Venice 2012 Guidebook
Best ways to improve this book:
I was very pleased with it. Many people were reading it on the plane.
Suzanne in San Diego, CA USA 12/27/2011
Please advise those with back problems and those over 50 that they should anticipate bad mattresses to sleep on. Of the three places we stayed, one had a horrible mattress, one was a bad mattress and the other was merely passable.
Nancy in Driver, WA USA 11/14/2011
The section on water transportation was confusing. We did eventually figure out the waterbus routes, but a good map of stops and routes would be really helpful (e.g. There are 3 San Zaccharia stops, each with a different function).
Elizabeth Bamberger in Portland, OR USA 09/26/2011
We stayed at the Albergo Marin. However, we might have selected a hotel on the same side of the canal as the train station, the water taxis and the cruise ship berths if we had known that "crossing the grand canal" meant that we had to drag luggage up and down the stairs.
Arlene Brumm in Mukilteo, WA USA 07/26/2011
We downloaded your excellent Grand Canal cruse narrative onto a plain old MP3 player and started playing the single large file once the vaporetto left the dock - big mistake, since it contained lots of preliminary information, we never got in sync with the vaporetto stops. Recommend you advise users to start the audio well in advance of boarding the vaporetto.
If possible, post more cheap eating options for Venice. We have found that the pizza and gelatto at Millevoglie at 3033 Salizada San Rocco (right by the Frari church) to be excellent quality and a good value. Seems to be family operated also.
We have never regretted using any of your books over several years of European travel.
Bill Bozo in Springfield, VA USA 04/13/2011
Where to get a good map of Venice. We tried to follow your maps but they aren't enough to get us to the Friari Church, which we will see when we go back!
Shannon Fonferko in Schaumburg, IL USA 03/20/2011
Can't think of anything.
Elaine Wolfson in Reston, VA USA 12/04/2010
It would be nice to have the addresses of the train stations listed so we could enter them in to the GPS to find the location faster. Also, finding our way around LaSpezia was a challenge and we never would have found the free parking lot if we hadn't asked both the tourist info. office and a police man.
Cherie Bernave in Walla Walla, WA USA 10/19/2010
add the cichetti bar across the street from Antica Ostaria Ruga Rialto...it looks like an irish pub with dark furniture...my favorite cichettis were in there
Tricia in New York, NY USA 08/23/2010
Understand what is considered "budget." encourage winter travel for Venice to save money, avoid crowds, get better value.
martin maharis in los angeles, ca USA 08/20/2010
I know giving directions in Venice is hard, but could you work on the Rialto-to-Frari Church instructions? It would help, I think, if you would tell the reader how many alleys have to be crossed to get to the point where a turn should be made.
In addition, could you give directions from the Accademia to Peggy Guggeheim's?
Craig Oren in Cherry Hill, NJ USA 06/30/2010
I really love my Rick Steves book. I own about 14 of them plus 6 videos and luggage. For the first time I bought the Kindle version of his book and I really regret buying it. This is really no fault to you and I do love my Kindle, but all of my favorite maps are impossible to read. Is there a chance I can get a PDF of the maps in the book?
Betsy Hicks in Delavan, WI USA 04/10/2010
The Rialto to Frari Church was a little hard to follow. We got lost a few times and also had a hard time figuring out which was actually Frari church.
Jennifer Duke in Peabody, MA USA 03/16/2010
I am horrified that you have not begun a campaign to address the lack of personal flotation devices (life-jackets) in Venice. In the USA it is illegal to carry passengers without 1 per person. They allow you to keep your head above water even if you are knocked out for a period of time. I searched in vain for personal flotation devices on the water buses in Venice. There are none. The only devices are those large hang-on-tight square, bright orange floats. The ability for most people to hang on to them is very limited in time; most likely just a few minutes unless an accident should happen in the small canals. Forget it if you are in the lagoon. If you are bumped in the head you will be dead--period. The handicapped would have absolutely no chance of survival. The large freighters, and ocean liners that compete for space with the water buses in the lagoon are a sure sign a very bad accident could happen. You could make a vast difference by pressing this point. At the least, you could warn the visitor. The same lack of personal flotations devices also applies to Lake Como. Go take a look for yourself. There are plenty of places where they could be stashed; I checked carefully. Please warn your readers who surely have the right to know the peril in which they place themselves and their loved ones.
Nancy Bohrer in Chicago, IL USA 11/02/2009
More information about the islands and charms of Murano and Burano, as well as restaurants there, especially since they are few and far between in the evening. Also, please mention more about the Venice book makers -- including the fabulous Rivoulus (sp?) on the Rialto Bridge, where the woman running the shop actually made the books!
Laralyn Sasaki in Columbus, OH USA 10/09/2009
Nothing at all, its a great guide.
Chris Turner in LA, CA USA 09/27/2009
--Keep the humorous tidbits --Put page numbers on the destinations of the map --Cross reference a little bit more --More lists to organize information would be nice --The house wines aren't as good as you make them out to be...
Julia Bodson in Salt Lake City, UT USA 08/14/2009