[PAP]⇒ PDF Lonely Planet Italy Country Travel Guide Damien Simonis; Alison Bing; Cristian Bonetto; Gregor Clark; Duncan Garwood; Abigail Hole; Alex Leviton; Virginia Maxwell; Josephine Quintero; Brendan Sainsbury 9781741792294 Books

Lonely Planet Italy Country Travel Guide Damien Simonis; Alison Bing; Cristian Bonetto; Gregor Clark; Duncan Garwood; Abigail Hole; Alex Leviton; Virginia Maxwell; Josephine Quintero; Brendan Sainsbury 9781741792294 Books

Download As PDF : Lonely Planet Italy Country Travel Guide Damien Simonis; Alison Bing; Cristian Bonetto; Gregor Clark; Duncan Garwood; Abigail Hole; Alex Leviton; Virginia Maxwell; Josephine Quintero; Brendan Sainsbury 9781741792294 Books

Lonely Planet Italy Country Travel Guide Damien Simonis; Alison Bing; Cristian Bonetto; Gregor Clark; Duncan Garwood; Abigail Hole; Alex Leviton; Virginia Maxwell; Josephine Quintero; Brendan Sainsbury 9781741792294 Books

I've used the Lonely Planet guides for years, and in fact, I used the Italy guide for a trip back in 2001.

I'm a big fan of these guides, so I feel bad giving this 1 star. But Kindle buyers should beware!

I recently planned a trip to Italy again, and decided to try the Lonely Planet guide on a Kindle. Big mistake! The maps aren't legible. Linking between items in the book is better than most other Kindle titles, but still not usable.

If you've used these guides before, you know the drill: you end up spending a lot of time flipping through different sections and maps to look up hotels, restaurants, sites to visit, etc. The ability to flip through different pages quickly and reference maps is critical. The Kindle doesn't do this well. As I said above, the linking between items was better than other Kindle titles, but still not usable enough. Often the links didn't jump to the right place (I noticed most links back to maps were off by several pages), and again, the maps weren't legible at all.

There is no way you could use the Kindle edition in real-time on the streets in Rome, and I don't even recommend this as a backup or something to use when planning. Hopefully e-readers will improve over the years. I'd rather go with electronic-only copies of these guides!

And I'm a little disappointed with Lonely Planet for publishing this title on a Kindle. They must have tried it out ahead of time, before I and others spent our money. Anyone who has used a guide before will know this version isn't usable.


Tags : Lonely Planet Italy (Country Travel Guide) [Damien Simonis; Alison Bing; Cristian Bonetto; Gregor Clark; Duncan Garwood; Abigail Hole; Alex Leviton; Virginia Maxwell; Josephine Quintero; Brendan Sainsbury] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. For expert advice, inspirational tips and exciting itineraries, Lonely Planet is your essential Italy companion. Whether you want to hunt for truffles in Umbria,Damien Simonis; Alison Bing; Cristian Bonetto; Gregor Clark; Duncan Garwood; Abigail Hole; Alex Leviton; Virginia Maxwell; Josephine Quintero; Brendan Sainsbury,Lonely Planet Italy (Country Travel Guide),Lonely Planet,1741792290,Italy,Italy;Guidebooks.,Europe - Italy,General Adult,Guidebooks,Italy,Monograph Series, any,Non-Fiction,TRAVEL,TRAVEL GUIDES,Travel - Foreign,Travel Europe Italy,Travel Guide,United States,Europe - Italy,Travel Europe Italy,Travel - Foreign,Guidebooks,Italy,Travel Guides,Travel

Lonely Planet Italy Country Travel Guide Damien Simonis; Alison Bing; Cristian Bonetto; Gregor Clark; Duncan Garwood; Abigail Hole; Alex Leviton; Virginia Maxwell; Josephine Quintero; Brendan Sainsbury 9781741792294 Books Reviews

I prefer to travel with a loose itinerary and then improvise as things look interesting.

If you like that kind of travel, this book is good for you.

I've been to Italy five times and own four or five guide books on Italy -- Lonely Planet is my clear favorite. (I recommend their city or region specific guides guides, as well.) I have about two feet of Lonely Planet guides, so clearly I'm biased.

Here is how I use them

1) Before you go, study the first part of the book. There is TONS of useful information there, ranging from history to specific legal issues.

When you are done reading the front of the book, you'll probably have an idea of the main things you want to see and do.

2) Before you go, read the beginning of the area/city specific chapters of places you want to visit. _Especially_ pay attention to the "Getting there and away" section.

3) As you are traveling, study the map and read the "places to stay" section. Using the guide, show-up at two or three hotels and ask to look at the room. Almost-always, you will find a charming place in your budget.

4) After you find your hotel, read the specific details that help your visit. (restaurants, walking tours, museums, local transportation, etc)

5) Don't leave the book in the hotel room! I can't tell you how many times using the LP book -- on the go -- has made my day better or even saved me from trouble. The books are bound well and take the abuse of being in a day pack.

I have used the LP books this way in Italy and other countries -- with very good success.

A few other considerations

* Italy has some of the best restaurants in the world but it also has many great-looking tourist traps with mediocre food. Trust the Lonely Planet recommendations! Go out-of-your way if you have to. It's a tragedy to have a bad meal in Italy!

* Use the listed prices for comparison, not as a budget. In my experience, the real-world prices are ALWAYS higher. (Maybe I don't barter well.) But the listed prices, relative to others, tend to be accurate.

* Learn the Lonely Planet system -- The LP books have a LOT of information in there, so it is easy to get lost in the guide. However, the information is organized in a tried-and-true system which, when understood, is helpful and efficient.

* Don't be put-off by the price. Yes, they are a little expensive and the internet is free, but if you use the guide, you will save more than the cover-price. Also, don't be tempted by a cheaper old edition -- you want the most up-to-date.

* I take notes in the margins, use tickets and brochures as bookmarks and keep the guide as a travel journal.

I am _not_ saying that the Lonely Planet is the only good guide book for Italy -- there are other good ones out there. Much of this has to do with personal preference. This book is probably not good for people who want to be told exactly what to see, eat and do.

However, if you have a bit of a free-spirit but still want to be smart and informed in your travel, I think you will like this guide. I sure do!
I use this whenever I travel in Italy which turns out to be a lot lately. As we drive past towns, my wife reads out their history. We have made diversions based on descriptions in the book. I am a big history fan and the history sections in the book are awesome, understanding that Italian history is like a millennia-long bloody soap opera with two many names and colors and movements and countermovements for anyone to really keep track of. It also has fantastic, detailed practical information, such as museum hours, recommended restaurants, etc.
I did a multiple country tour across Europe and I will preface my review with the disclaimer that I only ended up seeing Venice while I was in Italy so all my comment pertain to the Lonely Planet's section on this city.

The section on Venice was not as helpful as other Lonely Planet guides that I have had the pleasure of using with my travels. The maps, while accurate and useful for approximate locating, will need to supplemented with another map (either the Lonely Planet's or one purchased when you get there).

The hotel reviews were good, but I would also use the internet more as I found a nice cheap hotel not listed in their guide just walking through the city. Their review of the usefulness of the Venice Pass was also spot on - ie you will have to work hard and smart get your money's worth.
This is a large volume of information lacking an index and detailed table of contents. As a result, it is difficult to find specific details such as cities, and points of interest quickly. One can only imagine being on a noisy and busy Italian city trying to find a location by flipping from page to page in a massive volume and trying to cross reference a map at the same time. This is basically a down load of the book and not an interactive user friendly e-guide.

In typical Lonely Planet fashion, the maps are hard to read and the points of interest in the chapters are not cross referenced to the map.

In short, buy the book--not the electronic version.
I've used the Lonely Planet guides for years, and in fact, I used the Italy guide for a trip back in 2001.

I'm a big fan of these guides, so I feel bad giving this 1 star. But buyers should beware!

I recently planned a trip to Italy again, and decided to try the Lonely Planet guide on a . Big mistake! The maps aren't legible. Linking between items in the book is better than most other titles, but still not usable.

If you've used these guides before, you know the drill you end up spending a lot of time flipping through different sections and maps to look up hotels, restaurants, sites to visit, etc. The ability to flip through different pages quickly and reference maps is critical. The doesn't do this well. As I said above, the linking between items was better than other titles, but still not usable enough. Often the links didn't jump to the right place (I noticed most links back to maps were off by several pages), and again, the maps weren't legible at all.

There is no way you could use the edition in real-time on the streets in Rome, and I don't even recommend this as a backup or something to use when planning. Hopefully e-readers will improve over the years. I'd rather go with electronic-only copies of these guides!

And I'm a little disappointed with Lonely Planet for publishing this title on a . They must have tried it out ahead of time, before I and others spent our money. Anyone who has used a guide before will know this version isn't usable.