. Cristina's fee was reasonable, and we felt it was money well spent to make our experience at the Vatican beyond our expectations.
Susan in Smithtown, NY USA 08/02/2011
Best: Sistine Chapel
Why: Of all the sights in Italy this stands out as the most impressive. It is well thought out and executed with precision and passion. The Delphi Sybill stood out among all of the images and I now have a large copy of this image hanging in my home.
Angel in Katy, TX USA 07/27/2011
Best: Vatican City and the Papal Blessing
Why: We followed your tips and were able to be within feet of the Pope after his Papal blessing. We felt extremely blessed and happy.
Joe and Lila Klein in Richmond, MN USA 07/26/2011
Best: Assisi, Super 5 Cinque Terra Boat Ride
Why: A spectacular walled medieval city. Very walkable, great views and of special meaning to people of faith. The city bus is a great inexpenisve way to travel. Hotel Ideale had a magnificent view good breakfast. The Church of San Stefano predates St. Francis and is a hidded gem. Your section on the Basillica of St. Franics in the guidebook was exceptional. We enjoyed staying in S. Margharita. One day we took the Super 5 Cinque Terra boat excursion which stopped in 3 of the 5 towns. Two of the stops wer only an hour but it was a great way and day to gain an exposure to this area. My biggest regret was that we arrived at the anchovy museum just as it was closing. When I learned that they had free samples of various product I was devasted.
John and Elyse O'Kane in Stone Mountain, GA USA 07/24/2011
Best: Cortona
Why: Just gorgeous
Toey in Houston, Tx USA 07/22/2011
Worst: Hotel La Tonnarella
Why: Made reservation on internet. Decided to change plans and tried to cancel. Their website was down and not at all user friendly. Never received a confirmation and could not find it when I did get on website so thought did not go through. I was charged on credit card and they would not cancel. I did not have that trouble with any other of our accommodations. Will never stay there. Hope you look into their treatment of their customers.
Debbie in Benton, Ky USA 07/20/2011
Best: Nightwalk Through Rome
Why: Lovely tour that got us from one beautiful square to the next with almost no need to pull out the map. A highlight of our trip to Rome. Take the optional two block gelato detour! Bet of our 11 days in France and Italy. Bonus- There's a public restroom at the gelato shop too.
Maureen in Grayslake, IL USA 07/18/2011
Best: Siena
Why: Everywhere was picturesque and enchanting. A nice end to our busy on the move vacation.
Worst: Naples
Why: Took a day trip from Rome. There was a two hour train strike on the Circumvesuviana so we had to wait around the Napoli Centrale station longer than planned on our way to Pompeii. We ventured down the left side of Piazza Garibaldi but didn't feel safe.
D Mitchell in Elk Grove, CA USA 07/12/2011
Best: FLORENCE: ACADEMIA, UFFIZI GALLERY,ROME: VATICAN MUSEUM, ST. PETER'S BASILICA AND BORGHESE GALLERY
Why: I WAS BOWLED OVER BY MICHELANGELO'S DAVID, JUST DID NOT THINK IT WOULD AFFECT ME LIKE THAT...AND PER YOUR SUGGESTION, GETTING RESERVATIONS FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE AND MORE MADE THE SIGHTS STRESSFREE..THANKS!
Worst: TOWN OF RAVENA
Why: TRUELY I ENJOYED EVERYTHING, BUT HAD PROBLEMS FINDING MY ACCOMMODATION AND IT WAS THE LEAST INTERESTING PLACE, BUT I DID NOT HAVE MUCH TIME THERE.
SANDI KELLY in SARASOTA, FL USA 07/10/2011
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: Beautiful, relaxing Vernazza, was the best place to rest after all the fast pace touring of Rome, Florence and Venice. The hiking was amazing as was the wonderful relaxing apartment accomidations.
Bobbi Koloany in Pittsburgh, PA USA 07/01/2011
Best: Experince: Staying in Murren, Swithzerland
Why: It was a wonderful tip by Rick to stay in Murren area . I loved to stay there , had walk to Gimmelwald and around. It was very peaceful and amazing there. I completely got mesmerized by the hige mountains and valley at Lauterburren which can be seen up from Murren.
Gaurav Agarwal in Tyngsboro, MA USA 06/28/2011
Best: Borghese Gallery, Rome
Why: Bernini's Apollo chasing Daphne, David and Rape of Proserpine are breathtaking.
Lynette Taylor in Brooksville, FL USA 06/24/2011
Best: Carmello Monetti, driver on Amalfi Coast
Why: You recommended Carmello Monetti of Monetti taxi (www.monettitaxi.it) in your Naples/Amalfi Snapshot book & he was the best for all the reasons you list in the book. But the real reason he's the best: I accidently gave him 50 euros more than the fare & he returned it! He had driven part way back to Sorrento, stopped for a coffee and realized that I’d made the mistake. He drove back to the hotel to give me the money back. And if that wasn’t enough, he then offered to take us to Positano for free because it was on his way home. Unbelievable! If you need a driver for the Amalfi Coast then Carmello is your man.
Brent in San Francisco, CA USA 06/12/2011
Best: Alll places visited! (Rome, Florence, Venice, Padua, Lake Como, Milan)
Why: Italy's a country with so many personalities, every day was enjoyable! The people are also very nice!
Worst: Got lost looking for Trattoria Milanese in Milan
Why: Streets in Milan were confusing. We kept taking wrong turns, and tried asking locals (in Italian), but didn't have much luck. We ended up finding Luini Panzerotti (in book), and that was enjoyable!
Liz Santos in Seattle, WA USA 06/06/2011
Best: Venice, Cinque Terre, and Rome
Why: We were in Italy May 15 thru May 24, 2011 and loved it all. Everywhere we went we were overwhelmed by the expanse each area offers. We saw simple pleasures that meant as much as the huge Basillicas and statues! Do "stop and smell the roses"! All sights were exactly as described in the guidebook. Don't try to see everything and be sure to include downtime and time for occasional delays / errors. Enjoy the sights! Don't rush and ruin everyone else's perception of what they are seeing.
Larry Linemann in Lexington, SC USA 06/01/2011
Best: Agriturismo Pietra Rosa
Why: We followed Rick's advice and located an agritursimo near the hill town of Urbino on the general Italian argitursimo web site. What a find Pietra Rosa was! It was the highlight of a wonderful three week holiday in Italy. We felt as though we were part of a happy Italian family. There farm is 4 km up a very curvy gravel road. (You need a car.) The drive is worth the effort. The views are spectacular. Jenny has a degree in international studies so her English is perfect. Her cooking was the best we had in Italy, and that's saying something. Pietra Rosa was a wonderful break from the frenetic hustle of being a tourist. Urbino is a vibrant hill town without the tourists that you find in Tuscany. Pietra Rosa was much cheaper than most of the agritursimos that Rick recommends. Rick, add it to your recommended list.
Mary Weisse in Rapid River, MI USA 05/28/2011
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: Breathtakingly beautiful.
Worst: ATM in Vernazza
Why: Add this one in your book for ripping off tourists. I tried to withdraw and it told me it did not have sufficient funds. Another tourist told me the same had happened to them the day earlier. However, when I got home and checked my bank statement, I had been charged for them.
Penney Haas in Belleville, IL USA 05/17/2011
Best: Siena and Assisi
Why: Wonderful architecture and statuary in Siena, and beautifully serene and devout ambience in Assisi.
Nick & Eileen Sordi in Eagle, CO USA 05/09/2011
Best: Siena and Assisi
Why: Wonderful architecture and statuary in Siena, and beautifully serene and devout ambience in Assisi.
Nick & Eileen Sordi in Eagle, CO USA 05/09/2011
Best: Pantheon
Why: I wanted Imperial Rome and this was the place where I could most feel like I was walking where a Caesar walked (mostly by looking up not at the Christian stuff moved in afterwards - which was cool in it's own right)
Mitch McCann in Killeen, TX USA 05/09/2011
Best: Riomaggiore / Hotel La Zorza
Why: Great location, spacious two bedroom unit with a deck for our family of four. Clean, comfortable, affordable, free wirless, great breakfast, very helpful and responsive staff.
S. Blank in Seattle, WA USA 05/06/2011
Best: Roman Empire Tours
Why: We ended our two week trip to Italy with two days in Rome. The Colosseum was closed one of the days, causing us to visit the Colosseum/Forum and Vatican City in one day with our children ages 9 and 12. Had it not been for Jimmy of Roman Empire Tours the day would have been exhausting. Jimmy's knowledge of Rome's history is amazing. My children were entralled by the information he shared. He weaved us through the Vatican showing us the best of the best. I hate to think of what we would have missed out on had we tried to visit these sites on our own. It was one of our best days on the trip.
S. Blank in Seattle, WA USA 05/06/2011
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: It's beautiful and we missed the high tourist season. But the Blue Trail was closed due to landslides and mud - we were there in March. So it would be nice to warn people.
Nena Montgomery in Redwood City, CA USA 04/27/2011
Best: Venice
Why: We were accidentally there for Carnivale. We stayed at the Hilton Molino Stucky on Giudecca Island using points. We would highly recommend this location during Carnivale as it has a free shuttle and you can escape the crowds for a break, but still enjoy it when you want. Also the gondola ride is definitely worth the money. We should have gone longer.
Chris Kemp in St. Paul, MN USA 03/18/2011
Best: Amalfi tour with Carmello Monetti
Why: great day..he's a classic
Pete Hall in Haddonfield, NJ USA 02/20/2011
Best: Florences Duomo Steps
Why: The view of Florence is amazing from the top! Well worth the 400+ steps to get there!
Marcy in Los Angeles, CA USA 02/03/2011
Best: Everything is wonderful.
Why: I have been just about everywhere in the book. Now what ?
Worst: Not enough !!!!
Why: Rick has got to expand on Italy Guidebooks to include: The Valle D'Aosta, Puglia, Sicily, and MORE Tuscany like Pitigliano, Sovana, and the region south of Civita (Upper Lazio), and places like Narni, Terni, Norcia, etc.
Alan in Woodstock, NY USA 02/03/2011
Best: Agriturismo La Crociana, Montalcino
Why: Lovely cabin with kitchenette; close to all hill towns, very reasonable. Extremely friendly and helpful Barbara, Robert & Fiorina.
Laura in San Diego, CA USA 01/23/2011
Best: Sorrento
Why: Good hotels and restaurants, lots of places to visit close by.
Worst: Cinque Terre
Why: Unfriendly and rude locals, specially at restaurants and train stations. Overpriced and overrated.
Marisol Grossling in Vancouver, BC Canada 01/04/2011
Best: Paestum, Amalfi coast, and Orvieto
Why: It's the only site north of Sicily where you can see Greek temples in great condition. We were thoroughly impressed with the experience, we had it practically to ourselves at the end of October, 2010, and since we never plan to get to Athens, it made our Italy trip extra special. Carmello Monetti, the driver we hired, made our trip so much more meaningful with his vast amount of information about the Amalfi coast. He truly loves this area and Sorrento and has had many years to learn about its history and people. He was an excellent driver and made good choices for view stops along the Amalfi coast. He was also charming, thoughtful, and a lot of fun for the members of our family - We will always remember "Santa Maria 911" whenever we need help on our less stressful Maine driving! The Amalfi coast was truly the most beautiful drive we've ever taken...and we've driven thru Big Sur and the Cabot Trail and across the U.S. several times. The combination of high cliffs, goregous sea views, vineyards impossibly clinging to hillsides, and the many layers of houses beautifully sited to maximize the vistas made this drive incomparable.
sandra crites in wintrhop, mE USA 12/01/2010
Best: Venice - St. Mark's and Doge's Palace
Why: Jaw-dropping opulence, lovely setting, and going through the baggage check to get past the line at St. Mark's made me feel soooo smart.
Worst: Naples on a Sunday
Why: The place was pretty dead. At the Museum, the second floor appeared to be closed.
Diana Oertel in San Francisco, CA USA 11/12/2010
Best: Cathedral in Orvieto
Why: Loved the beautiful, colorful facade, the small town feeling to Oriveto and of course the Luca Signorello frescoes. The museum and other sites on the combo-ticket were good too.
Worst: Well of the Cave
Why: This was a little disappointing but nicely organized and the proprietor was very friendly. I suppose it is worth the 3 euros, but we left feeling somewhat let down.
Joan Ofteness in Bellingham, WA USA 11/12/2010
Best: Borghese Gallery
Why: Outstanding collection of art, great gift shop, not very crowded, great park surrounding the gallery, and was close enough to walk from there to the Pantheon, Spanish Steppes and Trevi Fountain.
Worst: Spanish Steppes
Why: We were so glad we decided not to stay up in this area. It is way to crowded for us. For the same reason, the evening stroll of people watching is not our thing! We're in our 60's and we loved the quiet of our Ancient Rome neighborhood.
Garnet Holden in Grass Valley, CA USA 11/11/2010
Worst: Termini Metro station
Why: The Termini Metro station is absolutely awful. First, it is very far walk with limited escalators from the main train station to the Termini subway station. Also, transferring between subway lines is very difficult and time consuming. There is construction going on, but I'm not sure how much better it will be after. So avoid taking luggage with you when traversing these long distances and also avoid changing subway lines unless you mind a long walk up and down.
Steve in Washington, DC USA 11/05/2010
Best:
Why: Just keep reminding people to keep their credit cards separate and have numbers with to call to cancel. One of our travel buddies lost both of her cards and money on the 64 bus. And don't wear fanny packs even if you think you have your hand on it the whole time. We used Through Eternity Tours for a tour of the Vatican and I was very impressed, especailly with our guide Gabrial (I kid you not!)
Kathleen Kulstad in St Paul, MN USA 11/05/2010
Best:
Why: Just keep reminding people to keep their credit cards separate and have numbers with to call to cancel. One of our travel buddies lost both of her cards and money on the 64 bus. And don't wear fanny packs even if you think you have your hand on it the whole time. We used Through Eternity Tours for a tour of the Vatican and I was very impressed, especailly with our guide Gabrial (I kid you not!)
Kathleen Kulstad in St Paul, MN USA 11/05/2010
Best: Amalfi Coast--nice break between Florence and Rome cities and culture
Why: Beautiful coastal and hill towns. Especially enjoyed Positano, Ravello, Amalfi, Isle of Capri, and quieter Atrani where we stayed in an totally remodeled, modern apt. (booked thru Untours). Guided day tour to Pompeii and Herculaneum well worth it.
martin in HOPEWELL, VA USA 11/03/2010
Best: Naples - Archaeological Museum
Why: As Rick says in his book, the museum is "hard-to-appreciate", but we took his excellent suggestion and booked a private tour with Pina Esposito. Pina holds a PhD in Greco-Roman Archaeology and her wonderful tour truly made the Pompeii artefacts and the other museum exhibits come alive for us. Her enthusiasm and passion for her work are contagious - do not see this museum without Pina. It was definitely one of the highlights of our vacation in Campania.
Worst: Naples - the city
Why: Rick makes Naples seem chaotic, crowded, dirty yet charming. We did not experience anything charming - many of the natives were gruff, indifferent and unwilling to help. And as Neapolitan-Americans with a fair command of the Italian language, we left Naples feeling a little bit embarrassed of our heritage.
Margaret Lista in Atlantic Highlands, NJ USA 11/02/2010
Best: Michael Broderick, Venicescapes
Why: Thanks for the recommendation on Venicescapes tours with Michael Broderick. We booked a half-day tour and were so happy, we booked a full day tour also. His tours provided perspective and information on history, the arts and culture that made the rest of our stay in Italy even more enjoyable.
Donna Brennan in Chester Springs, PA USA 11/01/2010
Best: uffizi courtyard
Why: as we were stolling in the evening, we came upon a flute player (with an amp and background music) he was playing classical musical that was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes
karen kent in plainfield, il USA 10/24/2010
Best: Drinking Regional White Wine in Vernazza
Why: Paola and Gerry of Enoteca Sotto l'Arco provided us with a great regional wine recommendation each day. We spent the late afternoon sitting on the terrace of our room overlooking the river, ducks and geese snacking on antipasta and drinking the regional wines.
Worst: Monterosso al Mare
Why: We could only to be in this Cinque Terre town for a few hours because it was overrun with tourists and expensive hotels & restaurants. You could not see the shore area because people were sun-bathing shoulder-to-shoulder. This is not my kind of place. Unfortunately, Vernazza has now been discovered and is getting crowded unless you stay at the upper end of town. Riomaggiore is probably best for those people wanting a subdued and quiet town.
Jim Gray in Novato, CA USA 10/24/2010
Best: We visited Rome, Masa Lubresne, Florence and Venice, loved them all
Why: Info. in the book was excellent
Larry & Evie Babcock in Kelowns, BC Canada 10/23/2010
Best: Volterra
Why: As Rick says it's doesn't have as many tour buses. Stay here until 3:00 and drive to San Gimdignano for a late afternoon stroll, and wave good bye to the tour buses, enjoy a quiet dinner.
Worst: Piza
Why: People hawking tacky gift items every where you went.
John O Neill in Encinitas, Ca USA 10/17/2010
Best: Hiking path Vernazza to Monterossa
Why: Views, perspective, nature. We are over 60 and did quite well.
Worst: Bus from Assisi to Siena
Why: See long commentary under guidebook corrections.
John MacBain in Carmel, IN USA 10/17/2010
Best: Venice/Rome
Why: Love Venice, we did as the book said and got lost, wonderful experience. Sidewalk cafe in St. Mark's Square overpriced, but hey how often do you go there?! Rome is so full of history, enjoyed the walking tours that we downloaded to our IPOD, very informative.
Worst: Naples
Why: Trash was everywhere and the taxi drivers tried to rip us off every time. Had a 4 euro charge on our check that the waiter told us was for "the boss". Have been told the "mob" is alive and well here. Real reason I went there was to see the artifacts from Pompeii but it was not worth it. I recommend to skip Napoli all together.
C. Mills in Stanwood, WA USA 10/14/2010
Best: Rome, Assisi
Why: Rome: More things to see than maybe anywhere else in the world. The best are the random ruins, obelisks, etc. that pop up as you wander and don't even get mentioned in the books or on the maps. Assisi: simply beautiful and very peaceful in October.
Worst: Florence, Italian Irritability
Why: I was surprised at how much I didn't like Florence. It is beautiful from above -- climb the Duomo if you're in decent shape -- but seems to have little charm on the ground. The Ufizzi is difficult to enjoy properly because of the crowds, particularly the too-large tour groups. Some people say that the Italians are rude or mean. I don't think that's really true. What they often seem to be is cranky and irritable. Too many experiences where the shopkeep, cafe guy, or whoever is ready to jump down your throat before you even say anything. My hypothesis is that the irritable person in question needs his/her espresso or ciggy and just isn't going to be too happy without it. Usually, I don't think it has to do with being a tourist -- they're cranky with each other too.
James in Los Angeles, CA USA 10/13/2010
Best: Hotel Oceania - Rome
Why: Such a great hotel. Everyone was so nice and accomodating. The hotel was in a great location. We enjoyed walking around. We loved our two night stay there. We loved the skeleton keys and the lift!
Beverly Haines in BURBANK,, CA USA 10/04/2010
Best: Bus ride Amalfi coast was unexpectedly fun.
Why: You told us just how to do it right. Convinced even my teenaged daughter to get up in the morning and get on the bus early. By the way, my daughters were fans of yours years ago when we were able to follow your plan and go through the Louvre in less than 2 hours! You set the standard.
Jill Ellis in Del Mar, CA USA 10/04/2010
Best: Cicchetti bars- Venice
Why: I loved that you could just walk from bar to bar and pick up different appetizers/snacks. They can be quite filling!
Andrea Kidd in Highlands Ranch, CO USA 09/28/2010
Best: Civita de Bagnaregio
Why: Very tiny hard and a hard to reach but worth the effort. Tiny little town but well worth the visit. Completely uncrowded in September when we were there.
Larry Honeywell in Chapel Hill, NC USA 09/27/2010
Best: Galleria Doria Pamphilj
Why: Simply the best audio guide I have ever used, and brought to life this grand palazzo. Coupled with the wonderful art, it is a must see for anyone with more than two days in Rome. Our only disappointment, the Rest during the Flight into Egypt by Caravaggio was on loan to Genoa.
Worst: Murano/Burano
Why: The glass blowing demonstration is not worth the time spent travelling to Murano, and while picturesque, Burano is not unique enough to draw me back.
Steve Madsen in Newcastle, Australia 09/26/2010
Best: Italy
Why: beauty of Italy, ease of using your guidebooks
Donna Merlino in Staten Island, NY City, NY USA 09/17/2010
Best: Castelrotto and Alpe de Suisi (Seiser Alm)
Why: Fantastic hike along the ridge after taking the highest chairlift from Saltria to trail up to Zallinger Hutte. We'd been headed to Balzano until we got your guidebook. Tip worth the price of your book!
Peter Hebard in Albuquerque, NM USA 09/10/2010
Best: Borghese Gallery
Why: The whole building is a work of art with magnificent centerpieces in nearly every room. Was amazing, went there at 9am and the walk through the park and view of the city walls was also very nice.
Worst: Vatican
Why: We made reservations for the Vatican Museum and thought it overrated aside from the Raphael room and the Sistine Chapel. The line for St. Peter's Basilica was at least 2 hours long and the admission for Castel Sant'Angelo was steeper than expected.
Matt Campbell in Kansas City, KS USA 08/24/2010
Best: any tips for ordering tickets
Why: It is amazing to me that people aren't ordering tickets in line and are standing in these horrendous lines. I felt like a brilliant insider as I walked by a two hour line at the vatican and an hour line at the colisseum.
Worst: Uffizi
Why: I hate to say it, but the crowds and tour groups aren't managed well here, so it can be hard to see the art. To say this was the worst really just means it only minorly bothered us (but you don't have a category for that...)
(Compared to the Accademia, where we really felt like the place was roomier and gave you more time to feel depth of the art and not just breadth.) Also, despite having a prereserved printout, the Uffizi makes you turn in your printout for a ticket and then cross the courtyard and stand in another line. Certainly, it's shorter than showing up with nothing, but it was the most "line-y" of all our pre-reserved experiences.
Keren in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI USA 08/19/2010
Best: Venice
Why: We did NOT stay in the torist areas, but did get "LOST" as directed by RIck in the book. Getting lost allowed us to meet a local family and they pointed us to some very nice out of the way but simply great places to eat. 10 Euro coke at St Marks? No way, we opted for the 2 euro cokes and eats on the back streets and had a blast!
Worst: The heat. (End of July) and the sea of people at St Marks Sq
Why: Not our cup of tea so to speak.
Joseph Prisco in San Pablo, CA USA 08/15/2010
Best: Lucca
Why: It was relatively tourist-free and just a lovely town to walk around. I loved the bike ride around the ramparts as well as the Torre Guinigi.
Worst: Pisa
Why: Its not the WORST place by any means! It's just that besides the Field of Miracles, there's not much to do there.
Amanda in Boston, MA USA 08/15/2010
Best: Page 611: Contucci Cantina in Montepulciano
Why: Took Rick's advice and found Adamo in wine cellar. He's so much fun, and a great character - obligatory photo with his arm around my wife's waist. So proud of his wine, and tells everyone "me on NPR". We loved it.
Worst: Page 406: Florence (in general)
Why: I'd visited Florence a couple of times 35 years ago as a student, but as of July 2010 found it too full of tourists, and too much of a rip-off (two scoops of gelato near Hotel Maxim was 9 Euros each). Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi continue to impress, and the Duomo & Baptisty are very impressive. But restaurants near Uffizi are miserable (we left one [page 457, #19 Rivoire Cafe] after a waiter showed us a "pick by photo" menu, and complained we've moved the chairs around the table so my wife & I could converse.
Steve in Pleasanton, CA USA 08/08/2010
Best: Alpe Di Siusi
Why: Gorgeous scenery, relaxing bike ride through meadows of wildflowers and an impromptu folk concert at a brewhaus in the middle of the Alps! We happened upon the Kastelruther Spatzen and a very lively group of followers enjoying beers and singing along and dancing to their greatest hits. I think we may have been the only Americans there. It was definitely a treat to visit this town! Didn't feel like Italy.... but more like Austria! I think this was where Geppetto lived and Pinocchio was born! :)
Worst: Losing my backpack on the train
Why: Lost faith in humanity and common practices. Now I know why the Mafia has to step in there to keep things running!
Diann Danska in Benicia, CA USA 08/04/2010
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: THe boat ride, the people, the food, the setting, the swimming!
Worst: Train crew
Why: see above
Anna Hemmendinger in Waterloo, On Canada 07/28/2010
Best: the cinque terre
Why: if i hadn't read the book, i wouldn't have gone there....it was fun to see other rick steves readers with their books out on the train between the towns.....after seeing my pictures my parents want to go! It was amazing to walk upon the same view of Veranzza as pictured in the book.
andrew in tiburon, ca USA 07/28/2010
Best: Albergo Milano in Varenna ; Giuliano Basso's rooms in Vernazza: Castillo di Montegualandro outside of Cortona
Why: The Albergo Milano was lovely. The rooms were small but attractive and clean with terraces. Edigio"Egi" and Bettina and their staff were gracious and helpful in assisting us in making arrangements for activities. The location of the hotel was perfect, within walking distance to everything, and it had a huge terrace on which to enjoy breakfast with the other guests, dinner and late night conversations while overlooking Lake Como and viewing the snow capped mountains.
In Vernazza (which is the perfect place to stay in the Cinque Terre) Giuliano and Michele were wonderful hosts. Giuliano's rooms were works of art,constructed with quality materials and an artistic flair. It was enjoyable visiting with the other guests on the terrace while overlooking the town and out to the Ligurian Sea.
Castille Montegualandro was like something people dream about. Who ever thinks that you will be able to sleep in a centuries old castle in the Unbrian countryside, overlooking Lake Trasimeno, its islands, olive groves and grape vineyards ! The owners Franca and Claudio couldn't have been nicer. Franca would let us borrow her maps, help us decide what hilltowns to visit, tell us where we could wash our clothes etc. She even helped us arrange a Tuscan cooking lesson with Donatella. Claudio gave us a tour of the castle and courtyard. He has done extensive research on the history of the castle and it is very informative to listen to him share its rich history. The courtyard was a great place to eat breakfast and dinner and visit with the other guests from all over the world. It is probably the only time that we will get to say that we have the "keys to the castle" !
Debbie Kotas in Evergreen, CO USA 07/21/2010
Best: Carmelo Monetti - April 2010
Why: Mr. Monetti drove our party of four adults from Sorrento through the Amalfi coast. It was a great experience, and we found Mr. Monetti to be very profesional and kind. He had a lot of information to share, and was very helpful when it came to taking photos in tight spots. His driving expertise made our trip most enjoyable, and at times it was a wonder that he could get through the very small roads shared by enormous tour buses. He was contracted for a set amount of hours, and when we ran over the time by a whole hour, he did not charge us extra. Plus his fee was 30% less than what the hotel recommended company would have charged. The arrangements were made in advance from the US, and his replies by email were always prompt and exact. Carmelo was easy to understand, both for english and spanish speakers in our party. He is an endearing memory in our trip, and we would definitely not only recomend him to our friends, but hire him again ourselves. Joe and Maria
Joe and Maria in San Jose, Ca USA 07/20/2010
Best: Siena
Why: Absolutely charming
Worst: Duomo museum in Orvieto
Why: Not very interesting
Joan Goddard in Boulder, CO USA 07/18/2010
Best: Getting to the Vatican early!
Why: We did what Rick said to do and were at St. Peter's when it opened. We practically had the entire church to ourselves. We also booked our reservation to the Sistine Chapel for 9:00 a.m. and they let us in at 8:20. We literally sat and enjoyed the Chapel with only 40 other people, where as when we left, the lines were over a mile long. Our friends had been the day before and said it was like being in a cattle car as it was so packed after lunch.
Stacy Jarrell in Spring Hill, FL USA 07/13/2010
Best: Cinque Terre!
Why: There were many favorites (such as Assisi, Florence, and Pompeii [Rick's guide was INCREDIBLE. i took Rick's suggestion of Gelateria Grom in Florence and LOVED it! I went back twice! In Assisi, I took my friends on the Walking Tour and we learned SO much more about the town before we hit the church than if we wandered on our own. Finally, Pompeii was SO big. I had no idea how vast it was and I would have most definitely been lost without Rick's explanatory walking tour. SO neat!) but perhaps the icing on the cake was Cinque Terre. SO amazing! Absolutely stunning. I hiked from Riomaggiore to Manarola then took the train there on and I am glad I did. Although I did not get to see some of more natural beauty the remaining towns had to offer (it was raining anyway), I was able to explore the town and Rick did a FANTASTIC job of it. Again, I went on his walking tours through the towns and picked up so many local treats (such seaside gazing, a walk through a vineyard, drank from a pirun in Corniglia, got a local bib, ate wonderful miele di Corniglia gelato in Corniglia, got jars of pesto sauce from Enoteca Sotto l'Arco in Vernazza, and learned loads of history from each town)!
Worst: Sciacchetra Museum
Why: I actually enjoyed this little museum but the service was HORRIBLE. I am not sure if its the same guy every year but he treated me like VERMIN. He cut the video off half way through because he wanted to stand outside. I guess he did not trust me while I watched a video while he stood in the doorwar. Anyway, I still recommend the museum but if the young red-headed clerk is still there, beware. Seriously.
Amanda Kwon in St. Louis, MO USA 07/13/2010
Best: Rick Steves podcasts
Why: We downloaded Rick Steves podcasts onto our Ipods before leaving home and found them to be wonderful. We printed out the maps for each location as well and found them to be helpful as we followed the poscast. We listened to them in Rome at the Colosseum, the Forum, St. Peter's, the Pantheon, and the Sistine Chapel. We used his podcast in Pompeii as well. They were all informative, easy to use, and entertaining. Our only regret was that we did not have them for every place we visited! Please do more, Rick!
Bonnie Johnson in Acworth, GA USA 07/10/2010
Best: Carmello Monetti of Monetti Taxi
Why: We hired Carmello for a day-long tour of the Amalfi Coast. We found him to be charming and very informative. We were traveling with three generations of our family including three children (ages 15, 9 and 2) and found him to be very patient with the children and accommodating to all of us. He was a highlight of our trip!
Eric Johnson in Acworth, GA USA 07/10/2010
Best: There isn't a best because each day provided a new experience that was fabulous
Why: We used the Italy 2010 book and took it with us every day. The information was accurate (including the washateria in Varenna does not wash underwear) and enabled us to maximize our time each day. We went to Lake Como and stayed at Hotel Olivedo in Varenna. Laura, the owner, said to be sure to tell Rick Steve how much we enjoyed staying there. We ate dinner there one evening and the food was very good. There is a great view of the lake but some people may need ear plugs due to early morning activity around the lake. We especially liked going to Bellagio for shopping. Our next stop was Venice and it is a city like no other place on the planet. We took Rick's advice and just got lost on the back streets of Venice and found great places to eat. We used Rome Walks for our tours of St. Marks and Dogi and they did a very good job. We found a bar to watch the USA versus England World Cup game and sat at the same table with a couple from England who were in the bar and that was fun. Venice is very unique and should be part of your tour. Our next stop was an Agriturismo called Vecchio Maneggio outside of San Gimignano in Tuscany. The room had no AC, no phone, and no TV but we didn't miss it. This agri is run by a lady whose name is Tiziana and she cooks real Tuscan meals at a fair price. The dinner consists of wine, 5 courses, and after dinner drinks along with her unique way to make you eat more food than you ever thought you could. Suzanne is an assitant there and she was wonderful during our stay. They make their own wine, saffron, and olive oil. Dinner started around 730PM and finished around 11PM. It was fun sitting at a table with people from other countries who you did not know and enjoy spending the evening with them. We were able to ride horses through the vineyards and wheat fields there. I know Rick has some comments in his book about San Gimi that indicates it is not one of his favorite places but we really enjoyed the town and could see the skyline from the patio and eating area at Vecchio Maneggio. Next stop was off to Monterosso in Cinqu Terre. Very beautiful place and we planned to hike the trails through the 5 towns but extremely heavy rain had caused rock slides and the trails were closed. Instead of the hike, we took the boats and spent several hours in each town. We stayed at Hotel Pasquale which was a great place. It is right by the water so it can be a little noisy but we did not have any issues with noise. Our final train ride took us to Rome where we stayed at WRH Trasteverre. This is a unique hotel that has 5 rooms and a common kitchen if you are so inclined to use it. The staff were great and very helpful with recommendations. We ate at a restaurant called San Michele in Trastevere which was very good with fair prices. Michele Obama ate there on one of her visits to Italy. This part of Rome is probably overlooked by many but is pretty convenient to the Coliseum area and Vatican City. The walls at the WRH were a little thin but again we had a perfect stay there. Rome is spectacular. We used Rome Walks again for our tours of the Forum and Coliseum and again a great job. Traffic and scooters everywhere and Rome traffic makes NYC traffic look mild. St. Peter's has to be experienced. It is so unbelieveable and huge and the sculptures and art are beautiful. It was amazing to see the Pantheon and also see Raphael's tomb as our tour guide for the Vatican (Rome Walks again) made us really understand Raphael and what his life was like at that time. The entire trip was unforgettable.
Worst: Forgetting Rick's instructions to stamp our train ticket from Florence to Monterosso
Why: We arrived plenty early in Florence to catch the train and sat around people watching. We completely forgot to stamp our train ticket until the conductor walked into our call. He said unkind things to us in Italian and I tried the No capisce but he turned the ticket over and showed me the English translation for stamping. We received a fine of $40 euro that he demanded immediate payment for and gave us a ticket. I suppose he used that money to buy dinner that night.
Steve and Marlene Schmidt in Argyle, TX USA 07/08/2010
Best: ArtViva in several cities
Why: We did five of their tours -- one in Venice, three in Florence, and the Vatican. The tours were uniformly well-run by guides who knew what they were doing and genuinely seemed to love the places they took us to. The highlight was a tour guide named Chrisopher at the Vatican who was the single best tour guide we've ever had anywhere.
Worst: Carmelo Monetti in Sorrento
Why: We knew we wanted to splurge and hire someone for the day to take us down the Amalfi Coast and to Paestum (which is a long way to go but well worth it). We used Rick's recommendation and contacted Carmelo Monetti and were so excited for our 10-hour day. But ... his English is incredibly limited and what a very charming banter for 10 minutes became really tiresome and his constant name-dropping and total inability to understand any of our questions or engage in any sort of conversation was frustrating. He's the nicest guy in the world but not the guide we wanted for what was still an amazing journey through some of the most beautiful areas we've ever seen.
Carrie Klein in Oakland, CA USA 07/07/2010
Best: Pompeii
Why: Dear Rick, A good tour guide would have the ability to meet people well, be responsive to the client, and be knowledgeable about the subject. A great tour guide would do all of the above and recreate for you the times and events so that the tour becomes more than a classroom for facts but an immersion into another world. The trick to being a great guide is taking post-modern 21st century clients back in time. We hired all of our guides from your book on Italy and they were all good but there was only one who deserves this letter, Annamaria Esposito or as we came to know her Pina. You recommended Pina as a guide at Pompeii. However, Pina is more than a guide. She is a teacher, researcher, historian, archaeologist and communicator. Her understanding of the history of the Italian people and of the region of Pompeii was more than dates and names it was communicated with passion and perception. As a native of the area she speaks with a passion rarely found. I cannot recommend her more highly. I hope you will continue to recommend her in your book and do all that you can to support her in her labor of love.
Sincerely, John Roy
John in Greenville, SC USA 07/05/2010
Best: Hiking the Cinque Terre
Why: The views were spectacular and the villages were special and unique. It made me think that this was the way Italy was 100 years ago.
Philomena Karol in Raleigh, NC USA 07/04/2010
Best: Villa Borghese Gardens and Borghese Gallery in Rome
Why: The ancient trees,provided a shady canopy for people watching and sketching in the Gardens. The Gallery, with its treasure trove of Baroque sculpture and sumptuous rooms, also had periodic chairs available for resting, and was not crowded.
Worst: Ristorante de Fagioli
Why: Our waiter was not enthused when we mentioned my husband's vegetarian preference. He seemed a little miffed. We were happy with the pasta dishes though. Great place for steak lovers!
Sherry Houpt in Dallas, TX USA 07/03/2010
Best: Venice
Why: It is magical, especially after the daytrippers clear out. You really can't go wrong with any restaurant and the seafood is amazing. Hotel Riva--with a canal view--was a fun place to stay.
Worst: Roma Pass
Why: In theory, this should have worked well. We are a family of four who purchased four Roma Passes. This was fortunate because, at any time, one or two of the passes would work while the other two or three would not. It would alternate. We were questioned at the Palatine Hill as to whether or not we were the original purchasers. We bought them at the Colosseum Metro tabac shop, as advised. We thought we were the only ones having problems but found ourselves behind someone at the Colosseum who was having similar issues. Worked fine on buses or places without a scanner. Big trouble at metros, however.
Cara Ambriz in Liberty Lake, WA USA 06/27/2010
Best: St. Peters' Basilica, Tombs of the Popes, San Giovanni Lateran
Why: Historical and religious significances
Hung Nguyen in Santa Clara, CA USA 06/26/2010
Best: Catacombs of Priscilla; Art; Milan Duomo
Why: Non-touristy. We waited in the non-descript waiting area for a tour to form and went with a group on an Italian-speaking tour (our choice--we could have waited for an Engish tour). The guide took the time to give us the highlights in English after she had given the information in Italian. She also gave us the English script to read as we walked through. Our group consisted of 7-8 people. Seeing pieces of art that I read about on my own when I was 11 or 12 years old--the Pieta, the Sistine Chapel, the David, and the Last Supper. I still cannot believe that we lucked into a reservation to see the Last Supper. My husband and I had five minutes alone with da Vinci's masterpiece before the other allotted and obnoxious 23 people (a tour group with a very loud guide) came in. She was so loud that I could not hear my audio guide and had to ask for headphones to muffle the noise). I never thought that I would observe these wonderful pieces of art with my own eyes. I will be processing and reliving these experiences for a very long time.
Worst: Florence; Rome
Why: Loved the art--that's why we went there--enjoyed walking everywhere--no subways, no taxis. Loved walking the ancient streets despite the graffiti and trash. Disappointed in the Dante house--I was expecting it to be set up as a house from the 1200s. I would have enjoyed seeing some ordinary medieval dwellings (something I love about Great Britain). Almost all of the verbiage in the Dante house was in Italian only. The interior of the Duomo was disappointing--all of the detail work is in the museum--another entrance fee, another place to visit. We felt we were constantly paying fees for this and that, especially in the churches. We also learned not the trust the GPS, which tried to take us to the door of the Hotel Duomo through the narrow, pedestrian-filled streets--we are waiting for traffic tickets from the cameras to arrive any day now in the mail! We spent four days in Rome and enjoyed them but were happy to leave the city--we are not city people by nature even though my husband works in Washington, DC. I am thankful for everything that I was able to see and do in Rome but never felt very relaxed there. I always felt that people were trying to take advantage of us--so many beggars--some legitimate and others not. The commotion around the Colosseum--"Do you speak English?" asked by everyone, the gladiator wannabes, the lines and lack of signs telling you anything (your book helped tremendously--we bought the Roma Pass and skipped the line). We paid for a guided tour which was terrible. Again, the lack of signs describing or naming the ruins on Palatine Hill and at the Forum was frustrating. I wanted to know at what I was looking and had to work way too hard to figure it out.
Michalene Perry in Punta Gorda, FL USA 06/24/2010
Best: Anywhere under the Tuscan sun -Siena,VOLTERRA,Bolsena,Montalcino are all "bella" in macchina !
Why: This is Italy personified.
Worst: Lucca ?
Why: Though steeped in history,culture and architecture it is still a very busy,noisy,and fairly dirty working class town.Try and stay off the main internal streets for best(Lucca) experience.
Allan Hastings in Ballinafad, on canada 06/20/2010
Best: Paestum and Herculaneum & Naples Museum
Why: Paestum: The remaining temple structures augmented by guide Sylvia Braggio, were impressive and worth the time and money. Herculaneum: similarly for Herculaneum. Naples Archaeological Museum: Dr. Anna Esposito made this visit come alive for us.
Worst: Carlo Monetti
Why: was not very knowledgeable; difficult to understand; continually name dropped to impress me. was not a good experience--nice man but I would never recommend or use again.
Peter C. Grothaus in Abilene, Tx USA 06/19/2010
Best: Paestum and Silvia Braggio (guide)
Why: We spent the day with Silvia which included a 2 hour tour of Paestum and 2.5 hours in Pompei. Silvia was a great find! She is very professional, and is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about both sites. Before our trip, Silvia answered every question quickly and thoroughly via email to help us come up with an efficient plan so we could see both sites. This included hiring a driver to bring us from Positano to Paestum. Storing our luggage in her car and then she even drove us to the local train station in Paestum, and made sure we made our reserved train back to Rome.
Paestum is fascinating, and was my favorite out of Pompei and the Roman Forum, since the temples are still in tact after 2500 years!
Terry in Wilmington, dE USA 06/19/2010
Best: Positano: Christine Ornelas
Why: Christine has truly embraced Positano with both arms. She has a true insiders perspective and takes great care to make sure that her recommendations on where to go and what to do are worthy (shops, restaurants, vistas). I believe she was the very best investment of our time and money. Delightful!
Terry in Wilmington, DE USA 06/19/2010
Best: Stresa
Why: Beautiful setting. Great village, and the three islands in the lake are amazing
ernie ooms in calgary, al canada 06/16/2010
Best: Very valuable was the recommendation on small group tours in Rome.
Why: had a great tour from Romewalks...only one family besides us. very personalized
john muncaster in Ennis, TX USA 06/14/2010
Best: So far, Montepulciano, but we'll be here another week
Why: Cantina Cantucci. The gentleman who runs it, Adamo, was right out of central casting for Italian hosts
Carla Selvey in Roanoke, VA USA 06/14/2010
Best: Sorrento
Why: Freindly, clean and resonable.
Worst: Pompei, Coliseum
Why: Only for the hardy walker. The toursit trap couldn't be more treachorous.
Jim King in Largo, Fl USA 06/14/2010
Best: Civita
Why: It is unique, beautiful, picturesque, so amazingly different. We felt like we were seeing a place out of perfect movie!
Worst: Museo di Storia della Scienza
Why: Still closed in May, 2010
Bernadette Schrage in Calgary, AB Canada 06/12/2010
Best: Gelateria Carabe - Florence
Why: Thank you for mentioning this gelateria on page 443! I had never tasted granita before, and eating the kiwi flavored one on a hot sunny day was an experience I won't forget.
Carol Jin in Glen Cove, NY USA 06/10/2010
Best: Varenna, absolutely Varenna
Why: Serene,stunningly beautiful, relaxed, awesome restaurants, not crowded, not so commercial as many popular destinations, wonderful accommodations with the most gracious of hosts. We were even invited to join Piero & Mara in their home for gelato & conversation; Mara was confined to their home after a bad fall & ankle surgery. Because Mara was unable to provide breakfast for us at the Orange House, Piero & Mara made arrangements for us to have breakfast @ Hotel Montecodeno where we were graciously fed an excellent breakfast every day.
Barbara Jennings in Munds Park, AZ USA 06/10/2010
Best: All were great, but should recommend national museum even more...
Why: NO CROWDS, mainly Italians and GREAT exhibits. We are mosaic fans.. plus the Greek Bronze sculptures on the first floor are breathtaking.
kathy Law in Oakland, CA USA 06/09/2010
Best: Vernazza & Venice
Why: In your book list/suggestions, you should mention: A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes and Ripe for the Picking by Annie Hawes
Jan Loveland in Key West, FL USA 06/07/2010
Best: Contucci Cantina, Montepulciano
Why: Spending time with Adamo was a highlight of our visit to Italy. My husband was able to speak a little of Italian, it was so much fun speaking with him, a kind sweet man.
Diane Triolo in Gilbert, Az USA 06/06/2010
Best: Jason Spiehler guided tours of Rome
Why: Jason was great! He has excellent knowledge and is obviously interested in providing his clients with a memorial experience in Rome. In addition, he was very accommodating to our group, helping us plan our days and arranging for many extras (cell phone for one, train tickets and rental cars for others, plus always a recommendation for a great meal at the end of each tour). Jason led us through Rome for three days and every day was filled with exciting and informative experiences. All in all, he made our stay in Rome wonderful.
Rebekah Odenwald in Baton Rouge, LA USA 06/02/2010
Best: Local guided tours by Jason Spiehler and company
Why: The depth of our experience at the Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi and Four Rivers Fountains, modern Rome, several Piazzas, and the Borghese Gallery gave us a much deeper level of knowledge then we can get through books and audio tapes. The personal touch of having an educated guide teach and explain the beauty as we were seeing it was unmeasurable. We have toured many different ways preparing ahead but this was the BEST ever. Thank you Rick Steves for this jewel of a guide service.
Worst: When it was over!
Why: Really when each tour experience ended, we would treat to our room and reread Rick's tours of what we had just seen and we got much more depth from the great information Rick provides. I am absolutely serious about this. It was like the text of Rick's Walking Tour were illuminated after we had seen the sight with our guide Jason or Simona
Mary-London Eldred in Bremerton, WA USA 06/01/2010
Best: Castelrotto and Varenna
Why: Both Castelrotto and Varenna were beautiful escapes from the busy cities of Italy. The scenery was great in both locations. I found it interesting that you felt like you were in Germany or Austria when in Castelrotto, but you were still in Italy. Both are nice side trips while touring northern Italy.
Jim Perschbacher in Atlanta, GA USA 05/29/2010
Best: Manarola
Why: We chose Manarola as our Cinque Terre base, and were glad we did. It's interesting, beautiful, and very friendly, with just the right level of activity for us. Rick's suggested vineyard walk is a real winner, and we had our best meal of 12 days in Italy at Trattoria da Billy.
Worst: Riomaggiore
Why: "Worst" is a relative term, obviously; it is, after all, still the Cinque Terre. We arrived via the Via del Amore, intending to spend maybe 5 hours for exploring and dinner. The town seems to center on water sports at the harbor -- diving, boating, etc. The town itself isn't as pretty or interesting as Manarola, and nowhere near as friendly. After a couple of hours, we went back to Manarola. Unless your focus is the water sports, there are much better choices for your base.
Bob and Suzanne in Wilder, KY USA 05/29/2010
Best: You love food as much as we do
Why: Ice cream; granita caffe alla panna! We had to visit the Pantheon in Rome 3 times so my friend could satisfy her taste for iced coffee. PS. In Monterosso there is a sea front gelato place near the station that does a fantstic basil flavoured ice cream. To die for!
Cathy Horton in Perth, WA Australia 05/28/2010
Best: Vernazza as a base
Why: Vernazza is small and it is easy to get comfortable with the locals and their routines.
Worst: The sheer numbers of visitors.
Why: Even in early May, when I exited the train in Vernazza, I was carried in a wave of bodies right down to the harbor! Same when I walked the Via d'Amore. The Cinque Terre is really crowded.
Linda Eastman in Winters, CA USA 05/24/2010
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: Loved this place - especially Manarola.
Susie Deyo in LaConner, WA USA 05/22/2010
Best: Difficult to choose the best sight...but, the BEST thing is being able to download Rick Steve's walking tours on our IPODS! We used several and they were fabulous!
Why: The Rick Steve's walking tours were so cool..because, we had followed Rick's advice about purchasing our tickets online...so, we were able to walk right past all the lines AND all the tourguides that try to sell you tours on your way in! We were told that Rick's walking tours are a poor mimic of the audiotours you can rent on-sight...for this reason, we did do some renting of audio tours (also, because we hadn't downloaded the tours we thought...so, we still needed to rent a few). We compared...that earlier comment is NOT TRUE! Rick's tours don't assume (as some of the rented ones do) that you have been there before and know what you're looking at...Rick tells you MUCH MORE than many of the audio tours we rented. Also, some of the rented audio tours tell you only about the paintings (for example) and leave out all the history about the place and the chapels, etc...and only speak explicitly of certain works of art.
Worst: The recommendation of Residence Trocker in Castelrotto
Why: See Above
Carla and Warren Bird in Salem, OR USA 05/19/2010
Best: Can't pick just one
Why: We went to Venice, Milan, Cinque Terre, Florence and Rome and Rick didn't steer us wrong on any sites or experiences. The book was invaluable on our trip. I just can't pick one experience.
Worst: Taxi cab in Rome
Why: We took a taxi from the train station to the hotel and were ripped off. The cabbie charged us 40 Euro, a rip off on its own but we are pretty sure he pulled the ol switcheroo on us too. Before he opened the trunk to give us access to our bags, we payed him. My boyfriend gave him a 50 Euro and then turned to say something to me. Thats when the cabbie said he had given him a 10. My boyfriend didn't argue but he knew he had a 50 in his wallet and now there wasn't one. The cabbie had been so nice during the ride and chattie. I guess that is part of the ploy, make tourists like em and feel comfortable before they rip you off.
Marty Abbott in Clarksville, IN USA 05/16/2010
Best: Venice
Why: A charming place that has no equal; a city without cars or motorcycles and I'm in heaven; easy to get around; love those vaporettes
Ken Gedgaudas in Hollywood, CA USA 05/09/2010
Best: The walking tours
Why: they give insights and valuable information that would not have been available in just a guidebook. They also shortened the time; we seldom had to wait.
Dennis Phelan in Portland, OR USA 04/25/2010
Worst: Drogheria della Rosa
Why: The place is recomended by all travel guides but it was a rip off. As soon as we sat down the waiter started pouring proseco. And that was the start, he kept bringing dishes we did not order. I should have just left but for some reason didnt. I ordered a half litre of house wine and was brought a half opened bottle of wine. When the bill came it was not itemized and I never knew if I was charged for the items which were brought which we never ate. The owner and I argued over it, but he wouldnt budge. We were in Italy for three weeks and it was the only time I felt we were hustled!
Anthony Guadagno in Preston Hollow, NY USA 04/18/2010
Best: Venice
Why: Just a magical place with so much to see and very easy to get around with no traffic other than people. No cars or bikes!
Randy in Tulsa, OK USA 04/13/2010
Best: www.florencetour.com
Why: Paola Migliorini is a wonderful tour guide and cooking teacher. I took 2 days of cooking classes in which she and her mother taught me some of their family recipes. I had a great time with her and she gave so much information on our walk to her apartment. I would definitely recommend Paola as a tour guide to anyone in the Florence area. A sweetheart of a tour guide.
Nancy Merrill in Oklahoma City, OK USA 04/12/2010
Best: Self-guided tours of various sites.
Why: The maps were basic but pertinent. WC's were where indicated. The information about each site was in sufficient detail to provide an overview of the history. The rest of the information was very practical.
Worst: Taxi's
Why: Good information but please warn families of 6 and greater that you can't find many taxi's that will transport you. Splitting up in a city of 3.3 million is not something that you want to do and knowing ahead of time that these limitations existed could have made for better transportation planning before arrival.
Brian in Fort Wayne, IN USA 04/12/2010
Best: Agriturismo il Cavicchio, Bologna
Why: Federico and his daughter-in-law, Vivani, are delightful hosts. Federico's farm is spacious, quiet, about 90 minutes north of Florence. We stayed there for 4 days and did day trips to Padua, Ravenna, Verona, Rimini and Bologna. Breakfast is included; the dinners are scrumptous. Federico makes his own wine. He and Vivani truly make your stay very comfortable.
Anne Duda in Rocklin, CA USA 04/10/2010
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: Unlike the other places I'd been in Italy before. Great for curing jet lag. Awesome food (especially seafood). Despite hordes of Rick Steves-toting Americans (and Germans; there must be a German guidebook that recommends it like Rick does), it's still pretty laid back. My Italian friends had never even visited it.
Worst: Accademia Gallery, Florence
Why: I'm being deliberately contrarian. I love the food in Florence, but find the museums overrated. The Accademia is exhibit number one. David is great, the Prisoners are fine, the musical instruments are actually kinda interesting. But the rest of the museum is ho-hum at best. Go early to avoid the traffic jam around David, then get out and go see some 'lesser' museums (the Duomo Museum, for example) or better yet, go have some more of that delicious food.
Greg Barnes in Seattle, WA USA 04/08/2010
Best:
Why:
Mary Swanson in Ravenna, MI USA 03/31/2010
Best: The Amalfi Coast
Why: We took your advice and booked a tour of the Amalfi Coast with Monetti Tours. Our driver was Carmello Monetti. He was perfect! Very pleasant and entertaining(just as you described). I loved his broken English and sense of humor, well worth the money. Carmello will be remembered fondly for many years to come.
Carol in Cincinnati, OH USA 03/27/2010
Best: Coliseum/arena in Rome
Why: Just a great wonder! Nice for comparison to the one in Verona.
Worst: Portofino
Why: Not worth the 1 Euro bus trip! Nothing there, really, unless you have an outlying villa or yacht.
Elaine in Livingston, MT USA 03/19/2010
Best: Coliseum and Forum
Why: fascinating history
Worst: Nothing about Genoa
Why: How can you leave out a major city in Italy, rich in history, restaurants, and sites?
Robert Cole in Bethesda, MD USA 02/13/2010
Best: Genoa??
Why: I just purchased Rick's 2010 Italy guide book and was wondering why Genoa was ommited?? Can anyone give me some insight as to if it's worth a day and night to spend some time??
jp~
Jim in San Francisco, ca USA 02/10/2010
Best: Tuscan hilltop villages
Why: For all the reasons everyone goes there.
Worst: Amphitheater at Assissi. And Bevagna
Why: The amphitheater was smaller than expected, it was hard to find and not worth the effort.
Bevagna: we just didn't get it.
Ed & Rita Reed in Port Aransas, TX USA 01/19/2010
Best: Florence
Why: Friendlier people (both tourists and people working there)
Worst: Rome & Corruption
Why: Just the worst restaurants ever. I have never had such bad italian food for so much money. I feel like all the people care about in Rome is fleecing tourists anyway they can. Every place I go, there's always some sort of fee and most of the time it's outrageous. I would never go back to Rome again after this experience.
Also the train penalties are ridiculous. We boarded the Trenitalia from Florence to Siena and during ticket purchase, nobody mentioned stamping the tickets. I wish you mentioned stamping the train tickets in the book within each city section in relationship to trains. I found you put it at the end of the book but it was a bit hidden. The conductor attempted to extort 80 Euros from us and many other tourists. The people that couldnt pay.. he took back to his "little office" in front of train and asked people to pay various amounts. We had to pay 40 Euro for 2 people while we found out others paid 40 euros for 4 people and others who said they had no money were let go (we found out this afterwards). This really made me very angry.
And more than 40% of the time, restaurants tried to sneak things we did not order into the bill. Even restaurants recommended by your book in Florence and Rome. And some restaurants charged us 5 euro cover charge (2x2.50) such as at Trattoria Trebbio in Florence).
It just feels like so much fleecing going on... I would not go back to Italy again. Nor would I recommend it to my friends. This is my 2nd time there. First time was last year and Venice was pretty good. But this time, Florence and Rome... and the experience at restaurants and trains. Just killed it for me.
Scott Yu in Mountain View, CA USA 01/01/2010
Worst: The Best Hotel in Milan
Why: We spent 3 nights @ above beginning 10/8: no screens for the french doors to the garden in our room, shower curtain bottom was thick w mold & mildew, difficulty getting the toilet to work (had the night clerk come into the room @ 2 am). Witnessed Phillipe express obvious rudenes to another guest - never an excuse for that. Same prob w no screens on the outside doors of the lobby to the garden, mosquitos everywhere. Ate my ankles up while trying to use the internet!!! I will Never Never Never stay there again. I think one of Rick's team needs to revisit this hotel.
Diane Blewett in Cathlamet, WA USA 12/13/2009
Best: Assisi section
Why: The walking tour was right on! Your guidebook was in the hands of everyone (literally) we saw on the streets of Assisi! Everyone was friendly and this was the cleanest town we have seen in Italy.
John W. Long in Buckeye, AZ USA 12/01/2009
Best: See below
Why: 1. Monetti Taxi - Lorenzo was great. Spoke fluent english, good history, was friendly and expressive in providing insights to his life/Italy, and upgraded our car to a Mercedes Van, 2. Carla Zaia - Great tour, friendly lots of historical detail. 3. Through Eternity - Vatican - small group, knowledgable, even bought the group cappucino
Worst: Herculaneum
Why: Could have really benefited from a Rick Steves audio tour or book narrative like Pompeii so as to hit the highlights without beating it to death. I thought I would like Herculaneum better than Pompeii, but it was the other way around. Not bad, but could have been better.
Lloyd in Mill Creek, WA USA 11/29/2009
Best: Chianti Sculpture Park
Why: Please keep this in your next book. It was off the beaten path and wouldn't have been found if not for your book. Every guide book has tons of info about the well known tourist places, but this was such a delightful place to visit; hosts were welcoming and invited us to their home/art gallery.
Rita Dahlie in Vancouver, BC Canada 11/25/2009
Best: the self guided walking tours.
Why: We love to walk and you always give good info and tips that make the walk more fun and informative.
Mary Haack in Stockton, Ca USA 11/21/2009
Best: Venice, Florence, Cinque Terra, Rome
Why: Each Town has its pace and unique sites. Visited Italy for the first time going in this order was good by the time we got to Rome it did not seem as fast paced as some say and we were acclimated to Italy. Gelato in Florence. Rick Steves don't leave home without it. I did extensive pre-reading and planning with the book. It paid off no lines for any sites. Nice lodging, good food, kept away from the touristy ristorante places. Saved from the the $10 gelato! The people the food!
Worst: Senia
Why: While pretty and a nice ride to the country I had higher expectations. Glad I did it but staying in Florence and hanging out may have been just as rewarding for me.
Tom & Laura in Denville, NJ USA 11/18/2009
Best: Too many, but Siena is at the top
Why: It is a delightful town in the Tuscan Hills. The recommendation, which we did not take, was to possibly make this home base. On another visit, we would plan on spending 5 to 6 days there with at least one day excursion to Firenze.
Worst: Lake Como (Varrenna, Bellagio)
Why: While not the "worst" it was at the bottom of our list. The place obviously caters to the well-heeled Milanese and tourists, with high prices and less-than-stellar results (although our accommodations at Hotel Oliviedo were excellent, but the food so-so).
Richard Raub in Portland, OR USA 11/17/2009
Best: Borghese Gallery
Why: It was smaller and the displays were of very high quality.
Worst: Vatican museum
Why: They make you walk miles to see the Sistine Chapel and most of the art work is very repetitive altar pieces.
Mary Bruce in Surrey, BC Canada 11/16/2009
Best: Vatican Museum
Why: Having reservations was smart, but the lines were relatively short when we arrived anyway. We went on a day when the Pope was having an audience, so I think we missed bigger crowds since they were all at St. Peter's. Eye-popping art collection. I have to say, since we had seen so many beutifully painted ceilings, the Sistine Chapel was a little bit anti-climatic!
Susan Beach in Forest Park, IL USA 11/16/2009
Best: Sistine Chapel/Rome
Why: I've been to the Sistine Chapel 2 times before and this is first time I used the Rick Steve's audio guide. It was very useful and interesting.
Worst: Naples
Why: Naples self guided tour in the book was very hard to follow. Wasn't really a big deal as we branched out on our own but was difficult to orient us back to train station and Naples is more problematic than other cities in finding English speaking people for directions. Finally found police officers. :) Also..I agree with others that Naples is more gritty than I expected.
Nancy Antin in Minneapolis, MN USA 11/14/2009
Best: Cinque Terre, Rome
Why: As you described in the book, this area is beautiful. We might have overlooked this area had it not been highlighted in the book. We did a day trip there, took the boat ride-which was great. Also, in Rome we hired the driver you recommended Autoservizi Monti Concezio "Etzio" who was great. We did a day tour, he was on time, his car was spotless, and it was a relaxing and enjoyable way to see Rome. Etzio dropped us off right in front of St. Peter's Square at 10:30 am on Sunday for Mass with the Pope. Etzio also steered us to the Forum gate which was a 15 minute line. From there, we walked to the Coliseum and the lines were about 45-60 minutes to get in.
Worst: Vatican Museum tour
Why: We did the Vatican Tour on a Monday, the day after five saints were beautified and it was so crowded, that the tour was the worst part of our trip. We wished that they would let you go through the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Bascilica without the tour.
Colleen Farnan in Saratoga Springs, NY, NY USA 11/11/2009
Best: Lago Maggiore
Why: As my wife said many, many times, this is the most beautiful place we have ever been. We spent 4 nights at the hotel at the top of the cable car - after the close of the season in Oct. Magnificent sights, sunsets, lights, mountains covered with snow, beautiful lake, etc., etc.
It didn't hurt that on the first evening the staff prepared a wonderful antipasto of prosciutto, etc., complete with Spumanti! We had a wonderful time.
Worst: One lousy restaurant in Firenze
Why: I love Italian cucina. In 5 years of traveling Italy, I have only had 2 bad dining experiences. One is on a side street in Florence. Do not remember the name of it. It pays to check them out with Rick.
Carl in St. Paul, MN USA 11/08/2009
Best: Civita di Bagnoreggio
Why: Beautiful old church and surrounding tiny town with amazing views. Highly recommend stopping at the ristorante in the old olive press mill. It mostly serves various types of bruschetta- which was the best I had in Italy- and a glass of wine is 1 euro.
Susan Cramer in Lynnwood, WA USA 11/04/2009
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: The incredible views, the uniqueness, a slower pace and closer to nature.
Worst: Not my favorite: Rome
Why: Now that I have seen Vatican City, Ancient Rome, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain, probably would not return there. I did like the convenience of the Roma Pass especially well though.
Terri in Central Point, Or USA 10/31/2009
Best: Il Caminetto Ristorante & Cookery lessons Varenna
Why: Chef Moreno has passion for food, family & teaching and it shows in his cookery lesson making it the highlight of our trip. It is well worth going out of your way and spending some quality time to reach into the culture and history of the region related to food presented with a little bit of humor and politics. Dinner the nite before the lesson was the best quality & value we had on our trip. We volunteered to come work there as sous-chefs, but he is a one-man wonder (with the graciously acknowledged support of Rosella, his wife).
Worst: train travel
Why: Long lines unless you can figure out the self-serve which don't always work--a problem after hours. Recommend buy tickets early in the day before windows close. WC's dirty & emptied straight onto tracks below.
Suzanne Chabon in Greensboro, NC USA 10/26/2009
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: After touring Rome, Florence, Venice and having your brain on art/history/cathedral overload and the novelty of trying to communicate in another language has worn off - this is the perfect break. Thanks to Rick, it is mostly Americans and we even seem to be squeezing out the Germans. It's a great place to meet other tourist and share tips. Especially at the Pirate Bar. If you're seen chatting with others while waiting for a table it's likely that you'll be seated with your new friends. Lots of great accomodations there and not too expensive.
Worst: Portofino
Why: I really didn't get it. Maybe it used to be awesome, but it was really expensive and not as fun as Cinque Terre.
PJ in Carlsbad, Ca USA 10/22/2009
Best: Vernazza
Why: This is the most charming, beautiful little town with great hiking. We loved that the restaurants remained open throughout most of the day so that after a vigorous hike we could get something to eat!
Heidi Fryman in minneapolis, Mn USA 10/21/2009
Best: Sinstine Chapel
Why: Even after having taken several art history classes in my undergraduate studies, and thinking I already knew enough of what it was relying only on my prior school studies, I would have never known all the history, details and significance of what I was experiencing first hand with Rick's personal descriptions, his welcomed personal opinions and guided tour. Easy to follow, wonderful to have the personal option of listening, or just sitting down and very informative. Thanks!
Mark in Mesa, AZ USA 10/21/2009
Best: Christine, tour-guide in Positano
Why: This is an excellent 3 hour tour of Positano and very reasonably priced. It also includes three small tastings. Christine is a funny, savvy, Australian ex-pat with a youthful energy that is infectious. This was the highlight of our Positano stay!
Mark in Wickford, RI USA 10/15/2009
Best: Venice, Cinque Terre
Why: Faboulous places for different reasons
Ray Kirk in Thorburn , NS Canada 10/12/2009
Best: Orvieto
Why: La Magnolia B&B was the most homey place we stayed on the entire trip. Serena was very helpful, the morning meal was good, and the city itself was so welcoming.
Worst: Lucca
Why: It was extremely hard to find our B&B, we were warned that the street names were way up high on the buildings, if we hadn't been accompanied by a young Afghani man on a bicycle we would have had to sleep on the street. Day # 2 was a vast improvement. I recommend that travelers use a GPS to find their way around Lucca and have plenty of time, it is really a city within a city.
Diane in Salem, OR USA 10/11/2009
Best: Varenna
Why: beautiful, not a tourist trap with tacky vendors, the train tips were extremely helpful. We were on the train at 6:30 pm on a Sunday and it was standing room only returning to Milan.
Worst: Pisa
Why: it was such a tourist trap, nice to finally see though. And we did see the ladies on the side of the road, we laughed at how accurate the book was!
Beth in Lansing, MI USA 10/09/2009
Best: the Naples/Sorrento/Amalfi transportation information
Why: We "made it up as we went along," and your guidance to get to/from Ercolano, Sorrento, Amalfi, Rome was invaluable. Thank you!
Worst: preparation for Naples
Why: EVERYone warned us away from Naples, but although your book described Naples as "reality travel," we were really unprepared for the grittiness.
Laralyn Sasaki in Columbus, OH USA 10/09/2009
Best: venice
Why: I was overwhelmed by its beauty and history.
Worst: trains in the chinque terre
Why: we just found it difficult to figure out what train was coming into the station (they ran late) and where it was going. We got on a wrong train that was running 29 minutes late and instead of going from Monterosso back to Vernazza we went all the way to La Spezia. There were many peope at the stoop who did the same thing.
Margo in Cadegan, Canada 10/07/2009
Best: Civita de Bagnoreggio
Why: It is gorgeous and magical, a real treasure to experience, especially when staying overnight. It's hard to top Maurizio's bruschetta from his family's 500 year old olive oil mill.
Worst: Venice
Why: Super crowded and over-run with tourists, we also felt just a little bit swindled by everyone and weren't able to connect with anyone or any place there. Beautiful, worth the trip, but manage your expectations.
Terri in San Francisco, CA USA 10/04/2009
Best: Orvieto
Why: The views of the valleys below were astounding.
Ralph Perry in Cincinnati, Oh USA 09/30/2009
Worst: TI In Naples, Italy
Why: I went to both TI offices listed in Naples. No one spoke any English at either location!
Mel in Kirkland, WA USA 09/30/2009
Best: all but Venice, esp Cinque Terre and Siena
Why: well the plan that Rick lays out it would seem he puts a higher priority on more days in Venice over many other places in Italy. We went up for a quick day and night of romance and seeing what we could. It seemed like hype to us. Kind of like the Times Square of Italy.. We liked it ok but for all the build up of the grand canal and romantic evening and all you hear about it, it was a pretty huge disappointment. We also went to Rome, Siena, CT and every place in between and all of them were great compared to Venice.
Worst: Venice
Why: I already explained it.. One thing we realized is that traveling from place to place is work and it takes planning and if you are not really experienced with all of it, well it takes a lot out of you in some ways. The places we stayed longer were much more rewarding. No way we would pack up and travel 5-7 hours by the time you get all organized and take a train and get settled in the next place just to make sure you don't miss something. CT and Siena for 4 days each was like heaven.
george scholz in las vegas, nm USA 09/27/2009
Best: Civita di Bagnoregio
Why: Beautiful place. We happened to be heading that way late on a Sunday afternoon 9/6, and were delayed a couple of hours when THE Pope came to Bagnoregio. It was us, the locals, and the Pope and his entourage--it was amazing. We did eventually get to Civita and then it was just us. Apparently all the tourists must have turned back at the barriers put up on the outskirts of Bagnoregio. We parked and walked around and celebrated the Pope's arrival. The only down fall was that no restaurants were open in the area because all the locals closed shop to see the Pope. It certainly was the highlight of our trip.
Jacky Arnold USA/Military living in UK 09/23/2009
Best: Naples walk
Why: fun walk, lots of sights, a view of a whole different world. Having a pizza at Trianon (one of the best I've ever had) didn't hurt!
Mike in LA, CA USA 09/18/2009
Best: Alessandro's tours of Venice
Why: Take his back street Venice tour and bar tour. Great way to see Venice and hear things about the city and the Venetians that you might not hear otherwise.
Chris & Kelly Leu in Sheboygan, WI USA 09/14/2009
Best: Assisi
Why: The landscape, small size of the area, St. Francis church, cleanliness of the whole area, best wine/olive oil store ever!
Maria Neatherton in Palm Desert, CA USA 09/13/2009
Best: Benvenuto Limos
Why: Wonderful driver, Fulvio, for the great day we had touring the Amalfi Coast on September 6, 2009. Fulvio was waiting for us on the dock when we arrived in Naples. The car was spotless and very comfortable. Fulvio was very knowledgeable and knew all the best photo stops, as well as interesting information about the culture and history of the area. He was perfectly on time for every pickup and did everything to make us comfortable and to insure a great time. His experience working on a cruise ship and living in the U.S were also valuable in providing perspective for the sights we were experiencing. I would recommend this tour to anyone. It was some of the best travel money we ever spent. Grazie!
Andrew Wheeler in Durham, NC USA 09/13/2009
Best: Amalfi Coast tour with Monetti taxi
Why: Spectacular scenery with an excellent, informative, personable driver (we had Lorenzo). A real treat and worth every euro! This was the highlight of our trip to Italy.
Craig Sale in Brookfield, IL USA 09/08/2009
Best: Tour by Alessandro Scherzzini in Venice
Why: This was an outstanding afternoon with a knowledgeable, and friendly Venetian who provides non-stop insights in Venice that you could never get from other resources. And it was a great value for an almost private tour.
Jim in Freedman, MA USA 09/07/2009
Best: Church of Santa Maria Maggiore
Why: was even more stunning than the book said!
Worst: I got mixed up once with the Victor Emmanuele II
Why: it was in a sketchy park and I knew I was lost!
Mary Catherine Donnelly in Brooklyn, NY USA 09/01/2009
Best: B&B Dei Mori in Florence, Hotel Giardino in Rome, Hotel London in Milan, La Torretta B & B in Varenna
Why: All were clean, comfortable, well located and friendly. However, the hospitality shown by Peter, Danny and Suzanne at the Dei Mori in Florence was outstanding. We felt like we'd known them forever and they just couldn't have done more to ensure that our visit to Florence was memorable.
Karen in Reading, MA USA 08/30/2009
Best: Rome, Venice
Why: Context guides trough the Ancient Rome and especially trough the Vatican were wonderful. Small groups and good guides. The restaurants that Rick recommends are very good. Eating cicchetti in Venice can save you a lot of money. Also the museum tours in book as well as MP3 tours were very helpful and interesting. Thank you Rick, we love your books.
Worst: twice bas cab drivers in Rome, and food in Rome without Rick's guidance
Why: Cab drivers think that you are idiot. When you tell them that you know what they are doing and you will call the boss (English or Italian doesn't matter), the price drops dramatically. Once we took a cab from Vatican (4,5 hours guided tour)to Pantheon and ask a cab driver to show as a place to eat, because many restaurants were closed after 4.00.
Natasha Novitskaia-Adams in Greenwich, CT USA 08/29/2009
Worst: SAN MARINO
Why: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THE BOOK ABOUT SAN MARINO
PAUL ROBERTSON in Conroe, TX USA 08/21/2009
Best: Carmelo Monetti and the drive to Amalfi
Why: We left our car in Sorrento and hired Carmelo for the drive to Amalfi. It was just my husband and I, but well worth the price. Carmelo is such a charmer! It was at times a little hard to understand him, but it's Italy! His family stories and knowledge of the history of the region was perfect. He was able to stop along the infamous Amalfi drive for us to enjoy and snap photos in places we never would have stopped if my husband was white knuckle gripping the steering wheel. He dropped us at a wonderful restaurant in Ravello for lunch and we ended our day at our hotel in Amalfi. We loved Carmelo! It was one of our most favorite days on a 6 week trip to Italy!
Worst: Pompeii tour - UGH!!!
Why: A lot of the tour groups are touting their audio miked guides as THE way to take a tour. NOT! We were in a huge group (as most of them are and could hear our guide through the audio receiver. However, we could not see what he was talking about until the group moved on and then he was already talking about something else. No chance for questions. I'll stick with the tours that insist on small groups and are not using microphones. We took 2 such tours in Rome with Avventure Belissime. Both times the group was under 10 and we had a fantastic time though I don't remember that there was a big price difference.
Christina Anderson in Hacienda Heights, CA USA 08/19/2009
Best: Castelrotto and Rome
Why: Good people, good food and good hotel!!
Anita Szeto in Hong Kong, 08/17/2009
Best: Venice
Why: Our granddaughters, ages 17 and 15, were with us and it was an exceptionally good experience! Our 17 year old granddaughter had her hair done by Benito; she was thrilled with his approach and the results - make an appointment as early as possible.
The gondolla ride was a great time.
Jim Colgan in Bixby, OK USA 08/15/2009
Best: Franco Fadda Wine Tour Experience
Why: Franco Fadda was an excellent guide for a wine tour of Tuscany. He is a native of Siena and has a lifetime of knowledge to share. He is young and energetic with a welcoming personality. He took us to 2 wineries and a castle, picking us up directly from our hotel in Florence and taking us back to the hotel door. This tour was a highlight of our stay in Tuscany. You can contact him at francofadda@hotmail.com and he responds to e-mails quickly. I highly recommend him.
Thomas Strayhorn in Snyder, TX USA 08/12/2009
Worst: Making reservations the Uffizi Gallery & Accademia
Why: I tried your "easy" suggestion to make online reservations for the Uffizi Gallery & Accademia in Florence. I put in our dates, times, and credit card data. The website said it was done processing our order but then went totally blank with no confirmation codes or any other information. I tried sending inquiries using their help button and their web address, but the e-mails were rejected as undeliverable. I sent a fax to the number given on the website, but never got a reply. And I called the reservation phone number in your guide, but they said they were a different company, not connected to the website reservations, and couldn't tell me if my charges had gone through. They did however make their own reservations for us. And today I got our phone bill for the $60 international call. so we did get to the head of the line at the Uffizi, but it was neither easy nor cheap.
Meredith Powers in Arcadia, CA USA 08/06/2009
Best: Herculaneum
Why: Friends told me to skip Pompeii and come only here. I'm glad I didn't, because of the grandeur of Pompeii, but I loved that Herculaneum was so much less crowded and so accessible. It may not have a forum and all the public buildings, but it is a great site in an excellent state of preservation. Even the wood still exists! If you're into ancient ruins and architecture, don't miss it!
Laura in Kirkland, Wa USA 08/04/2009
Best: Gambero Rosso, Vernazza , Italy
Why: Claudio served us marinated anchovies and anchovies with potatoe, bread, and wine and would take not money. I had told him that I read in your book to be sure and eat the anchovies and I wanted to try them, but we were almost out of time. It was ten till 12 and we were leaving at 12. This was one of the highlights of our trip and by the way, they were so wonderful and I love Claudio!! Please tell everyone of your readers to go there to eat. Thank you and I enjoyed your book and it helped so much. Terry G in Mississippi
T Gilbert in Ridgeland, MS USA 07/31/2009
Best: Vernazza Harbour
Why: Stunning and will definitely wish could have stayed for longer!
Sazia Samad in London, UK 07/27/2009
Best: making advanced tour reservations
Why: It was amazing to walk to the head of the line each tour and feeling bad for those waiting in 90 degree direct sun for a possible entry that day, and knowing we all have such limited time with each travel destination
Christine Elias in Vancouver, Wa USA 07/17/2009
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: Beautiful place. You coverage is better than other guides.
Brandon Johnson in Encinitas, CA USA 07/17/2009
Best: Assisi
Why: We toured Trento, Verona, Venice, Florence, Siena, Assisi, and Rome and for us, the best was Assisi - for its scenery, churches, food, and we had a great hotel!!!
A close second was Verona - we especially enjoyed the opera in the arena!
Marianne Greer in Saskatoon, SK Canada 07/13/2009
Best: Florence
Why: of the Italian cities we visited, this was the the best. We arrived from Rome, so Florence was, while busy, quieter and more relaxing and we loved the Renaissance history.
Worst: Not specifically recommended in the book but..
Why: Watch out for the street cafes in Florence. One lured us in with inexpensive sandwiches (about 3 Euros), but when we got the bill for the soft drinks they were 5 Euros per drink, including refills. Our "cheap" lunch ended up at about 50 Euros for 3.
Jo Bennett in Laurinburg, NC USA 07/12/2009
Worst: Venice-St. Mark's Square
Why: June 2009. There is scaffolding over half of the Doge's Palace (on the water side, and it completely covers the Bridge of Sighs), and there is more over the new Uffizi in the Square. The bad part is they covered the scaffolding with large ads for Swatch and other companies-they look "great" in our photos. So much for ambience. The ads are jolting and just destructive of the scene.
M. Nelson in Federal Way, WA USA 07/09/2009
Best:
Why: Your book was terrifice and we want to thank you for the MP-3 tour guides. We downloaded them to our cell phone memory chips and used virtually all of them in Venice, Florence and Rome. Terrific.
Dr. Robert Kiner in Sioux Falls, SD USA 07/09/2009
Best: The Forum
Why: The amount of history that these ruins represents is incredible. Getting a sense for this site can be a challenge, but recognizing that such a vast empire grew from these few acres is phenomenal.
Worst: San Sebastiano Catacombes
Why: The tour was pretty quick, without a tremendous amount of insight from the guide. This wouldn't make my list of sites to see again, nor would I recommend it.
Barry Blodgett in Cary, IL USA 07/07/2009
Best: The Cinque Terre
Why: Small towns, great people (Cristiana Ricci and her husband were every bit as nice as you made them sound), relaxing beaches. We got a room with a kitchen in Corniglia, found a fish market/truck in Riomaggiore, and my husband made a fabulous Italian-style pasta, bruschetta and salad which we enjoyed with a local wine. It was wonderful. Then there was a St. Peter's festival the locals were participating in outside.
Michaela Baglietto in Medford, OR USA 07/05/2009
Worst: National Archaeological Museum in Naples
Why: Dazzled by the treasures herein on a previous trip, we traveled to Naples specifically for a return visit to this museum in May 2009. "Lack of sufficient staff" was the explanation given for 14 of the 20 rooms being CLOSED and a 15th room open for a mere 2 hours. And there was NO reduction in admission fee. They had little business, as well, since most people --including us -- walked away. Info desk people said they make a decision day-to-day on what rooms they can open. Sad.
Deborah in North Port, FL USA 06/27/2009
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: What a nice break from sightseeing. I was traveling with my daughter and 3 granddaughters. We all loved it there.
Mary in Tucson, AZ USA 06/22/2009
Best: Tips on how to use the Trains
Why: very helpful and it is so affordable!
Worst: Naples is scary dirty and not worth a stop.,
Why: Gangs of teenagers on the subways were scary and the area around the National Archeological Musuem was dirty, lots of people sitting around drinking liquor in the park. Also, their subway is much dirtier than other towns.
Kristi Flax in Rose Hill, KS USA 06/17/2009
Best: Paestum, Capri, Bernini sculptures, and the Vatican.
Why: Among other things I was on a journey to track our civilization through the ages so Paestum was big for me. Even thou the site was a mixture of Greek and Roman the three big Greek temples overpowered the Roman ruins. The wonderful Etruscan museum at Chiusi aided in the pre-Roman piece of the puzzle. The temporal layout of the exhibits were very helpful. Seeing aspects of the ancient Romans in Rome, the Renaissance Rome in Florence/Tuscany helps to make it all very real.
I now consider Bernini the greatest sculptor ever but I think I learned more about his personal life than I wanted to know
All the art is beyond rating and was incredible. It was all more than I could absorb but I am glad I had the opportunity to try. I saw enough to be able to identify a sculpture as Greek or a Roman copy of a Greek. The Vatican was way cool too.
People in my group who were not as into the art as I was enjoyed Capri best and I have to admit the view from the top was incredible. We enjoyed the hike down too.
Worst: Naples
Why: People in my group (seven of us) were more excited to go to Naples than I was but less appreciative of it than I was once we got there. Because of all the warnings of pickpockets and such everyone was a bit sacred of it. I think with time it will be put into perspective as a very good experience. This rating is from my group, not me; I think it is all good.
By the way, I did spot a pickpocket in Naples and my wife spotted one in Venice outside the Hard Rock Cafe. Since we spotted them no one lost anything to thieves.
Dave Schoneweis in Tulsa, OK USA 06/16/2009
Best: Bologna
Why: It was great to discover such an untouristed town in Italy. The medievel centre was amazing and the porticos meant that we were dry even when it was raining. The food was great to.
Worst: The area around the Duomo in Florence
Why: The Duomo was magnificent but the area outside is quite claustrophobic after 10am. Be prepared to be shoulder to shoulder with every other tourist in Florence when you go to see this beautiful building. Also watch out for the pickpockets.
Louise in Perth, WA Australia 06/11/2009
Best: Gelato experiences in Florence
Why: We tried every one and it was really fun. The best was Grom. It's very close to the Duomo but doesn't seem to be overrun with tourists. Try the melon flavor when it's in season. It's really great!
Worst: Boboli Gardens - Florence
Why: We were disappointed since we had to pay 10 euros each to enter the Boboli Gardens (they have 2 types of ticket bundles to see the Gardens and Pitti Palace - you have to buy one or the other or both) and then when we entered it wasn't really a garden. There were no flowers or anything like that. It was basically just a bunch of hills with some grass. I wouldn't waste my money to go there again.
Zoe in Port Washington, NY USA 06/01/2009
Best: Lucca
Why: Least touristy, most laid back, best food, lots of bike rentals for really cheap.
Worst: Venice
Why: Its like one big expensive theme park... its just a parody... Don't ever ever recommend the one trip vappareto ticket either. Its too easy to get lost on the streets of Venice and wind up at a water taxi that won't sell you tickets.
Duane Henderson in Chico, CA USA 05/31/2009
Best: Musea and the advice to get online reservations
Why: The lines at most musea or sites were horrendous; the fact that we at your urging got reservations on line cut the times to almost zero even at Uffizi. The best advice was the Roma Pass in my opinion or the ATVO vaporetto tickets
Worst: hotels without elevators
Why: the fact that many hotels in the older cities have no elevator and for 2 late sixties people that is a chore, hoisting heavy suitcases up four flights of stairs
Henny van Dijk in Houston, TX USA 05/31/2009
Best: Vernazza
Why: Beautiful
Judy Petersen in Sammamish, WA USA 05/28/2009
Best: Seeing the Last Supper in Milan
Why: It was amazing. Not something most people visiting just Rome would get to see. Worth the side trip to Milan. Duomo was also awesome.
Worst: Nothing
Why: Well, maybe the train lady.
Janice Humphrey in Colorado Springs, CO USA 05/26/2009
Best: Ristorante iL Buco (Sorrento)
Why: Nice folks, pleasant venue, good food. Accepted the 10% discount w/o reservations. Would come here again.
Worst: L'Antica Trattoria (Sorrento)
Why: Guidebook says 10% discount w/ Rick's book. Placed book on the table (as I did the night before at Ristorante il Buco who had no conditions) and when the waiter brought the bill, he said the discount only applied if I paid cash. So I paid cash and he brought my 4 Euro change with 12 or 14 small coins (everything on their menu is even Euro numbers so he had to search to find these coins). So I felt he was punishing me for using the Rick Steve discount.
Michael McGirr in Crete, IL USA 05/26/2009
Best: Borghese in Rome, Borgelo in Florence
Why: Great collections of art without the crush of crowds.
Gary Swett in Port Ludlow, Wa USA 05/19/2009
Best: Assisi
Why: Wonderful small medieval town. Walking areas were very nice, churches were wonderful. Food was great. Hotel Belvedere was terrific.
Barbara Shurr in Walnut Creek, Ca USA 05/17/2009
Best: Tour of the Jewish Ghetto in Venice
Why: The tour of the synagogue in Venice mentioned in Rick's book peaked our interest, so we planned to go after checking the website. It was a very informative tour that took us through 3 out of the 5 synagogues. The English speaking guide provided great info. This was something out of the ordinary.
Meredith Kupferman in Rancho Murieta, CA USA 05/16/2009
Best: Le Casine di Castello
Why: An enjoyable retreat in a part of Tuscanny called Val D'Orcia. Our family rented both upstair and downstair apartments for the week. Isabella, our hostess, worked hard to help schedule and coordinate many activities. The apartments were clean and authentic to the Val d'Orcia (the region of Tuscanny the town resides). The surrounding town is picture postcard perfect - even the parking lot in back of the town has commanding, idyllic views of the country side falling below!
Worst: Calle de le Rasse? (sandwich row) in Venice
Why: Establishments on the southwest and northwest corners of the intersection between Rasse and San Provolo were the worst. Waiters ignored us, food portions were unusually small (even for Venice), and the prices were no bargain. Worst experience of a 10 day tour through Italy.
mark in boston, ma USA 05/16/2009
Best: CinqueTerra
Why: Loved all five towns, although Manarola, where we stayed, was actually our favorite. Because of scheduling, we were there on a holiday in April, but really wasn't overwhelmingly crowded.
Barb DeArmond in Kansas City, MO USA 05/15/2009
Best: Cinque Terre Hike from Monterosso to Riomaggiore
Why: Thanks for giving us the heads-up about how difficult that first leg from Monterosso to Vernazza is! We were well dressed/prepared while we saw other hikers struggling in high heels (no joke) and denim mini-skirts!
Gina in Los Angeles, CA USA 05/11/2009
Best: Sorrento by far.
Why: Beautiful town. Clean. Great hotel at Hotel Mignon. Amalfi and Capri close and easy to do.
Worst: Volterra
Why: Not much there that isn't in other hill towns and it is so steep to walk. Traffic harrassment on narrow roads is constant.
Thomas Chamberlin in Salem, OR USA 05/07/2009
Best: see below
Why: The Coliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, all of the art museums, the Duomos, St. Mark's Square on St. Mark's Day,the gondola tour, shopping in Florence, taking the local train from Naples to Rome... all was fabulous
Worst: the Vatican guided tour
Why: It was so crowded that she kept on going ahead and we lost her voice and had to struggle to find her... It was also too crowded to use the ipod Venice Grand Canal for two. People kept breaking our connection.
Lorraine New in Troy, MI USA 05/05/2009
Best: Agriturismo Seliano at Paestum
Why: It is not in the book, but this agriturismo has a big water buffalo operation, where they process milk for the famous mozzarella di buffola. Readers with cars who are interested in the Italian side of ranch life will find this place very interesting.
Kyle & Jan Dameron in Tulsa, OK USA 05/04/2009
Best: Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre in Vernazza.
Why: The Canoli twins are big Rick Steves fans. They have Christmas cards from Rick & family for the past several years stuck on their window. They are famous for their pasteries, but their evening meals are equally delicious. They are unfortunately located on the "wrong side of the tracks" - literally - and too many arrivals from the train walk down hill and miss their place. They have several great rooms for rent which were empty when we were there the middle of April.
Worst: None
Why: In four weeks, following Rick's guidelines, we did not have a bad meal in Italy.
Kyle & Jan Dameron in Tulsa, OK USA 05/04/2009
Best: Walk around Venice and get lost!
Why: It was an extraordinary place to enjoy on a sunny day.
Worst: Taking cabs in Rome.
Why: Very stressful. Over 90% of our drivers were dishonest.
ben caputo in arlington heights, il USA 04/30/2009
Best: Civita, and Romantica Pucci & Vaporetto in Venice
Why: What a great way to see the classic hill top town. We loved the room and the food at Romatica Pucci.
I love the vaporetto in Venice. Great value, good advice (to go early and sit in front or back.)
Worst: Figuring out busses to hill towns
Why: I had difficutly understanding the blue ticket machines and sometimes finding the right tobacco shop or newstand for bus tickets. The tobacco shop at the train station for the bus to Cortona was closed. The diagram for busses from Volterra and other hill towns was uncelar to me. For instance, I didn't know that you take a bus from Volterra to Saline, and a train to the coast.
Jeanette Rollinger in Visalia, CA USA 04/27/2009
Best: Assisi
Why: We were there over Easter and it was amazing. It's a beautiful city.
Worst: Rome
Why: We loved Rome so much, but we were surprised by how dirty it was.
Erica Blankenbehler in San Jose, CA USA 04/19/2009
Best: Pompeii
Why: We loved Pompeii and were glad we hired a guide. Theone Rick Steves recommended was not there that day but our guide was wonderful. His name is Francisco.
Ellen in Anaheim, ca USA 04/11/2009
Best: Tower of Pisa and St. Marks Basilica in
Why: The kids really enjoyed both of these plus there were great veiws of the cities. They were also great breaks from all the art and culture we forced the kids to "enjoy".
Kyla Miller in Ruckersville, VA USA 04/11/2009
Best: Cinque Terre
Why: It was even better than described, at least at the end of March. It was quiet, friendly and so beautiful.
The little bus ride was awesome. You might want to mention just how high up this road goes. For those of us scared of heights, it might be good to know! I am glad I took the ride but wasn't aware how far up we would be on the narrow little road. On the other hand, if I had known, I might not have gone.....
Pat Millar in Dartmouth, NS Canada 04/08/2009
Best: http://www.todine.net/lanaverossa/index.html
Why: The quality of food is very high-leve, you will stay next to the sein a very romanthik place.
Todine.net in Milano, Lo Italy 04/07/2009
Worst: Lack of Torino and the Piemonte region
Why: This section needs to be added before the 2010 book comes out!
Colin Carandang in Houston, TX USA 04/05/2009
Best: Pompeii
Why: The combination of your guidebook and info provided at the site was perfect. You are right. you really need their map. Somewhat confusing. We really appreciated the detailed transportation info on getting there. You made it easy.
Suzy Pare in Cleveland, OH USA 04/04/2009
Best: Exploring Lake Como's villages.
Why: We were there in Feb. 09 and stayed in Bellagio. The off-season is a great time to visit because there are no crowds and the snow covered mountains are spectacular. The weather can be bad but the upside is prices are lower for hotels!
Gale in Melbourne Beach, FL USA 03/29/2009
Worst: Amalfi Coast by Taxi
Why: Our trip was in May-June 2007. We originally scheduled with Raffaele Monetti for an all-day drive of the Amalfi Coast. Although we received an email confirmation for the above named service, Carmello Monetti was our driver instead of Raffaele. While Carmello was very nice and "jolly" as the guide book states, it was difficult to understand him much of the time.
The biggest issue was that part of our tour took us to a place called, "Piccadilly".There we could shop and purchase Italian pottery, including some very pricey pieces of furniture and pots for large plants. We were there for and hour or more and made a large purchase of a garden table with 2 chairs, pasta bowls with a serving bowl, and a large jardiner or vase. While the table, chairs and bowls arrived (almost 2 months after promised in Sept. of 2007) the vase or large pot did not arrive. According to Luigi (10-1-2007) it broke as they are packing it in the shipping crate on the Amalfi end. They would have to create a new one and we would be receiving it in spring of 2008. I telephoned directly to Piccadilly no less than 6 times; each time recording the date and who I spoke with--usually Luigi or Giuseppe. They would always offer they were checking and I should call back or they would call me back. Finally last December 2008, after getting no where I called Raffaelle's (the taxi company Rick Steve's recommended, that took us to Piccadilly) cell phone and spoke to him. He said with Christmas so close he couldn't get a response from Picadilly until January 2009. He would call me back. Again, I have not received any communication. As a last effort I am emailing you at Rick Steve's. The item that never shipped was valued at 750 euros-- a sizable amount of money that we never received anything for. I thought it important that other travelers be aware of the dishonesty that we encountered at the Piccadilly pottery store.
Bette Massaro in Oconomowoc, WI USA 03/26/2009
Best: Santa Croce
Why: When we visited Florence back in 1997, we became horribly lost and was not able to find this lovely church. We felt redeemed to get a chance to return to Florence and see Santa Croce.
Furnacefighter in Philadelphia, PA USA 03/20/2009
Best: The self guided walks
Why: They were so exact in giving directions it made us feel relaxed and enjoy more of the sights at our own pace. Plus,I guided 6 people thru the Roman Forum with your book! (sorry..no picture)
Patti Koupal in Rapid City, SD USA 03/19/2009
Best: Rome/Florence/Siena/Pisa/Venice/Milan
Why: Everything in this book was great.
yy in San Francisco, CA USA 02/13/2009
Best: Private Guides in Milan & Florence
Why: Lorenza in Milan and Cynthia in Florence (in Ricks Book) were 2 of the highlights of our family trip to Italy over New Years. Thanks Rick. They were well worth the investment. Highly recommend them.
Pat Oliver in Palos Park, IL USA 01/28/2009
Best: The Frari Church in Venice
Why: While this is covered in the guidebook and your DVD I suspect few people visit this site. It is extraordinary. To me this is one of the best sites in Venice. We were there in January and there were few crowds and you could absorb the art and sculpture. I would give this one a 3 star rating.
Scott in Wainess, CA USA 01/21/2009
Best: Rome and Florence
Why: Amazing History and Art
Worst: First class trains
Why: Toilets that are more disgusting than cattle trucks on Italian trains and station bathrooms Eurail passes are totally more expensive than individual tickets.
Lee in Washington DC, DC USA 01/15/2009
Best: Venice and a Vivaldi Concert, The Last Supper in Milan,
Why: It was wonderful to be there in December....the crowds were manageable. I'm sorry I only booked 2 nights there thinking I wouldn't be able to handle the crowds....it was such a charming city! I loved walking the little lanes at night. I went to the Chamber Orchestra of San Marco's concert one night, and I really enjoyed that. Milan is worth visiting solely just to see the Last Supper. Even in it's state of deterioration, this is the best Da Vinci anywhere. I just wish they gave you more than 15 minutes in front of it!
Worst: Naples
Why: The dirtiest, most disgusting city I've ever seen. There are piles of trash in the street, it smells, and its generally ugly. There are these really annoying vendors selling what I think are mostly stolen goods on the streets, and it narrows the sidewalks making for a slow flow of pedestrian traffic.
Abby in Tallahassee, FL USA 01/12/2009
Best: Riomaggiorie
Why: Fantastic views, low cost, excellent room, friendly people. Suttest taking the cruise ship up the coast rather than the train.
Worst: Pickpocketed on bus between Pisa and the Leaning tower.
Why: Buses were packed literally like sardines and targeted by pickpockets. My wallet was in a front pocket with velcro. I am not sure which was worse - allowing myself to be pickpocketed or dealing with the local police to file a report.
Gary Reichanadter in Mooresville, In USA 01/01/2009