During our time living in Italy, and during various trips back, we've tried out seemingly every travel guide out there. This post attempts to boil the field down to the ones we found most useful and which we believe are the best Italy travel guides.
The first I'll mention is the old standard, Fodor's Italy. Of course, as you would expect, it has a wealth of information about what to do and see when you're in Italy and other valuable tips to make your journey to and through Italy more enjoyable. But what stood out for my wife and I were the restaurant recommendations. We would rely almost exclusively on Fodor's highlighted suggestions regarding great places to eat, from inexpensive and casual to more expensive and sophisticated. I can't remember once when we were disappointed. Also, as the book is updated every year, it is among the most accurate regarding all of its recommendations.
Another guide upon which we relied heavily during our travels was DK Eyewitness Travel's Italy. It's visual and descriptive format makes it a good companion while out seeing the major sites and attractions such as museums, galleries and architecture. The shortfall of this book, and the other major titles, is that it tends to run to the tried and true, rather than providing ideas for unique and interesting adventures off the beaten track. Also, it doesn't provide the quality and reliability of restaurant recommendations that Fodor's does.
On that note, if your goals are epicurean in nature, you can't go wrong by packing the Michelin Red Guide Italia. It features a selection of the best hotels and restaurants in all comfort and price categories. Michelin supports its selection with five commitments which have been applied by the Guide and its inspectors for more than a century, since the first Michelin Guide France was published in August 1900. First, their inspectors make regular and anonymous visits to hotels and restaurants to gauge the quality of products and services offered to an ordinary customer. Second,the choice of establishments is completely independent, made for the benefit of the readers alone, and inclusion in the Guide is completely free of charge. Third, it covers a selection of the best hotels and restaurants in all comfort and price categories. Fourth, it is annually updated. And finally,the criteria for the classifications are the same for the 21 countries covered by the Guide, taking into account the different characteristics of each country. You will be assured to eat well if you follow the Michelin stars.
Continuing on the food front, a must have is Fred Plotkin's Italy for the Gourmet Traveler. With his extensive knowledge of and passion for Italy, Plotkin makes an excellent host to guide you through the nation's 22 regions, including the islands of Sicily and Sardenia, and each area's distinctive foods and wines. When he isn't traveling, Plotkin lectures and writes about things Italian and has penned The Authentic Pasta Book and Opera 101, a book highly recommended for those interested in a captivating crash course in opera. He uses his extensive knowledge to create a catalog of helpful restaurant reviews, recipes, a glossary of food terms, profiles of cities and their local histories, and anecdotes which add great color to a very useful guide.
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