Italy 2010

Best ways to improve this book:

Clip out sections, even if into thirds so I could carry smaller parts when out for the day.

Tom & Laura in Denville, NJ USA 11/18/2009

None specifically. We did follow the suggestion to tear out sections. That made looking at the material easier. In Verona, need to to note that the city buses 1) run every 1/2 hour, and 2) after 10, there are only night buses. On the other hand, taxis were cheapest there.

Richard Raub in Portland, OR USA 11/17/2009

More specific directions to hotels/lodgings in the big cities.

Mary Bruce in Surrey, BC Canada 11/16/2009

We were scammed by a cab driver as we exited Termini. We followed the traffic, but somehow ended up on the side, and not where the cab line was. The driver approaced us (jet lagged after a nine hour flight) and asked us where we were staying. He seemed to know the hotel, so we said ok. He gave us a little commentary as we drove, all very nice. When we got to the street the hotel was on, he said he could not go down the street, and so dropped us off at the oorner. Told me the fare was 28 Eu (I did not look at the meter, duh) and that included 2 eu for each bag (should have been only 1) I handed him 2 20 Eu bills and he gave one back to me saying I had given him a 5 eu not a 20. My husband watched this and could not believe what was happening, neither did I, but I gave him another bill. This cab ride which should have been maybe 15 eu, ended up costing us 45eu! We felt super cheated, but figured it could have been worse. That night we spoke to a couple who had the same thing happen to them. So, I would add to the book about making sure to exit Termini where the cabs line up and to watch for short change artists! You did warn up about unscrupulous cab drivers, but we were definitely not at our best when we got off the train from the airport. The next time we took a cab, the cabbie said it would be cheaper to go "off the meter" - we got out of the cab promptly.

Susan Beach in Forest Park, IL USA 11/16/2009

We were scammed by a cab driver as we exited Termini. We followed the traffic, but somehow ended up on the side, and not where the cab line was. The driver approaced us (jet lagged after a nine hour flight) and asked us where we were staying. He seemed to know the hotel, so we said ok. He gave us a little commentary as we drove, all very nice. When we got to the street the hotel was on, he said he could not go down the street, and so dropped us off at the oorner. Told me the fare was 28 Eu (I did not look at the meter, duh) and that included 2 eu for each bag (should have been only 1) I handed him 2 20 Eu bills and he gave one back to me saying I had given him a 5 eu not a 20. My husband watched this and could not believe what was happening, neither did I, but I gave him another bill. This cab ride which should have been maybe 15 eu, ended up costing us 45eu! We felt super cheated, but figured it could have been worse. That night we spoke to a couple who had the same thing happen to them. So, I would add to the book about making sure to exit Termini where the cabs line up and to watch for short change artists! You did warn up about unscrupulous cab drivers, but we were definitely not at our best when we got off the train from the airport. The next time we took a cab, the cabbie said it would be cheaper to go "off the meter" - we got out of the cab promptly.

Susan Beach in Forest Park, IL USA 11/16/2009

Because of inflation, it might be best to qualify the listed entrance fees for museums and sites as those correct at press time.

Bob Fisher in Ellensburg, WA USA 11/15/2009

Take Egi's Rooms out or better yet, warn travelers about his rooms and his business practices.

Peter in Naperville, IL USA 11/08/2009

Add a little more on Umbria- for those of us who have been to Italy a few times it's nice to branch out. We loved that you can park for free below Perugia (Madonna Alta exit) and then take the "mini-metro" a monorail up to the old part of the city. Spello was beautiful and Montefalco had amazing restaurants for reasonable prices.

Susan Cramer in Lynnwood, WA USA 11/04/2009

Rick Steves should actually go to Chef Moreno's place in Varenna so he could make it a "Must See Recommendation."

Suzanne Chabon in Greensboro, NC USA 10/26/2009

Please include Locanda del Gallo in Gubbio, it is actually outside of Gubbio. It is like being in Heaven ... it is peaceful and situated on the top of a mountain with beautiful vistas in very direction. The accomodations were great, the chef was amazing, the salt water infinity pool was great and the owners could not be more friendly and helpful. They also have a yoga studio on site. You should definately check out this hotel for yournext edition. Here is there address and they do have a website. I wish we would have stayed longer and hope to go back. Also, you should do more on Umbria, it is a beautiful region!! Locanda del Gallo

Loc. S. Cristina

06020 Gubbio

Marietta Thomas in Lake Forest, IL USA 10/15/2009

Reference to the updates on the web - we were looking for the bus at the Siena train station.

Ray Kirk in Thorburn , NS Canada 10/12/2009

Perhaps we didn't understand the difficulty in using the trains, we didn't miss any, but we did come close. Once you boarded and got settled all was great, but the PA system and the language barrier were stressful. Maybe if we were from an area of the US where trains are the norm, we would have done better, and things got easier as time went by. I think that emphasizing reading the schedule on the board until it is completely understood would have helped us.

Diane in Salem, OR USA 10/11/2009

Loved your very helpful and specific information about negotiating train stations, especially in Milan. You gave us the confidence to tackle more independent travel before and after our Rick Steves tour. Thank you!

Lauren in Bloomington, MN USA 10/11/2009

PLEASE create a separate book for Naples/Sorrent/Amalfi Coast! I tore those pages out of my Italy book -- but had separate books for Venice and Rome and their detail was really enjoyable/helpful. Also, can you say something about the widespread graffiti in Naples? Is this vandalism or is this art???

Laralyn Sasaki in Columbus, OH USA 10/09/2009

remove Varenna, Italy Hotel Olivedo from the book and save other's the grief.

Thomas Elmquist in Woodbury, MN USA 10/06/2009

Not an improvement, just keep up the "walks". They are practical and the irreverance is fun.

Ralph Perry in Cincinnati, Oh USA 09/30/2009

A few more restaurant options would be nice.

Mel in Kirkland, WA USA 09/30/2009

tell folks to use a roller pack or at least one of the two of you.. 75% of the folks we saw in Italy and even the ones with light loads had rollers. It would have improved the trip tremendously. 90% of the places we walked, a roller would work great.

george scholz in las vegas, nm USA 09/27/2009

look, I know you're wedded to the free-form maps and aren't going to drop them. But at least when a square for an item is drawn on the corner of 2 streets the site actually ought to *be* at that intersection. An 8th of an inch separation would be a cue that its near there but not exactly on that corner.

The section on public transit in Sorrento/Naples can use some work. When we were there we got an all-day pass on the Circumvesuviana on Saturday. I don't know if this is a weekend-only thing or not, but its worth mentioning. Also we were not clear on what was covered by the ticket aside from the train ride, now that it is "Unico Campania". Could we have taken the bus to Positano with it?

Mike in LA, CA USA 09/18/2009

You should cover Turin and Genoa in your guidebook, as well as Sicily.

T in Seattle, WA USA 09/16/2009

Add a chapter on "Sicily", I think it's still a part of Italy?

Mike Bucalo in Akron, Oh USA 09/14/2009

Keep updates online!

Jim in Freedman, MA USA 09/07/2009

Your book is great and I have used many more items in it than I could provide on your feedback form on my last trip as well. It really helps you avoid wasting time. Your advice on extroverts having more fun, embracing chaos, and changing your liking if something didn't work proved invaluable - my last night in Rome was spent with a new Irish friend sitting on the street at 4:30am with the Pantheon all to ourselves - we met at Osteria al Bric after I spoke up and chatted with he and his mom thanks to your advice! Thank you! Also, deciding ahead of time to be happy helps. I would also mention that most toilets in public places are squat toilets so best to get your bathroom needs accomplished before you leave your hotel or else you may find yourself in a compromising position that can be hard for some people! Can't wait to go back!! xo

Mary Catherine Donnelly in Brooklyn, NY USA 09/01/2009

We would love to see more information on the less traveled eastern side of Italy. We tried to book some hotels in the Gargano area. We also tried Scanno and a couple of other places that seemed inviting. Since we drive, getting there was not a problem. But we were really at a loss when it came to the usual information we rely on from our pal, Rick!

Christina Anderson in Hacienda Heights, CA USA 08/19/2009

Please do some extensive research and writing concerning the "Agriturismos". Of our 6 week driving tour in Italy, our 3 days in Agnone at "Masseria Santa Lucia" was a highlight. And, as you drive through the countryside, there are numerous signs advertising these unique and engaging properties, yet not much information concerning specifics.

Stephen S. Anderson in Hacienda Heights, CA USA 08/16/2009

Keep doing what you and your team are doing. We used 3 of your books on this trip and we weren't disappointed. On large cities - is there a way to note which page certain items (restaurants/hotels) are dipicted? For example - In Rome, there are so many areas separated. Map plots and restaurant discriptions were very difficult to match/pinpoint together. You're able to do this in "Rome at at glance" for example. It was SO helpful for a quick reference. In smaller areas we didn't have any difficulty matching a map with a restaurant description.

Christine Elias in Vancouver, Wa USA 07/17/2009

We loved the book - it gave us a lot of valuable information before our trip (in planning/preparation)along with the DVDs, as well as on the road - for directions, audio guides, suggestions for efficiency in touring, etc.! The descriptions, in the book, of the hotels we booked was spot on (except for the price of some of the hotels - the Hotel Bologna in Verona was 198.00 Euros instead of 115, Hotel Villa Liberty was 140.00 instead of 120.00) The book also served as an introduction to fellow travelers and even one of the shop keepers (he couldn't resist telling us that he was "in the book, page 516" (La Bottega dei Sapori). The only thing that I could recommend is selling a protective cover for the travel books - since they are USED daily, they do get a bit beaten up!

Marianne Greer in Saskatoon, SK Canada 07/13/2009

There seems to be an abundance of warnings in this, and the other Rick Steeves tour books. We also traveled to France and used that country guide. There were many alerts to travelers about safety issues and scams. In fact, after reading the books in preparation for our trip we began wondering if we should go at all. But after checking other sources our concerns were alleviated as to the safety of the travels. We were not afraid, per se, but we wanted to enjoy our travels and not be overly concerned about being a crime vicitm. We are seasoned travelers and took the normal precautions we would take in any city here and had a great time. We found European cities in general to be much safer than most American cities. You may want to consider toning down the safety issues a little. We know of many people who elect not to travel to Europe after reading you books.

Jo Bennett in Laurinburg, NC USA 07/12/2009

This suggestion applies to all Rick's guidebooks. Since packing light is so important to travelers, many people tear pages out of the guidebooks, taking just the pages on their trip that are pertinent to their visit. I think it would be a great idea to offer guidebooks in ring binder format, so travelers could take only the pages they need on a trip, and put them back into the book when they get home. I think many travelers would be willing to pay extra for a book in ring binder format IF you explain the benefit of carrying just the pages you need, and not traveling with the whole thick, heavy book.

Patrick in Jonesboro, AR USA 07/11/2009

We just returned from a driving trip to Italy and found the book useful. However, I think that more and more people will be driving with GPS and it would helpful to have and address included in "Arriving by car" section. Sometimes programing "centre of the city" works other times, it is a bad idea.

Janis in Ottawa, On Canada 07/10/2009

We really appreciated Rick's recommendations for children in the France/Provence guidebook, and were disappointed not to find the same i the Italy guidebook. Rick's recommendations for kids in Provence were a big hit with our kids. The recommended reading list was also really good. If there is such a list for Italy (or any part of Italy) we would appreciate you sending it to us!

Sharlene in Madrid, Spain 07/08/2009

Add Lake Garda . I stayed in Ravenna for 4 days on a previous trip & enjoyed it very much but it really pales in comparison to Lake Garda . It was a short quick trip from Venice to the lake . You should at least include Lake Garda as a day trip from Venice . You can walk from the train station at Peschiera to the ferry & take it anywhere on the lake .

Mike Dempsey in Westminster, Md USA 07/07/2009

Publish them in a compact three ring format, so that I can pull out the relevant section(s) to take with me without destroying the book, and still have the appendix with me.

Barry Blodgett in Cary, IL USA 07/07/2009

Your book was an incredible help. Our byword was "What does Rick say?" It took a lot of planning, but was worth every minute of it. Your recommendations and advice was right on.

Mary in Tucson, AZ USA 06/22/2009

Our rome hotel was very good- Hotel Tolentino. It was not in the center but very close to piazza barberini. You might want to include some cheaper places farther out that are just a metro ride away.

Kristi Flax in Rose Hill, KS USA 06/17/2009

We found the book very helpful and would definately use a Rick Steves book on another trip

Val Thomson in Edmonton, AB Canada 06/16/2009

These guides have always been my "Bible" in Europe. Better detailed city road maps would be the only improvements that I think would be helpful.

Scott Tom in San Ramon, CA USA 06/09/2009

My wife and I have visited Italy several times and your guide book is one of the few that we rely heavily on. However, we are planning a trip to Northern Italy and we are astonished (and disappointed) that you have NOTHING in your guide book about Bologna, Modena, and surroundings!!! Other guide books allot up to 40 pages or so to this area, which is one we want to visit on our way from Florence to Venice. To us, this seems is a glaring omission in your book.

Roy Sieber in Edmonton, AB Canada 06/04/2009

You've got a lot said about the trains but it needs to be more... e.g. We found that you could easily double your fare by answering the questions incorrectly on the ticket machines... they now have a section that donates euros to charities :( The stations all have separate machines dedicated to the local trains (which never ever have lines) and which are a breeze to use. Its possible to buy a first class ticket (using one of the ticket machines) for a train (local) that has no first class seats!!!!! The ticket machines give out limited change.. if you over pay too much the machines issue credit vouchers that we couldn't figure out how to redeem....hmmmm --- A more complete section on Bancomat use might be helpful. We had LOTS of issues. Came down to lots of experimentation to figure out that UniCredit had the most reliable connections and least hassle for us. (Wife and I use two different banks with two different debit providers and had identical experience with Bancomats). Much anxiety. For time period of our travel... our 250 Euro daily exchanges cost us about $350 after exchanges and fees. BTW, most of the BancoMats we tried have crypic error messages that make you think you've got a big problem when it is really a little one (e.g. we couldn't get a single machine to give us more than 250 Euros per 30 hour period...yep longer than 24... even though there is a choice for it and at current exchange we didn't come close to our debit card $500 daily limit)

Duane Henderson in Chico, CA USA 05/31/2009

I can't think of any except including some of the more out of the way villages such as Praiano or Cassino. The places we visited - Venice, Lucca, Florence, Siena, Orvieto, Cassino, Praiano and Rome all had excellent information and plenty to absorb. You even made my Times magazine this week, so you must be doing something right. From day one - your PBS tours - were not only informative, but funny and hilarious which maskes reading your stuff so much more fun. Keep that up as long as you can!

Henny van Dijk in Houston, TX USA 05/31/2009

Just keep up the good work. Add more countries and cities. Information is all helpful.

Janice Humphrey in Colorado Springs, CO USA 05/26/2009

Gary Swett in Port Ludlow, Wa USA 05/19/2009

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE "NON-TOURISTY" INFO & SUGGESTIONS. MADE TRIP EXTRA SPECIAL AND EASIER TO PLAN ON OUR OWN!

Meredith Kupferman in Rancho Murieta, CA USA 05/16/2009

Your guidebooks are great. However, after having done your "South of Italy" tour last year and the Sicily tour this year, we are disappointed that neither of these areas is covered.

Jack in Burlington, ON Canada 05/07/2009

Love the layout. Maybe color the edges of city map pages so they are wasier to find?

Thomas Chamberlin in Salem, OR USA 05/07/2009

Add some more about Naples and about Herculaneum.

Lorraine New in Troy, MI USA 05/05/2009

Please consider making each guide book a series of smaller books that can be sold as a set. Due to the weight we opted to tear apart our Italy guide book as we explored the different regions leaving us with a mess of torn pages. If each large guide book was divided into smaller sections - Rome, Venice, Tuscany - we would have less to carry at each stop and still be able to keep it and the notes we have written in it as a lasting memento of our wonderful trip. As it is, the torn pages will be dropped into a garbage can as we leave the country.

Brenda in Anchorage, AK USA 05/03/2009

For Rome, I think it would be nice to include more information on mass-transit. The Metro is so limited, I think it would have been nice to know more about the buses and trams available. Other than that - you are always spot on and we use your books every time we visit Europe.

Steve Roberts in St. Louis, MO USA 04/29/2009

Needs more information on busses and trains to hill towns. I couldn't tell how we were going to get from Volterra to the Mediterranian until I reached Volterra. Normally, I like to have a better idea before I leave the states. I think your books are great!

Jeanette Rollinger in Visalia, CA USA 04/27/2009

It's getting a bit cumbersome and where's the table of contents. Move the map inserts to the back of the book - it would make it easier to open. Also,you assume that your readers will only make a day trip to Capri. Day tripping there is a mistake, like Venice, the island is at its best when the day trippers have gone home. There are some charming hotels and restaurants both in Capri town and up in Anacapri, there are some great nature walks to take, but you can't do them only on a day trip.

Lydia in Bethesda, MD USA 04/26/2009

It would be a good idea to include whether or not a hotel/BB, etc has stairs to a room. I almost rented a room where I had to climb 5 flights of stairs. Found that out on one of the travel review sites.

NoTechie in Costa Mesa, CA USA 04/20/2009

We did find that maybe having the restaurants listed within neighborhoods of major sites would be easier than all clumped together in their own sections. Just a thought as it warranted having to cross check back and forth in the book from the historic site then to the restaurant section to find a place to eat.

Luisa Craige-Sherman in Bolton Landing, NY USA 04/19/2009

We were traveling with our kids and would have liked to see more info related to kids. There was little or none in the book.

Kyla Miller in Ruckersville, VA USA 04/11/2009

Dear Rick, I was pleased with your 2009 guide to Italy. I just traveled to Florence, Rome and Venice. I used my debit card one time to obtain euros without the exchange fee. When I returned home 8 days later I found that my account had 14 fraudulent ATM withdrawals totaling more than $3000. I used a bank ATM in the Piazza Navona. I would like to warn others of the possibility of their accounts being violated. Throughout my trip I saw your travel books in others hands. I think you have the power to warn innocent travelers of this real possibility. Since I had not lost my card, I didn't think I had anything to worry about. I am currently in the process of a fraud investigation with my bank.

Wendy in Orlando, FL USA 04/07/2009

Take a trip to Torino and add it to your book starting with the 2010 Italy guide!

Colin Carandang in Houston, TX USA 04/05/2009

I can't thank all of you enough for your fabulous guide books. The details for working out the transportation alone were worth every penny. I wish America had train service so easy and pleasant. I have never planned a trip this elaborate before, especially in a foreign country, and you made it so easy. We can't wait to try another trip!

Suzy Pare in Cleveland, OH USA 04/04/2009

I would really like to know why you left out Bologna. I found it one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen. I loved the remaining medieval structures, including the university, and the atmosphere and reputation of gastronomic excellence.

Mary Beth Morrissey in Lugano, Switzerland 03/06/2009

Add more about Le Marche & we kindly request the addition of La Tavola Marche Agriturismo. http://www.latavolamarche.com

Ashley in Piobbico, PU Italy 02/14/2009

It would be nice if there will be colored pictures in the future guide books.

yy in San Francisco, CA USA 02/13/2009

We have used Ricks guidebook for a great vacations in Germany, Austria and Italy. We find them very thorough regarding practical information not found in other guidebooks. Our two separate trips went smoothly and we felt well prepared. I could not recommend an improvement

Scott in Wainess, CA USA 01/21/2009

Maybe better maps

Lee in Washington DC, DC USA 01/15/2009

Maybe better maps

Lee in Washington DC, DC USA 01/15/2009

Just keep printing them!

Susan Gilbert in St. Petersburg, FL USA 01/09/2009

The BELLEVUE HOUSE is a good value (100 Euro for a large room which accommodated 4) and the staff is friendly and helpful. However in early July the room was sweltering. Many Italians seem to believe that air movement fulfills the AC description. I would not hesitate to stay here in cooler months.

Gary Reichanadter in Mooresville, In USA 01/01/2009

Include the Emilia-Romagna region.

J & M in Durango, CO USA 12/08/2008

Best travel book as is!!

Carolyn Seager in Toronto, On Canada 12/02/2008

We enjoyed very much our stay at the recommended Hotel Al Cason in Padua. To our pleasant surprise the hotel rate included a very nice breakfast buffet which the guide book failed to mention. It would be helpful to the hotel and traveler if this were mentioned in your next edition.

Walter Woo in Burke, Va USA 11/29/2008

For the town of Sorrento, better instructions are needed for guiding travelers down to the waterfront where there are two recommended restaurants. We ended up getting lost and had to hike almost a mile in the dark to find Marina Grande.

Chris Peter in El Cajon, CA USA 10/26/2008

Many thanks for all of your recommendations and travel advice. Small things like your appendix list of books and movies set in Italy really made this travel guide a must have. Please consider Genius Loci as an addition to your section on the Umbrian countryside. Umbria is the new Tuscany and is one of the most beautiful places on earth (at least for us) and I encourage you to expand this section in upcoming additions to improve this guide.

Karen & Jon Roses in Boston, MA USA 10/25/2008

It worked well, overall. Because we only needed parts of it, what if it were in sections that could be pulled out so you only have to carry around what you need?

Rory Scanlon in American Fork, UT USA 10/18/2008

The description for finding parking in Florence is flawed. The instructions say to "just head for "Parcheggio Parterre", follow the signs to Centro then Staio, then P. It isn't easy -- the signs are few and far between and unclear as to which way to go. I think the instructions need to be mapped and be much more specific so that others are not as frustrated as we were.

Carole and Gary in Fullerton, ca USA 10/15/2008

None. You hit on all cylinders every time. Great job Rick.

Clay & Heather Taft in Fair Oaks, CA USA 10/13/2008

Tear out sections. The book gets destroyed using it all the time and if you could tear out a city you are in...

Brad Henshaw in Seattle, WA USA 10/05/2008

Thought the book gave a lot of good general information. You did warn against eating at restaurants near a tourist attraction,...don't think you can stress that enough, We (and all the other tables of American toursts) were hustled at Buca di S.Giovanni, (across the street from the Bapistry), even though we were with my mother who was born in Italy and speaks beautiful Italian. The only table with an Italian couple was not hustled. The waiter tried to get us to order $100 bottles of wine, then brought us pretty lousy wine and it was more than the quoted price on the wine list. He also made you feel like two cents if you didn't want to order an antipasto or a side dish. He alluded to his tip several times during the dinner. When I questioned the bill, (only because it was difficult to read the handwritten tab, he came back and added more to it, and said he made a mistake!) Learned a good lesson. Oh, and don't exhange left over euro at the airport, the fees are incredible, we blew any savings we might have gotten getting cash earlier and taking it with us, finding out which credit cards don't charge conversion fees, etc. Also, VAT taxes, I hear from Avis they are nonrefundable, true? Oh, and finally, if you shop at a supermarket and don't know you are supposed to weigh you fruit first, they just shrug, set it aside and you walk out without it!

Rene Pellissier in Merced, Ca USA 09/24/2008

We were traveling by car. When you have to multiply trains and buses by 6 and have to take two taxis to fit the family, it makes more sense to use a car. Maybe you can include a little more directions on how to get places by car and where to park. When we went to the Dolomites it was hard to get to where the gondola was to go to Compatch. And also if maybe you can suggest apartment accommodation for each city or a contact number of people that can provide those types of accommodatios at a reasonable price and quality it will be helpful. With a party of 6 they always want to give you 2 rooms which makes it very pricey.

CLAUDIA TOMASELLI in KENNESAW, GA USA 09/15/2008

Italy 2008: Why is Bologna missing?? Or Modena?? Or Parma?? Or Lake Garda??

M. Millard in Baltimore, MD USA 09/05/2008

I don't really like the cartoon maps. They seem easier to read at first, but I end up buying more to get around.

Nikki Campagna in Tampa, FL USA 09/05/2008

None...it's perfect!

Judy in The Villages, FL USA 08/20/2008

I know that Rick's books are designed to give detailed information and opinions of only the best a country has to offer, but I strongly believe there should be a section, or small, separate book, on Southern Italy as it is worlds apart from the North. Florence and Venice are great places to vacation... but if you want to TRAVEL, if you want to ask a question in Italian... and not get a response in perfect English, hit Rome and don't stop until you're somewhere like the Sicilian hill town of Erice watching the most gorgeous sunrise you could imagine while staring out to the eastern coast where Tunisia feels like it's just a stones throw away!

Paul Rosini in Victoria, BC Canada 08/17/2008

Some of the directions in the book were difficult to follow. There were many instances where we were told to go to "the side" or "the back" or "next to" something but weren't given any bearings so we didn't know which "next to" was being talked about. Other than that, we LOVED the book. We traveled to Rome, Venice, Lake Como (Bellagio), Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore), and Florence and used it everywhere we went. We felt like traveling experts as we navigated our way around Italy on the trains and public transportation, got good deals on tickets, found ways to cut in line and felt like we saw "the best" that Italy had to offer. Thank you so much for all your help--we are now HUGE Rick Steves fans!

Karen and Andy Ramroth in San Carlos, CA USA 08/15/2008

I love all your helpful hints and use your books every time I go to Europe. However, I think your maps are not good and misleading. AND, I wish there were more history in your books.

Bess E. in Santa Rosa, CA USA 08/12/2008

Add Papei Trattoria for Siena eating. Very popular and very good food.

Ann Doty in Juneau, AK USA 08/11/2008

Encourage more hiking and walking in your guide books. We did lots of hiking in the Cinque Terre area. My daughter(18 years old) and I(50 years young) started in Monterosso and finished in Riomaggiore in about 3 1/2 hours without stopping. The coastal trail was wide and pretty well paved except the Monterosso to Vernazza section.

Natalie Winslow in Monroe, WA USA 08/05/2008

Your Italy book was very helpful but in every chapter about train transportation you should restate that after buying a ticket it must be stamped before boarding the train. In Florence while traveling with 14 family members the train conductor picked us out of the crowd and penalized us about $60 for not stamping our tickets. I could only find one mention of this requirement in your book and obviously we missed it.

Adam in Dallas, TX USA 07/31/2008

The maps. I ended up bringing your book with me everywhere, for the walking tours, inside museums, so it would have been nice if there was at least one good detailed map.

Kiera R in Redondo Beach, CA USA 07/29/2008

For night walk, list average sunset or dark times of each season for planning purposes. Pull-out itineraries for walks so you don't always have to tote the book around (though we did take a few pictures with our Rick) Include some restaurant suggestions near Ostia Antica! Give more daytrip ideas from Rome even if it says next to a suggestion "see Naples, p.703" or whatever.

Thank you Rick for an amazing guidebook!

Anna Lee in Birmingham, AL USA 07/22/2008

The guidebooks on Italy were an excellent resource both in planning our trip and during the trip. We did have problems finding our way through the index. The most frustrating experience was with churches. For example, we would expect San Giovanni Church to be listed in the index as "San Giovanni Church" or "St Johns Church" but the index listed the church as "Church of San Giovanni." We went through this frustration with every church we wanted information on. We also could not find the "Holy Stairs" or "Santa Scala" in the index. The information in the books is excellent but finding the information using the index can be frustrating.

Edward Bushel in Littleton, Co USA 07/20/2008

A bit better maps. Next to the description of a hotel, restauant, etc., put the Number on the Map.

A download file for the maps with recommendations indicated would be great for loading in PC, Smartphones, etc.

Mike Cleveland in Monticello, IL USA 07/17/2008

The book was wonderful; however, it would be nice if the size of the book were bigger. It would make reading the maps a little easier. Also, halfway through our trip, I began tearing pages out and only taking those pages with me that I wanted for that day. For example, I tore out all of the pages for Florence, stapled them together and carried that with me throughout the city. It was a lot less heavy than carrying the entire Italy book. And made finding those recommended jewels easier to locate.

Renee in San Diego, CA USA 07/14/2008

Needed more detailed directions a few times to find restaurants in Venice.

Tony Caruso in Alpharetta , GA USA 07/12/2008

I was a little disappointed that the Italy book was so large. The reason we loved the Spain book in 1998 was that it was small and manageable. I felt a bit like I was spending too much time reading which was the basis for the small books in the past.

Julie Mederos in Plano, TX USA 07/07/2008

Please take out your recommendation of Gulliver's House.

Daniel in Calexico, Ca USA 07/04/2008

I like it just the way it is; however, I would add as part of your traveling philosophy to make sure you know who you'll be traveling with and make sure you're sympatico; traveling aboard requires patiences, tolerance, and an open/positive mind-with a travel companion who has none of those attributes, it will make a miserable trip out of a trip that should have been magical.

Ana Miner in Novato, CA USA 06/26/2008

By the way - your podcasts were phenomenal!!!

Cyndi in Watertown, MA USA 06/26/2008

add Il Faro Hotel and Vela Bioanca Ristorante to your recommendations

Theresa Del Brocco in Costa Mesa, CA USA 06/23/2008

It's by far the best book we've seen - keep it up!

Peter & Maureen in Ridgeland, MS United States 06/21/2008

Add information about how to use the train stations. We had trouble finding how to buy tickets and how to find trains--particularly in Rome.

Jolien Mierke in Alexandria, VA USA 06/21/2008

Cinque Terre: Vernazza, pg 324: Il Pirata delle Cinque Terre. We think this should be completely eliminated from Rick's book. We went there on his suggestion and the pastries were great. One of the Canoli brothers (the owners of the restaurant) suggested that we come back for breakfast, lunch and dinner both days while in Vernazza. He made sure to mention he had the biggest write-up in Rick's book. So we decided to go back on our 2nd day for breakfast. What a mistake! It was almost to the point of harassment about why we hadn't come for lunch or dinner the previous day. The owner was extremely mean, rude and almost yelling at us for not coming for 3 meals the day before. It seems his business tactic is to "bully" people into coming to his restaurant. This is not the Rick Steve's experience. The people ahead of us in line also got this same harassing treatment and we overheard them as they left, saying that they would never return. We agree. This was Rick's only "miss" in the Cinque Terre.

Jessica in Baldwin, WI USA 06/17/2008

Maps were sometimes hard to follow - e.g. in Florence on emerging from the station it was hard to find where we were, it looked as if we had to turn left but that took us out of town so had to retrace our steps. Maybe more detailed city maps and/or links to these from the smaller maps in the chapters - we didn't realize there was actually a larger map of Venice at the front of the book until we were leaving the city.

Alcalay in Platteville, WI USA 06/11/2008

Bigger red flag about the fact that many tobacco stores are closed on Sunday which can make buying a bus ticket pretty hard.

Underline warning that if you take the Eurostar for a short trip, you will pay almost double. Wait and take the intercity.

Alfonso Damico in Iowa City, IA USA 06/10/2008

Include Mia Toscana somewhere in your book(s). I cannot overstate how good our experience was with them. Contact information can be found at http://www.welcometuscany.com; + 39 334 2476098 between 8 am and 9 pm central EU time.

Russ Lorber in Westminster, MD USA 06/07/2008

include a small section on Bologna, we stayed at Albergo Garisenda in the heart of city and it was nice. the hike up through the 300+ porticos to the top of San Luca cathedral was interesting and fun, John Grisham's The Broker describes this hike and Bologna itself

Ron and Linda Schroeder in Portland, OR USA 06/06/2008

Say a little more about the trains. We found out the hard way that on some days the trains might sell out all day (June 2, a holiday). I just assumed that if one train was full I would be able to get out on the next one, but there were no seats available on any train. We had to stand on an IC train all the way to Milan (and the train was late so it was 8 hours). If I had any idea the trains could get this crowded, I would have booked a week earlier!

Susan Aldridge in Milwaukee, WI USA 06/06/2008

Add Bologna! (But I would not recommend Albergo Delle Draperie where we stayed, despite its great location - sewer gas smell in the bathroom that would come and go)

Michael in Seattle, WA USA 05/31/2008

we just returned from Florence and a visit to the Uffizi Gallery. We made a reservation in advance which worked out really well. But when we went to get a electronic guide they needed either a passport or drivers licence. Neither of which we had on us. Perhaps you could include this note in the next version. We had a really great visit otherwise and we followed the guide's recommendations for hotels in Rome (Residenza Cellini) and Florence (Loggiata dei Serviti) Thanks again for all your advice.

Maureen Moffatt in Lunenburg, NS Canada 05/29/2008

Let Eurostar train travelers know they should depart the train rather quickly when it stops. My husband and son had the doors shut on them, and had to stay on the train until the next stop, 20 minutes away, while I watched from the platform.

Marge Sykes in Elbridge, NY United States 05/24/2008

include San Marino

Anne Wilson in Covina, CA USA 05/23/2008

Add visual clues to the audiotours and museum/city tours.

Irina in Daly City, CA USA 05/20/2008

Page 701 - Capri - Planning Your Time Add the following: Tip: The waiting line for the bus in the main square in Anacapri gets quite long - if you don't want to wait so long, walk up the street a couple blocks to the previous bus stop and get on there. Bus stops are painted in the street.

Add the following under "Eating" in Annacapri: Restaurant Barbarossa on the main square near the chair lift - order the foccacia with tomatoes and the risotta a la limone - excellent!

Scott in Renton, WA USA 05/12/2008

Kindle them all! I want to take your guidebooks with me on tour next year and would love to be able to get Kindle versions....

Stephanie Carlson in Placerville, ca USA 05/09/2008

I read this and used advice at every turn and it was always right. Used the info on the museumsin the book so did not need or pay for audioguides. Your book more the paid for itself.

Renee Lee in DeSoto , Tx USA 05/09/2008

Include Genius Loci Country Inn in the hills of Bevagna

Mary Thomas Tacconi in Bevagna PG, ITALY 05/04/2008

One way might be to put little grade shading on the side of the book to show where the new chapters (cites) begin. Other than that, it is an excellent source.

Robin Rodrigues in Modesto , CA USA 04/30/2008

Rick--

Italy 2008 was a fantastic guide for us--we had many memorable experiences because of your excellent work! One addition to consider--please re-add the Hotel Aldobrandini in Florence to your lodgings list. (degli Aldobrandini 8, tel. 055-211-866. www.hotelaldobrandini.it) The hotel was included in your Italy 2007 book, but omitted from 2008. We booked there anyway and had a lovely stay! Ignazio, the owner, was terrific! His service was excellent, and he gave us some excellent recommendations for restaurants and sites to see. On Travel Advisor, I did note that the hotel's spiral staircase is NOT for anyone with any physical challenges--you have to request a first floor room--but other than that, the hotel was fine. We spoke to Ignazio about being left out of the 2008 book, and he seemed genuinely distressed about it.

Jennifer Kyle Herd in Oak Hill, , VA USA 04/21/2008

Gotta say i'm not interested in your recommendations when they state - bad service, rude servers etc. No matter how good the food it, being berated or not respected is not a place i will ever visit.

Nicole in Denver, CO USA 04/18/2008

Sometimes, on the self-guided walks, the directions arent always as clear as I would like, but, it is a VERY minor complaint!

Brian Freund in keego harbor, MI USA 04/11/2008

Blank pages in the front and back of each book for individual notes, phrases and phone numbers. Recommend bringing non perishable munchies for emergency situations. PLEASE draw a new map of Florence! Included customs restrictions. I had $25 worth of delicious and savory cinghale salami go unceremoniously into the garbage at stateside customs. If I'd have known it couldn't come home with me, I would have eaten it, or never bought it.

April O'Connor in Portland, OR USA 04/07/2008

we found the italy 2008 guide book to be great! lot's of great tips, maps and very easy to use. very helpful info.keep up the good work rick steve's and company

bruce lahr in sauk rapids, mi USA 04/03/2008

The book is great. It was our Bible in Italy. Thanks for a great vacation!

Scott Hovey in Durham, NC USA 03/31/2008

Include ALL of Italy and not select parts.

Jason Tsongas in Rochester, NY USA 03/26/2008

Provide information on Sicily, Lake Garda as well as the Valpolicella region, plus the eastern Dolomites.

Since my mother's family was from Sicily, we started our visit here but had no recommendations in your book for this area.

We used your recommendation for lodging in Castelrotto, but nothing was provided for the other end of the Great Dolomite Road. We discovered Cortina and loved the town, it was a nice stopping distance on our way to Venice. The Hotel Olimpia was very nice in the heart of Cortina. The drive there was harrowing, but beautiful, nonetheless!

We found a wonderful family owned winery/estate called El Pendola in the Valpolicella region, since Lake Garda hotels seemed all booked months in advance. Since Lake Garda is Italy's largest, it should get some attention, and the surrounding area.

We loved staying at three agritourismos, it would be helpful to provide more info on more of these in your books. (See above first comment on Antico Borgo Poggiarello)

Lastly, the menu decoder often seemed to not have words on it that were on the menus! My son ended up ordering something with clams and he doesn't like clams! Also, we couldn't figure out for the longest time what ciervo was... turned out to be venison.

Sue Laabs in Northville, MI USA 03/23/2008

More descriptive directions or maps. Some things were a little hard to find. A picture's worth 1000 words. We were very pleased with the book and will ALWAYS buy a Rick Steve's guidebook when traveling abroad. Also have the DVDs. THANKS!!!

Carolyn Sleeper in Phoenix, AZ USA 03/22/2008

Given the economy today, add a larger section on affordability and cost-saving tips.

John Novick in Chicago, IL USA 03/21/2008

Prepare folks for the uncomfortable sense they will have when they visit Italy, as opposed to Northern Europe. We felt like part of the Italian culture was to take advantage of tourists from the United States. We felt this from the moment we stepped off of the plane.

Josh Harrison in College Station, TX USA 03/01/2008

Add a "what if" section.

[Editor's Note: Do you mean "what to do if your credit card is stolen?" If so, check out page 14 of the 2007 Italy book or page 12 of the 2008 Italy book.]

Lynnette Roberts in Vancouver , WA USA 01/30/2008

Add Sicily

cindy in fox Island, wa USA 01/29/2008

Put in BOLOGNA, ITALY! Goodness! They have San Petronio Church--only the fifth largest in THE WORLD! And, San Luca--overlooking ALL of the city of Bologna is IMPRESSIVE!

Kathleen Hanes in Bologna, IT USA 01/27/2008

Small tabs to help section the book to make it faster to find the town, city, etc you are looking for.

Tara Dickie in Warwick, Bermuda 01/26/2008

Excellent resource, this book (along with the Italian phrase book) made our trip so much more enjoyable!

Ryan Wigginton in Sellersburg, IN USA 01/23/2008

I've used Ricks books for several years and think the advice on avoiding theft needs some rewording. Not that the advice is wrong -- the tips are all good ways to avoid problems, and I'll never travel without my moneybelt.

The problem is that the book ends up leaving a sense of fear in new travelers who've never been to Europe (or Italy) so much so that people think about cancelling plans or avoiding perfectly reasonable activities like riding trains. Read thru some of the postings on the Helpline and you'll see these fears. And I must confess that before my first trip I was alarmed and expected a pickpocket in every group of passerby, to have my belongings torn from me around every corner.

I think there is a middle ground, where travelers receive the same good advice they do today about precautions they should take but without leaving such a sense of fear. As guidebook authors who have spent a lot of time exploring the areas in this book I think it is possible to lose sight of how your warnings will be interpreted by a new traveler.

Mike in Los Angeles, CA USA 01/22/2008

Keep updating it is excellent

Len Resnekov in Sydney, NS Australia 01/17/2008

maybe even more off the beated path places we visited Guzzano near lucca and participated in an all saints day procession from the cemetary to the church and attended mass we were gaulked at but we enjoyed the ordeal very much we stayed in a place in the village and stayed warm by the fireplace roasting chestnuts we picked ourselves before the goats that roamed the roads freely ate them! what a wonderful experience.

Diana Cipro in so. Dennis, MA USA 01/05/2008

Possbily some info on the Aventino area of Rome? We stayed there at the Hotel Villa San Pio and loved the quiet, residential neighborhood setting. (Room 529 is large and has a wrap around balcony!) Buffet breakfasts served in a glassed-in gazebo set in the midst of a beautiful flowering garden (in November!). Just an easy 10-minute walk to the Piramide Metro stop ... and there are some terrific small restaurants in the nearby Testaccio neighborhood.

Laurette Benton in Raleigh, NC USA 12/23/2007

I still(Ive said this before)dont think you give enough driving info.I know you favor trains but for those who drive help please.

John Theune in Sheboygan, Wi USA 12/05/2007

I think the hotel/restaurant portion needs updating and more diligent servicing. Although your writing is great, it would help if every restaurant or hotel would have more detail about best dishes/entrees, service, etc. It seems like sometimes you're just listing the available restaurants and hotels in a given area, not really recommending the ones you think are the best, or what you liked about them. Given that your books have such an editorial take, it would be fine I should think to put even more opinion in that section. But it's a tough job and you do it well, Rick! I used your book like a bible while in Italy. Quoted you all the time, "Steve says....." :)

Taya Rotering in Minneapolis, MN USA 11/30/2007

Everything was excellent and we were very satisfied. We appreciated the hefty content in the slim book and didn't mind the thin but tough paper on which it was printed. However, due to my lousy eyes and the general dim light throughout Europe (and the streets at night) it was occasionally hard to read. I would suggest that those who similarly have trouble in dim light either carry one of those little clip on lights with the book, or a magnifying plate that fits the book.

Laura in Redding, USA 11/28/2007

Looks like you're going to have to go the way of some other guidebooks and provide an alphabetical index of hotels. Where in Italy, for example, is the Hotel Aurora (11/27 posting under best accommodations)?

[Editor's Note: It's in Verona. Unfortunately some posters do not provide the location of the hotels and restaurants they mention. When we have time (not often), we sometimes edit their posts to include the town name.]

Janet Sims in Montrose, CO USA 11/28/2007

This is a question: At the Coliseum, the book states the Emperor's seat is to the left of where you enter. But the guides tell you it's where the large cross is standing immediately in front of where you enter. What's the deal?

Joan M. Burda in Lakewood, OH USA 11/25/2007

Add something about the Piedmont region

Jill Grigsby in Claremont, CA USA 11/23/2007

Give more driving hints...roads to use between towns, how to read the signs, parking hints

Carol Dierkes in Hartford, Mi USA 11/19/2007

The book is great!

Barry DeVine in Eugene, OR USA 11/14/2007

Provide more options. Rick Steve's is so popular that every place we went was completely filled with American Tourists following Rick Steve's books. It would be great to have some more suggestions for getting off of the beaten track.

D in San Francisco, CA USA 11/11/2007

Give a map that shows the hotels around Central Station in Milan. Finding them was a real struggle. Took a lot of questions on the street to track them down and then there was nothing open because some motorcycle convention was going on in town.

Marc Harrison in Olympia, WA USA 11/11/2007

Would you add BB accomodations in Tivoli( Rome ) such as Palazzo Maggiore ?

Monica in Tivoli, Ro Italy 11/05/2007

Like many others, we'd like a binding that makes the pages easier to remove.

Rick, what is up with the numbering system on your maps? The numbers are all over the place, and not in logical order sometimes! Hard to decipher, standing out on a dark street, trying to locate a place!

Other than that, Rick, YOU ROCK !!! Met so many others on this trip, carrying your book or pages from it. We are like a cult of Rick Steves' worshippers, all of us holding up our books and sharing how awesone you are. Thank you, and keep up the good work!

[Editor's Note: Currently, items on our maps are numbered approximately in the order they appear in the text within loose categories of hotels first, then restaurants, then services such as internet and laundry. Sometimes we also have to list a sight in the map key, too, and they generally appear at the end of the list. This system may change in the future but for now assume numbers are in text order.]

Linda Hornbeck in Torrance, CA USA 11/03/2007

Coastal hike in the Cinque Terre: My husband and I took the wrong turn in Corniglia on our way towards Manarola because we were following red and white trail markers. We discovered 3 hours later, after getting lost, that ALL the trails in the National Park are marked red and white; they are differentiated by number. The coastal hike is Trail #2. It would help future readers to include this tiny but important detail in the guidebook.

Jessie in Chicago, IL USA 11/03/2007

not much that I can thing of!

francine faribault in Montréal, Qc CANADA 11/02/2007

Include Perugia and the Sirius Hotel.

Pat McClung in Mt. Pleasant, TX USA 11/02/2007

more notes about crooked taxis, I looked for a number on the side, got in one that had a car number but not a phone number and got ripped off. When you get in a cab not only check for a meter but the fee rates in the back seats and ask ahead of time what the fare will be to your destination.

Chere Weiss in Kelso, WA USA 10/29/2007

All I can suggest is to keep up the good work.

Murray Duke in Ottawa, ON Canada 10/26/2007

The bood was great, well used. We saw many folks with the book and it was an easy icebreaker, like members of a club

Frank Washburn in Orogon City, OR USA 10/22/2007

Please add a gentle caveat to readers about the hike from Manarola to Monterroso al Mare. In particular, the stretch between Corniglia and Vernazza are pretty grueling. There is substantial elevation gain and the trail is very primitive and narrow. Also, recommend that hikers pack plenty of water as there is none between towns. We came across a lot of hikers who were clearly not prepared for the trail and may well have needed assistance or rescue to get out.

Also, in re: the Borghese Gallery in Rome. Please look into the possibility for a "gurney tour" to allow for full appreciation of the ceiling frescoes (tongue-in-cheek). While my wife admired the Caravaggios, I spent almost the entire time staring up at the impossibly beautiful frescoes trying to determine what was "painted" and what was carved.

Pieter Booth in Kent, wa USA 10/10/2007

More info on how to find WCs would be helpful. Also, a few more Italian words in the appx for giving and finding directions such as here, there, distance.

leigh girvin in breckenridge, co USA 10/08/2007

This book was PERFECT! I went alone to Italy, and although I have been there before with a tour, I would not have survived Italy alone without this book. Thanks Rick Steves!

Amy in Minneapolis, MN USA 10/07/2007

I am looking for sources of information about Reggio, Calabria? I wonder why Rick has not written about the area and I would like a good Rick-like source. Any ideas?

Dan in Pleasanton, CA USA 10/01/2007

1) We drove through No. Italy (Colico on Lake Como down to Siena and over to Venice back to Milan) with a Garmin GPS. In Europe Garmin works smoothly off Zip codes--please think about including these for driving. With the Garmin we could find anything even in big cities with narrow, one-way streets. Enter the zip code of the Da Vinci Science & Tech. Museum, then press attractions and you can pick off the Museum without even entering the address.

In Siena we showed three American couples how to drive to the Tuscany sites they wanted to get to--I know more people will be using GPSs as time goes on. My husband calls it a marriage saver. Even parking was simple, because it has a "find the parking lot" feature--we found parking in Volterra! We worked out with it at home for a month or so ahead of time to figure out how it thinks. That helped. Garmin tells you, "drive 200 meters to the round-about, Take the 3rd exit." We found hotels, museums, resturants--everything.

Also, therefore, please spell out street names. Garmin doesn't recognize Via K. Adenhauer, but it does know Via Konrad Adenhauer. Driving in the bigger cities is a challenge, and not for the timid. The Autostrata is much more civilized and courteous than my Texas highways. Autostrata toll booths are clearly marked, well-staffed for us cash paying tourists.

2) Map-hotel/restaurant-description coordination. Just add your map number to your description. That way we can see that restaurants 2, 10 and 4 are near our #6 hotel or the Duomo. Why fall in love with the sound of #17 when it's 2 miles away?

Diane Flindt in Sugar Land, TX USA 09/30/2007

It can't be improved. My book looks like St. Frances' Bible when I got back. It's cover is shredded, has torn pages, there are pages that were ripped out then carried around, and later reinserted. When I get back the Rick Steve's Guidebook looks like the way my feet feel.

Furnancefighter in Philadelphia, PA USA 09/29/2007

This book was the best investment we ever made. We couldn't have done it without your book. I know prices of things and restaurant staff change. That's why I'm not going to say how this book can improve because from my personal use of it, was a big help. I did see a lot of Rick Steves bookguide owners floating around the 6 cities we visited. We even made friends with one couple at Bibo's Restorante because they had their guidebook on the table as you suggest for the discount. Thank you for publishing such helpful guidebook.

Tony Ramirez in Huntington Beach, CA USA 09/29/2007

The book was a great help and quite inclusive. I'm not sure how to improve it other than if their were some way to make it lighter and easier to carry.

Michael Lopez in Rochester, MI USA 09/28/2007

Foot Care: Add a paragraph or two on foot care. Suggest that travelers remove the insoles from theor shoes at night to let them air out and dry. Also, foot powder is very helpful to keep your feet in good shape. If at all possible, rotate two pairs of shoes to allow one pair to dry.

John E. White in Altadena, CA USA 09/27/2007

Might include a tip on rail travel to Cinque Terre, to understand the Trenitalia IC express train from Pisa goes direct to Monterosso & doesn't stop in the other CT towns, necessitating back tracking on a local 1 euro ticket. Inconvenient but bearable.

Deb Kozak in Redmond, WA USA 09/25/2007

I'd like to see the page numbers with information in the area where you list the major sights with diamonds. I know it's in the index, but I found myself flipping back and forth a lot. Also, always list what is near each sight. I probably would have seen the catacombs and the Appian Way if I realized sooner how close they were to the Borghese Park.

Lowell Houghton in Sylmar, CA USA 09/23/2007

I once saw Rick say on a public TV personal appearance that he wanted people to tear out sections of the book and if, when you returned home, you would send him what's left, he would send a new book. Is this still true?

[Editor's Note: Sorry, this offer only ever applied to our museum guide "Mona Winks," which is now out of print (plus, you had to return every page and include $5). If we offered this for all of our guidebooks, we would no longer be able to afford to produce them!]

Mary in Boulder, CO USA 09/22/2007

These books are awesome. I was disappointed to not see a chapter on Sicily in the Italy book. The only improvement I would say would be to visit more countries and make more books that are this user friendly. By the end of our two week vacation, my friend and I were saying "Let's see what Rick recommends" or "We can't go there without Rick!" The book was our best friend in Italy!

Megan Tannenbaum in Chicago, IL USA 09/17/2007

We used Italy 2007 for our travels which was tremendously helpful. We enjoyed the walking tours very much. However, we did feel that the Florence section wasn't comparable to the other sections. The walking tour was confusing and not as comprehensive as the others.

Andrea MA USA 09/07/2007

Warn about the hazards of travel on Easter Sunday and Monday.

Carey Caccavo Wheaton in Sebastopol, CA USA 09/07/2007

Your walking tours are excellent but I don't like to carry the heavy book around. Why don't you publish these walks on small cards so they are easy to carry? I have used another company's tour cards, but I like your walks better.

william in vowell, ca USA 09/04/2007

Add Sotto le Fonti as a restaurant in Siena.

Mike Sulaver in San Jose, CA USA 09/02/2007

Had no qualms about tearing out sections from my 2007 Italy guidebook to take with me during each travel day, but when I returned home, I wished it would all get put back together. Any way you can discount your "last year's" edition for those of us who would like a keepsake that's all in one piece?

Polly in Morro Bay, CA USA 08/28/2007

Italy guidebook. We are still planning our trip and love the guidebook. One improvement to help people plan their days would be to give a typical range of time for visiting individual major sites. For example, you might suggest to plan for 1 to 2 hours for a particular museum, and 2 to 4 hours for another museum or site. I know that the length of time will vary from person to person, depending on their interests and such, but a ballpark range would be really nice.

Thanks!

Adele Buttolph in Enterprise, OR USA 08/23/2007

Include the public bathrooms in the map. Some of my family members have IBS, and eating gelato wasn't as fun not knowing where the nearest WC were.

Abigail Navarro in Belfair, WA USA 08/22/2007

We took your Italy book, and as you suggested, we tore it apart, keeping only the places we were visiting. We left behind each part of the book when we left that city. Great suggestion! We spent three weeks in Italy after two weeks in France, could not have done this trip without your guidebook. Thank you so much for the tip on the Veiled Christ in Sansevero Chapel - it is now my very favorite art object - next to David. Thank you for sharing treasures like that which we would have missed without your excellent guidance! Thank you, Thank you!!

Sharon & Leo Marty in Olympia, WA USA 08/21/2007

Add: Genius Loci Agriturismo - Umbria - to the guidebook. Add: Trattoria da Fiorella - Via Condotti, 11-53026 Pienza - wonderful little trattoria run by 2 brothers - friendly, attentive, excellent food at reasonable prices.

Holly Brownscombe in Berkeley, CA USA 08/07/2007

This guide was awesome. We did not start out with a Rick Steves book- we found half of an old one in a hotel in switzerland- and it was 8 years old and more accureate that the lonely planet book we were dragging around! it was amazing!! thank you for accurate maps!!

Liza in Boston, MA USA 08/05/2007

Provide a better map of STresa showing locations of recommended restaurants and hotels.

David Lermond in Wilmington, DE USA 07/30/2007

Make the book with perforated pages so you can tear out the pages for the city you are in and not lug around the whole "Bible" according to Gumba Rick...As it was I has my pen knife with me and cut out the pages as we needed them.

Rob DiCocco in Broomall, PA USA 07/24/2007

We saw a lot of vendors being chased away by the police and also some people asking for money (beggars, for a lack of a better word). I wondered what the economic and political situation in Italy was to decide if giving a little money would be helpful or detrimental in the long run ('Teach a man to fish' philosophy!)

Anu and Velu Bala-Subramanian in Westford, ma USA 07/23/2007

More emphasis on hotels and food around the central station. All the recommended hotels were way too expensive for a family of four but there is good value around the station and no problems (at least no more than elsewhere) and it is close to the city centre.

Steve Madsen in Bellevue, WA USA 07/23/2007

As a vegetarian, I would like some information regarding vegetarian (not including fish!) options. Otherwise, Such a gem and So very helpful! Thanks to everyone!

Anu and Velu Bala-Subramanian in Westford, Ma USA 07/23/2007

Focus more on getting people into the countryside (like Tuscany) and less on the museums and city sights.

Also, readers should be encouraged NOT to accept solicitations from people offering tourists to skip the Vatican Museum line in exchange for a payment. These offers, despite being disguised as official-like tours, are illegal. Tour groups have their own line for 8-10 am, and these "fake" tours snake their way into the regular/non-tour group line very sneakily right before the Vatican Museum entrance, cutting off people who have been waiting 2 hours+. Not very fair. Vatican police needs to crack down.

Michael Crichton in Ottawa, ON Canada 07/18/2007

Drop the snide comments about George Bush and American foreign policy. We didn't encounter a single negative vibe about Americans during our three weeks in Italy (nor have we in previous trips recently to UK, Ireland, and Switzerland). In our experience, this business about the Iraq war making Europeans resent Americans is hogwash, and remarks along those lines in your book only serve to apply more wash to the hog! Keep your political bias to yourselves. On another subject, you might write a bit about how to get wine home from Italy in this post-911 day and age. Many wineries will ship it home for you, but it's a very expensive proposition -- just about doubles the price. You can, however, buy a few bottles at the duty-free shop after passing through security and carry them onto the plane, just like in the old days.

Mark Adams in Gig Harbor, WA USA 07/17/2007

The guidebook needs to mention somewhere that graffiti is a huge problem in Italy, particularly noticeable in Milan, even in otherwise nice neighborhoods. Very sad to see the cities defaced in this way and it's perplexing to me why none of it is apparently cleaned up or painted over.

kath in los angeles, ca USA 07/16/2007

Rick’s books had a lot of very helpful information especially with regard to phones and trains. Unfortunately, my cell phone did not work, even though I had previously contacted T-Mobile and they assured me I’d have no problem. It turned out that my phone was not a recent model and therefore could not work outside the U.S. under any circumstances. It may be helpful to warn readers that they should closely question their cell providers before traveling.

Traveling from Milan to Florence, I booked a first class train ticket, yet I was still crammed in with 3 other travelers, toe-to-toe with one of them. When I booked from Florence to Rome, I asked the travel agent for a single seat not facing anyone, which was more enjoyable and allowed me to stretch out more.

I was disappointed by the food at most restaurants. Perhaps I did not know how to order, to get what I wanted. The sauces were remarkably bland and tasteless to my American palate. It would have been helpful to know that would be likely, so that I could have been prepared with the proper instructions in Italian. (Two of my better meals were at Japanese and Chinese restaurants.) Also, I was dismayed by the meat dishes, or lack thereof. It seemed difficult to find chicken dishes. I was later informed that this is typical for Italian restaurants.

I realize many people enjoy traveling by themselves, but that was not the case for me. As this was my very first time overseas, I think my trip would have been better with a companion. For example, I am not overly familiar with the language, and was frustrated by this. I believe a knowledgeable companion would have been helpful with that.

Jeff Klein in Cypress, CA USA 07/13/2007

Is there any way to take sections out of the book while in specific city without tearing the pages out?

Jan Lapetino in Denver, CO USA 07/13/2007

My wife and I just got back from 6 weeks in Europe, 3 leading a student group, and 3 on our own. We used your books extensively and found each one useful (Italy, Germany, Switz) But we do have one suggestion based on a rather difficult experience in Florence. Basically, it would really have helped to know that Florence has two major train stations. When I returned and looked up your individual guide to Florence, you do indeed mention this, but as we were only staying a day in Florence, not an overnight, we didn't want to carry a separate guidebook for one city and figured the info in the Italy book would suffice. It didn't.

In brief, a few days before we bought a ticket while in southern Italy for an overnight from Florence to Dijon, France. The agent never mentioned "make sure you are at Campo Mar not Firenza Main." Reading up on Florence in your Italy book on train connections in and out of the city, you make no mention of two stations. So after a lovely day in Florence, we headed to the train station to pick up our luggage and board our night train to France. We looked on the big notice board. No train with our number and times. 20 minutes to go. Went to the info desk and asked. "No problem. It will come up shortly." Bad information. Ten minutes before the departure. I went back to another clerk who took the trouble to look at my ticket. "You're at the wrong station. This is Main station. Your train leaves at campo Mar. It's ten minutes from here. You've missed your train."

The good news is that a supervisor clerk gave us a refund in cash. Also, the good news was that we thought to ask if there were any other overnights and the clerk told us that later there was an overnight to Geneva from the Campo station at 11 p.m. But she didn't know if there were any seats left. We would just have to wait till the train chugged into the station and ask the conductor if there was room. So we took the chance, went to Campo Mar and waited. There was room. But it was 3 hours of anxious waiting we could have happily done without. So send up a warning flag for all Firenze connections, to make sure they know which train station their train departs from.

roger newell in portland, or USA 07/11/2007

Have used several of your Italian guidebooks. Always very accurate and up to date.

Otto Fafoglia in Chatham, Il USA 07/06/2007

Your travel guide to Italy was INVALUABLE. I used every map and every tip that you suggested and my trip worked out very well indeed. Your helpful hints and advise are RIGHT ON and I would certainly recommend you travel books and your advise to everyone who is going to Italy and for that matter Europe in general. Thanks for the great research and information.....IT WAS SO HELPFUL AND ACCURATE.

PAMELADEMATTEO in SPRING, TX USA 07/02/2007

More help on purchasing bus tickets from Rome Tiburtina, please. We bought from the ticket agent at the station, then had to wait over 2 hours for our bus to Siena. I would have liked information on how to reserve/purchase in advance.

L & N Liss in Salem, OR USA 07/02/2007

Put the words "Don't Panic" on the front and include a towel. (ala Douglas Adams)

Bruce Smith in Appleton, WI USA 06/28/2007

I think the "Traveing as a Temporary Local" section should be expanded a bit to further address the possibility of rude or angry reactions to tourists, even those tourists who try to be temporary locals and not (say) ugly Americans. My wife and I followed almost all suggestions (we did ask for ice twice), and are generally polite. In Italy we were downright meek after the third or fourth angry reaction. At any rate, I'm a bit mystified about what we did wrong, especially in Sienna. So, I'd like more direction on how to avoid this behavior and / or, some preparation for it. Also, the book makes it sound like bad treatment is always the American's fault, but in a few cases I think the locals were just tired of tourists or grumpy. I can understand--after answering the same questions from toursts who expect you to speak English a hundred times, I'd probably be impatient too. But based on what I read in Rick Steves I was not prepared for it.

Jeff in Merced, CA USA 06/27/2007

Overall the book was great, over 90 % of the suggestions were right on the mark, would strongly recommend it to others travelling to Italy

david nano in los altos, CA USA 06/26/2007

Add the Emila-ROmagna area: Parma, Modena, Reggio, Bologna --best food in ITaly!

In URbino, there's a small cafe (lunch only) 100 yards (toward the central piazza) from the Hotel San Domenico, on the right. Great food in a garden setting.

Jack Johannes in Philadelphia, PA USA 06/25/2007

I feel like a great improvement would be better maps for the cities. It is very hard to follow the suggested walks in Rome and Venice.

Margaret Ann Burtchaell in St. Petersburg, Fl USA 06/23/2007

Table of contents for each city, better maps. overall I really enjoyed this book and used it every day for an entire month while I was in Italy. It was a tried and true guide and I highly recommend it to any traveler.

Elizabeth in CHICAGO, IL USA 06/21/2007

You do a fine job. My partner Gail and used studied your book religiously prior to and during a city visit -- and we hit Rome, Florence, Pisa, Siena and Venice. I do recommend that you focus more on Prato, the walled-in, cobblestreeted, Medieval city next door to Florence. It is the home of the famous Antonio Mattei bakery, known for its biscotti since 1858. It also has a great cathedral, reasonable shopping and good eateries. Easy access to Florence via train, too. I was there last week. It deserves more attention.

Karl Kunkel in High Point, NC USA 06/20/2007

Add additional information to the Italy 2007 Book, when traveling to different ports around Italy on a Mediterranean Cruise. Add info regarding Messina (Sicily). Ways of travel if arriving at nearby ports. Genova, Livorno, Portofino, Naples, Venice, Capri, etc.

Pete Adams in Kennesaw, GA USA 06/20/2007

Anyone who ever has reason to visit Rome from now on simply must stay at the Target Inn - Via Modena, 5 00184 Roma Telephone # - 39 06 47 45 399

My girlfriend and I stumbled onto this 7 room B&B by accident since the Rick Steves' recommended hotel in the same building had no vacancies. Thank God for that. First off, the owner and proprietor, Stefano, was raised in Australia, so he speaks perfect English. I can safely say that he saved our trip from being an absolute catastrophe. Scant hours after checking in, my girlfriend came down with a horrible ear infection that would end up requiring three visits to the hospital over the next three days. The whole time, Stefano - and his staff - was there with vital advice, hospital recommendations (that ended up being the same as were in the Rick Steves' book), and bend-over-backwards service: ordering cabs; changing flights; arranging an English-speaking doctor on call in the event that we needed it. Our time in Rome (sadly enough, since it was our 1st visit) was very scary and very stressful, but having the very friendly and English-speaking Stefano back at the hotel was a humongous relief.

If you plan on visiting Rome and not having dire medical emergencies, the Target Inn should still be the place you stay. It was a three minute walk from the train station. The rooms (we had to stay in three different ones since our plans kept changing) are all immaculately kept, with gorgeous decor and even flat-screen TVs for those travellers who would still enjoying staying in and watching English-speaking TV even though they're smack dab in the cultural capital of the planet.

We went off-season (for Valentine's Day), which also worked out great: very comfortable temperatures; reduced prices on things; a slower pace than the hectic High Tourist seasons, or so we were told.

My girlfriend and I cannot wait to go back.

Stephen Donovan in Worcester, MA USA 06/18/2007

Add separate Vegetarian restaurent section. Add the nearest Vaporetto stop for recommended restaurants.

Vinay Malur in Queensbury, NY USA 06/18/2007

Re: Venice, our hotel people told us that the way to orient and find your way around Venice is to look for signs by area, eg. St.Marks, Rialto Bridge, etc. this was the best way for us to get around..I wasnt sure if you said this in your book, I know you said to let yourself get lost because you really won't. but I thought this was an important orientation tool. I loved your books so much, they made our trip that much richer. Thank you.

Linda Nasser in Danbury, CT USA 06/18/2007

Easier way to tear out pages. none-the-less, I am a huge fan and have taken many great trips with your advice.

Carol Fink in Tampa, Fl USA 06/17/2007

I only have good things to say. This book was so valuable to our trip and the virtually glitchless adventure we had. We did the exact Rick Steves best 21 days in Italy trip. Our trip went so smoothly. Rick and company preceeded us and worked out all of the bugs for us that could have popped up along the way. They've also thrown in so many little tips and tricks that proved to be so valuable in enhancing our experience. Maybe the only thing I could say is that it should be emphasized that the 21 day trip by train gets a little bit difficult and time consuming when travelling to Civita. It's mentioned that the trip is best done by car but train is fine too. On the map Civita doesn't look too far from Assisi, but in reality it took us over 4 hours to get there from Assisi. Had we understood this we may have chosen a different hill town that was more accessable. Having said that, we loved Civita and Romantica Pucci.

Tracey Allerton-Kuldanek in Edgewood, WA USA 06/12/2007

It would be nice to have an easier way to disassemble the bigger books to take with you.

I also recommend you stock a better compass. I dumped yours and got a $9 one from REI which was invaluable. When other tourist in both Rome and Paris were spinning around with their maps, I orientated north with the compass and was on my way, especially useful in Rome with the winding streets... I headed north/north west from the Pantheon and hit the Spanish steps without ever looking at a street sign.

On trains from London, Paris, Nice, Rome no one EVER looked at my carry-on luggage tag, and except for the baggage carrier area in rear/front of TGV there was no place to lock down the carry-on. I rarely got a chance to use the lock, but was glad to have it. all, in all, thanks for making my trip anxiety free, which it was.

Lee in Long Beach, CA USA 06/12/2007

The list of restaurants was not that helpful. Our local hosts guided us to the best places to eat.

The best 2 (triple room) places we stayed were not in you book. The Hotel Andrea in Florence - with great views of the city's skyline and Il Rosetto in Sorrento with a great view of Mt. Vesuvius - were our best accommodations.

robert varnum in fort myers, fl USA 06/11/2007

Print it in a format so that pages can be easily removed/replaced. We found ourselves tearing out pages to take with us as we went into the towns. The book is a little too large for a fanny pack or small purse, which is what we prefer to carry when walking around in urban, sightseeing areas.

May Kolbe in Hereford, AZ USA 06/09/2007

Italy 2006- Love your books, however we found your section on Pompeii to be confusing. While you do note that there are two different train stations in Pompeii, you only mention directions from the one. Sometimes it is not possible to go into the most convenient train station. We had trouble finding Pompeii from the train station, but eventually did find it. However, we entered through the entrance by the the ampitheater instead of the one you suggest in your book. We didn't realize there were two different entrances. We wanted to use your walking tour, but were really confused because it started at the other entrance. I think some clearer instruction on Pompeii would be very useful because it is certainly a major tourist hub.

Kate in Baltimore, MD USA 06/07/2007

I haven't left yet, and your most recent update has Micaela Pavoncello the guide in Rome at 110 euros for 2 hours. She is quoting me 300 euros for 3 hours, Her prices are more than double what you quote!!!!!

deborah USA 06/06/2007

We found the restaurants listed were mostly $15-$20 per person & up, and we would like to see a few more frugal choices. We do realize that Italy is getting increasingly expensive, as we spent $100 per day per person on top of the airline tickets and rental car.

Juley Hull in Danville, CA USA 06/03/2007

better maps

Liz in Palmer Lake, CO USA 06/01/2007

Although we drove for 16 of 21 days without incident, an expanded driving section or perhaps a separate driving pamphlet would be useful. Driving in Italy is different; roads, signage and entrances/exits are different, and the maps don't necessarily match the reality. We would not attempt to drive in large cities- Rome especially- but much of the country is best visited by car. As an idea to avoid big cities- we moved beyond fretting over driving in to Florence and finding the appropriate parking garage- we had the idea to park at the airport in the long term parking lot. This may be a bit problematic as there are only a few hundred spaces in long term parking, but it was easier to catch a cab or bus from the airport and let the Italians take us in to the beautiful city!

Steve and Linda Wilhoit in Anacortes, WA USA 05/27/2007

Very effective. Wouln't change a thing accept to add the above recommended B&B (casa portagioia)

Rosemary Castiglioni in Woodstown, NJ USA 05/26/2007

Dear Mr. Steves, I want to let you know that I purchased your book only days before my trip to Italy (it was a last minute trip) and was very pleased with the recommendations for hotels in Pisa, Venice and Florence. I would like to suggest one bit of advice for the clueless traveler (like myself) regarding use of airport phones. If there is anyway that you could warn travelers to talk to an operator to confirm rates BEFORE they place a call it will save them hundreds of dollars. Unfortunately, I learned the lessons the hard way. I received a charge of $64.00 for a less than 5 min phone to the United States (to let my parents know I was o.k.) while I was at the airport in amsterdam. The connection fee was $15 and each minute was $4. I paid $15 connection fee and $5 per minute call to Italy to let my boyfriend know that I had made it to Amsterdam (total cost was $46). I only discovered these outrageous calls when I got home and opened up my credit card bill. The combined fee for the calls was $110. I am happy to provide supporting documentation to verify the accuracy of my charges. I spoke to someone at International Satellite Communications and was told that I should have asked before I made the calls. They offered no justification as to why the rates were not publicized. Personally, I think what they did was deceitful and unfair but I consider it a lesson learned the hard way. Instead of wasting my time filing a complaint with the Department of Corporation in the California, I would much rather publicize what I consider an unscrupulous practice and warn as many people as I can. I hope that you will consider adding an additional paragraph to the "communication" section of the Introduction to your books warning your readers to be mindful of using airport payphones that accept credits particuarly if they are void of any information about rates and fees. They should dial the operator (if this is possible without swiping their card) to confirm any rates. Alternatively, perhaps there is a way to buy some prepaid phone cards stateside (I am not sure I could have purchased them at the airport). Anyway, as I initially stated, it is just a suggestion. Thank you for a very accurate and informative book. I notice many people were using your book in Venice and Florence. Please feel free to contact me if you would like any additional information. Kindest regards, Elizabeth Armand

Elizabeth Armand in Burlingame, CA USA 05/21/2007

Make it easier to tear out the sections you want to use. Which is what we did and it worked great. We will buy a new book anyway for next time, but it would be a nice keepsake for packrats like us!

Virginia and Wayne Miller in Selma,, CA USA 05/19/2007

I do not have a suggestion but if something comes to mind--I will let you know. thank you.

Arthur and Susan Adler in Spokane, WA USA 05/13/2007

Reinforce maps in beginning of Italy 2007 guidebook. Ours fell out before we left for our trip.

J P in Tampa, FL USA 05/11/2007

Maybe each city section could include "days to avoid/or special things to watch out for" at each city. For example, we tried to stay in Milan overnight when the furniture event was being held. It took extra time to find a room.

Spell out the impacts of national holidays; what closes (e.g. car rentals in some cities?) and what does not.

Clay Oglesbee in Northfield, MN USA 05/11/2007

Add information on the Synagogues/Synagogue Museums in Rome and Florence. They are important and interesting parts of Italian history and current culture.

Susan Matisoff in Berkeley, CA USA 05/09/2007

I love your books and use them for all my European travels. Thank you for what you do! I think you have helped Americans be better world citizens by being prepared and not expecting everything to be like it is in our country and to ENJOY the differences.

Jan Hayes in Ketchum, ID USA 05/05/2007

Keep updating it, your inforamtion is so accurate and we were able to count on everything in it! Thank you!

Laura and Robert Harriman in SAN DIEGO, CA USA 05/05/2007

No information whatever on Italy's most famous gastronomic region of Emilia-Romagna and the capital city Bologna. We had to consult Conde Nast Concierge to get help here...don't you all eat??

Donald Binkley in Santa Fe, NM USA 05/04/2007

Calculate the driving times again. We found driving into Lake Como and the Cinque Terre substantially longer than indicated in the books.

Beth in Northridge, CA USA 05/03/2007

maps continue to lack sufficient detail. only with additional detailed city map were we able to find restaurants

Sherryl Nelson in Bellingham, WA USA 05/01/2007

I will be going to Sicily in Oct. Rick has a tour of Sicily but does not provide any info for the area. Any info would be helpful. My trip will included southern Italy and Sicily. Would it be best to start or end in Sicily? Thank you.

lea ruhlman in st. louis, mo USA 04/28/2007

We just returned from 12 days in the Rome-Florence-Cinque Terre area. We found your books very informative but felt that you should increase your emphasis on the need for a DEBIT card for easy access to euros in future editions. I was shocked at how many places did not take VISA and who claimed that either their machine was broken or that the computer was down. Fortuntely my daughter and traveling companion had a debit card. That is the only thing that saved us. As for places not accepting VISA they ranged from restaurants and services all through Florence and Rome. We were actually more successful with Visa in the Cinque Terre region.

Also, we used a car on the trip. You may want to emphasize the cost of parking. It cost 40 euros per day in Florenze and 20 euros per day in Riomaggiore. Neither parking garage would accept VISA.

Overall, thank you thank you, we look forward to traveling with you again.

Dennis Hanberg in Tacoma, Wa USA 04/21/2007

First, I love the RS books, and I use the hotel, restaurant, and museum/walking tours extensively. Great work! However, I'd like to say that some beautiful small towns that are never covered, while others are included exactly the same, every year. Why not change up a little, to encourage more "back door" style exploration? For example, do you have to cover the same Tuscan hill towns in every edition? Why not make suggestions for Umbria or southern Italy? Obviously, you'd have to include the Biggies every year, but you could still have a Back Door section of the books, listing different small places each year.

Marjorie in Atlanta, GA USA 04/19/2007

Driving guidance into Milan. It's not helpful to just say "Don't drive there." It's silly to return a rental car for a one day stop in Milan, or one might need to return a car there.

Angela in Sammamish, WA USA 04/15/2007

We had a difficult time navigating with the maps provided, but nothing that couldn't be solved with the free maps from the TI.

Language tips that would have been helpful: it took us a couple of days to figure out the different uses of "prego" - not just "you're welcome." Higher numbers would have been helpful, too, when we were in grocery stores ordering from the deli (I tried using "etto" and got some funny looks) - I didn't know how to say I wanted 50 grams of olives and ended up with 300 grams.

Beth and Mike Nelson in Cumming, GA USA 04/09/2007

Book was a godsend. I had never heard of you until people mentioned Rick Steves on TripAdvisor. I would love to have in the future:

1. Map of more of the bus lines in Rome -- can you include where the stops are at the Coliseum? Found our way fine though.

2. Show where the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica is to the street. (We had to leave the museum at closing time and I was concerned about how to get into St. Peter's Square, not knowing where entrance was. I think it's marked on your map but not clearly.

3. Include special section for people traveling with school-age kids. I got my daughter Discover Italy (from a website) and she was heartbroken to have forgotten it, but then in Florence we got Florence - Just Add Water, which was great, and in Rome we bought Kid's Guide to Ancient Rome which she used to be MY tour guide through the Roman Forum. This last was great for my 9-year-old -- just the right amount of information with some brief games mixed in. (This was an excellent result for us: by making it interactive, she will remember far more than if we had gone on a tour or used an audioguide. It also cost only the book, which we could keep!)

4. Prices. It is hard to keep up with the increases, isn't it? Many prices in book were understated (e.g., Leonardo express to airport was 11 Euros, not 9,50, as one example)

Margaret in Washington, DC USA 04/04/2007

Warn people about these extra rooms that may not live up to the description in the book. Don't let these people take advantage of travelers to make a extra buck. Go and look and see for yourself but watch they may pretend they don't use those rooms.

Susan Vander Hoek in Bainbridge Island, WA USA 03/22/2007

Don't focus so much on this back pack mentality. Try to write to a brader audience. also, include more pictures.

Ron Ritland MA USA 03/21/2007

We did use the 2005 Italy book, not the 2006/7 which has updated prices, and perhaps closed restaurants. We usually use our own lodging, but try to follow the recommended restaurants, which are always on target!

Brenda in Vicenza, Italy 03/20/2007

I believe the section of the book covering the Dolomites region can be expanded. You list Castelrotto/Kastelruth, Vipitino/Sterzing and Bolzano/Bozen, while there are many places that are worthwhile. Bressanone/Brixen is one that comes to mind. We recently visited for just a day and are looking forward to going back. Absolutely beautiful town with a very large and charming pedestrian zone. The Diocesan Museum was just amazing! The collection of medieval sculpture and paintings are incredible. We could have spent all afternoon.

Paul

Paul in Netcong, NJ USA 03/16/2007

Just add a very important very large print comment. Wear the most comfortable walking shoes you own and don't bother packing any other shoes. I'm glad I did.

Rick Bart in Taunton, MA USA 03/14/2007

I have the 2007 Italy and love it but was disappointed there was nothing on Isola d'Elba in it.

Shona On canada 03/07/2007

Advise which hotels allow young children in parents' room for free. There are so few that do in Italy, and often the charge is 40 euro per child per day. for a cot.

Beth in Northridge, CA USA 03/04/2007

You give scant attention to Southern Italy, from Abruzzo thru Puglia and Calabria and only touch on Sicily in a few paragraphs.let alone even mention Sardegna. This is much more likely to give travelers those special moments. Look forward to seeing more about them.

Paul USA 02/21/2007

I really can't think of any. I saw them all over Europe and with good reason. The information is great and the recomended accomodations that we were able to secure were great.

Ron Easson in Brampton, On Canada 02/14/2007

Last summer when we stayed at the Hotel Medici in Florence, we had to drive into the city's center. Having read your guidebook, I knew that it was very important to furnish the hotel with the rental car's identification, etc. I did that, yet several months later, I received a charge of $180 on my Visa statement from the car rental company which was for a traffic infraction. I traced it back to a street on which we traveled to enter the city where the car was "captured" on camera. It's too late for me...I am telling you this so you can really stress to your readers the importance of making sure all the information is reported to the proper authorities by the hotel. I just made the assumption that the hotel would take care of it as the desk clerk had promised.

Helen Sablan in Anderson, SC USA 02/12/2007

I bought the 2007 edition of this book because I am spending the Spring 2007 studying in Italy. I was quite surprised after I received the book to find that Rick Steves does not cover Italy south of Positano, which still leaves quite a bit of cultural stuff to see -- Bari, Brindisi, Sicily (where I am studying), and Sardinia, to name a few. I was also hoping for a page or two on San Marino, even though it was a different country.

I have only used one other Rick Steves' guide book in the past and have been very happy with it -- my trip couldn't have been as wonderful without it!

Elizbeth Fulham in Alexandria, VA USA 02/01/2007

More photos in the self-guided tours would be helpful to identify the sights.

Jamison Fenderson in Issaquah, WA USA 01/26/2007

Sorry to say, your books are getting more touristy every year. Nothing about the "back doors" of Southern Italy or Sicily and your books are getting too big and heavy. What has happened to your "travel light" and "visit the back doors" philosphy, Rick? You seem to be serving the hordes rather than leading us to better travel.

M Lopez in San Francisco, CA USA 01/21/2007

Add discussion of southern Italy and Sicily. We are very disappointed to see that the 2007 Italy book has no information so for the first of our four trips,we will not be buying Rick Steves' books!

Tom Brian in Tigard, OR USA 01/21/2007

More Agriturismo listings. A highlight of our trip and a farm to be recommended. Please check out info@galealpe.it - great hosts, super accommodation, inexpensive. Nearby Arezzo and Borro worth exploring. Even better than the excellent website. Highly recommend.

Margaret McLean in Chilliwack, BC Canada 01/12/2007

just an observation - this book had 250 pages in 1998, 311 pages in 2001 and 778 pages in 2007. i am a dedicated follower of rick steves and used the 2001 book to travel italy (oct-nov 2001). it was our bible, took us step by step, site by site, hotel by hotel, wc by wc, restaurant by restaurant, airport by airport, train station by train station, etc.,etc., etc. the 2007 book, while as informative as ever, seems a little cumbersome. i guess i've become a true lean and mean rick steves type traveler. i have and will continue to spread the "europe through the back door" (per rick steves) philosophy. i also travel fairly often to southeast asia and mexico - hope rick considers these parts of the world one day. so much geography, so little time! thanks to rick, the best traveler/travel writer i know. p.s. we're off to italy (with our new, but heavier rick steves "italy" book. will send feedback on our return.

bob garry in sun city, az USA 01/12/2007

Add a stronger warning about the difficulty of the Cinque Terre hiking trail, especially for the elderly or those with heart conditions.

Sandi Tedford in Atlanta, GA USA 01/06/2007