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Lonely Planet Italy

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Lonely The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Italy is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Take in a gondolier's sweet song while gliding past Venetian palaces, sample olives and wines as you traverse Tuscany's storybook hills, or be humbled amid thousands of years of Roman history and art; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Italy now! Inside Lonely Planet Italy Travel eBook (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) The Perfect Lonely Planet Italy , our most comprehensive guide to Italy, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. Written and researched by Lonely Planet. About Lonely Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images found in the physical edition

976 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 1993

3077 people are currently reading
670 people want to read

About the author

Lonely Planet

3,542 books870 followers
OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. One hundred million guidebooks later, Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel guide publisher with content to almost every destination on the planet.

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5 stars
372 (31%)
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517 (44%)
3 stars
239 (20%)
2 stars
28 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
Profile Image for Kirsty.
2,773 reviews180 followers
July 13, 2016
Absolutely wonderful. My boyfriend and I used this on our trip to Naples, and were able to slot in trips to Rome, Capri, and Pompeii, and make the most of all of them in limited time. The tips and tricks here are great, and the section on Italy's history makes for very interesting reading. I shall never go back to other travel guides now.
Profile Image for Stuart Aken.
Author 24 books287 followers
August 30, 2018
Until I’ve been to Italy, I can’t know the true value of this book. However, having read it in preparation, I can comment on what I’ve so far found.
I’m off to Italy soon, visiting Rome, Naples and Pompeii, Florence, and Lake Maggiore, which is why I bought the general travel book rather than a city-specific volume.
This is a comprehensive tome, and includes lots of very informative maps, including a removeable folding map of Rome.
There are sections on all the regions and cities of this fascinating country. You’ll find advice on the many interesting places to visit in each location, and there are links for the websites that provide more detailed information, as well as those where prospective visitors can obtain tickets to various museums, galleries and other tourist offerings in advance, thereby avoiding the queues.
The authors – there are fourteen – have each visited the regions/cities they write about, and readily give their specialist knowledge to enhance the visitor’s experience.
Packed with tips and knowledge of the customs, traditions, habits and mannerisms of the country, this is a book that prepares travellers for an immersive holiday or trip so they can enjoy the place to the full.
You’ll also find advice on transport, including car hire, air, train and bus travel, ferries and walking.
And the last section of the book gives useful and entertaining information on the country’s history, art and architecture, way of life, food and drink, and on how Italy has been portrayed in fiction and on film, as well as about the place as it is today.
A very worthwhile purchase and, for me, a must-have prior to the planned visit.
Profile Image for Chaiyong Ragkhitwetsagul.
7 reviews
January 11, 2015
A comprehensive guide to Italy. I bought this because I'm going to Milan, Venice, Florence, Pisa, and Rome (in 6 days! so insane, right?). I found that the book was very useful and had to keep it around with me all the time. Especially when in a museum because it highlighted the major artworks that we had to see. However, I found that it's not attractive much to read before travelling since there's so few pictures and loads of information. Maybe I should be a more specific book for each city.
Profile Image for Vassilena.
311 reviews111 followers
February 21, 2012
I love Lonely Planet guides not only because of the quality information, but also because of the humor and writing style. When the author lets you know that Giordano Bruno's statue in Rome looks like Obi-Wan and at the same time gives you much appreciated advice how to cut the queue at the Colosseum, then you have really stumbled upon a gem of tourist literature!
Profile Image for Julia.
158 reviews
July 1, 2011
Great when used in combination with the rough guide. This one was best for planning both the overall trip (lodging, etc.) and day by day for attractions, walks, etc. Rough guide gave more detailed information about each individual site, etc. but was more difficult to use as an overview.
Profile Image for Carole.
678 reviews46 followers
December 20, 2015
A beautiful travel book with a lot of great advice, vibrant, alluring photos, and stories upon stories! Great book!
Profile Image for Mark Latchford.
230 reviews2 followers
September 25, 2024
I have relied on Lonely Planet for three decades now to explore the world and must have 40 editions sitting in my study. However, the latest version on popular destination, Italy, is rubbish. No longer a well constructed reference book that would be central to your planning for sights; for beds and for food. It is if the various authors are competing to run for the travel section of the Sunday papers. Full of gush; personal and irrelevant anecdotes and an absence of useful data. The biases or interests of the writers come through with the absence of many significant towns or places to visit. Modern history seems to be completely ignored for example. I do hope the editors revert to the tried and trusted model of the past, namely a travel guide not a long-winded attempt to emulate Gourmet Traveller.
263 reviews6 followers
December 28, 2018
Wasn't of this travel guide, which managed to be both too broad and too specific at the same time. I really wish the last several chapters had been at the beginning rather than the end of the book, as they contained information on what the budget range meant. Overall, this was not the travel guide for someone like me, I think I'll skip Lonely Planet next time. I found Rick Steves to be far more useful.
Profile Image for Tri Le.
173 reviews43 followers
August 11, 2018
Large and incredibly comprehensive travel guide. This book was a great foundation for planning our Italy trip. The book provides a fantastic overview of Italy and gives huge amounts of information. Lots of small articles and background information was included. Useful and up-to-date. Lonely Planet offers another solid travel companion.
Profile Image for snowmoonelk.
3 reviews
February 21, 2017
Brilliant. I haven't finished reading it yet, but when we last stayed in Tuscany, we visited some of the recommended cafes and restaurants (as well as the usual monuments!) and they didn't disappoint. Lovely to have somewhere to head to, rather than wonder where the locals go to eat and drink.
2,220 reviews5 followers
March 15, 2018
It can be difficult to evaluate travel books, but I usually consider how well the information is organized and how easy it will be to find information that's relevant to my travels. In both of those cases, this book succeeds admirably.
Profile Image for Maria Teresa.
731 reviews59 followers
February 21, 2019
Utile per avere una panoramica di quello che si può vedere in Italia, ma per ovvi motivi di spazio è molto superficiale. È utile per avere delle indicazioni di massima, ma poi le varie località devono essere approfondite con altri strumenti.
569 reviews9 followers
March 4, 2022
I like the lay out and standardization of Lonely Planet books. They are thorough and informative. They are always a good starting point when researching/planning a trip.

I’m old school. I like to have a book I can mark up, dog ear, and pack for quick reference.
693 reviews3 followers
May 23, 2017
Good

Good travel guide., covers all of the main places. Handy maps. I would recommend this book to anyone going to Italy.
47 reviews
July 4, 2017
I want to live there

Beautiful pics and a world of information. I wish this book was around when I went to Italy. My hats off to the authors.
Profile Image for Becky.
257 reviews32 followers
January 6, 2019
Read in preparation for my first trip to Europe; it seems great. My son and I enjoyed looking through the sections on Rome and Vatican City.
6 reviews
June 3, 2019
Pretty useful. A bit light on in some areas. Good maps. Left it behind somewhere near lake Como:(
Profile Image for Kyle Montgomery.
45 reviews1 follower
August 24, 2019
Very helpful on our trip to Italy - visiting Tuscany, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast.

I did not read cover-to-cover but would recommend for trip prep and in-trip nosh recommendations.
Profile Image for Andi J.
60 reviews
September 19, 2019
My second trip reading a Lonely Planet book. They are the best!
Profile Image for Jossalyn.
710 reviews18 followers
December 19, 2019
read for trip to Rome/ Campagnia/ Amalfi Coast with Caitie
275 reviews1 follower
January 5, 2020
Appears very thorough and informative. I will look at this more closely when planning a visit to Italy.
Profile Image for Steve Brock.
637 reviews65 followers
July 2, 2020
This book was a Best of the Best for July 2020, as selected by Stevo's Book Reviews on the Internet and Stevo's Novel Ideas. Find more reviews and recommendations by searching for me on Google.
1 review
December 1, 2020
Was a wonderful guide to read prior to my trip to Italy. Gave me several wonderful out of the way places to see and insights into well known areas.

Easy to read, small enough to take on your trip!
170 reviews
October 30, 2022
VERY CONCISE travel book on all parts of Italy... it taught me I should read these books BEFORE the trip, not after.
Profile Image for Sandro Helmann.
294 reviews
July 14, 2023
É impossível contemplar em um único livro tudo o que a Itália tem a oferecer. Mas esse guia chega perto.
252 reviews3 followers
February 9, 2024
I usually really like Lonely Planet books, In comparison to Rick Steves Italy guide book, this book gives very little information.
853 reviews6 followers
June 2, 2024
Was good, useful.
Nmkt library.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews

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