DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Italy Review & Giveaway

Giveaway: Enter Below for a Chance to Win a 4-Pack of Travel Guides ($100 value)

DK has been publishing terrific reference materials for decades and they have recently published major updates to what already were some of the best travel guides available.

It is quite evident that DK spent a great deal of time thinking about how best to present information both in pictures and text in the most useful format for novice travelers to the most seasoned traveler. The guide is designed to help travelers get the most from their visit to Italy, with expert recommendations and detailed practical information about Italy's 15 regions plus separate chapters on Rome, Florence, and Venice.

Italy by Region

Open the cover and you are greeted with a color-coded map of Italy complete with images of major attractions. It gives you a nice overview of the geographical regions of Italy and a great place to start planning your adventure!

How to Use the Guide

You've heard the phrase a picture paints a thousand words. DK has carefully crafted a section that not only explains how to use the guide but takes you on a virtual tour of the guide using actual pages from different sections of the guide.

Introducing Italy

Not sure what the best way to visit Italy is?  The editors at DK have put together several professionally designed tours that include many of the country's best attractions as possible while keeping travel times to  a minimum. A tour of northern Italy includes stops in Milan to see the artwork of Pinoteca di Brera, a cruise on stunning Lake Como, a vaporetto ride along Venice's remarkable grand canal, a visit to Florence's Duomo and world famous galleries, a walk along the stunning coastline hillsides of the Cinque Terre, and finally ending in Tuscany with visits to the enchanting towns of Luca, Pisa, and Siena.  Each tour includes a day by day itinerary of all the best local attractions to see with references to more detailed information contained in the regional guide sections. There are professional tour itineraries for a week in southern Italy, a gourmet tour of Central Italy, and a 7 day tour of Etruscan Italy.

When I visit a country I want to truly experience the local customs and traditions and understand what influenced those traditions and this guide allows me to do just that!

Perhaps the best thing about this guide is the extensive section on the history and culture of Italy. From the Italian art, architecture, and historical timelines with stunning illustrations , to the comprehensive guide to festivals and sporting events throughout the year.

The Regional Guides

The heart of DK's Eyewitness Travel Guide to Italy are the 15 regional guides, essentially a mini travel guide within a complete travel guide. Each regional guide starts with a region at a glance section that includes a regional map complete with pictures and descriptions of top regional attractions.

Food is such a major part of Italian culture and the regional guides include a section on regional dishes and specialties.

The regional guides contain all the necessary information any traveler could possibly need. Regional and city maps are jammed with information such as: roads, railroad routes, and major historical and cultural sites. For example, there are over 35 points of interest included on the detailed map of Venice.  Turn the page and you are greeted with a 4-page illustrated spread of the Grand Canal. The realistic illustrations show a birds-eye view of the canal and highlight all of the important sites and attractions and more importantly where they are located.

Illustrated street by street guides are one of the best ways to explore Italy's charming cites and towns. It's like having your own guided tour as each point of interest is carefully highlighted with hours of operation, contact info, and even a website address if you'd like additional information. In fact it's most likely better than paying for a tour guide because no tour guide could possibly have the time to share the amount of information contained in the Eyewitness Guides.

Travelers' Needs

One of the most important decisions affecting your travel experience revolve around where to stay and where to dine and this guide has one of the most comprehensive directories of lodging and dining suggestions available. There are also guides to shopping, entertainment, and outdoor recreation activities.

Survival Guide

Visiting a foreign country for the first time can be a daunting task. The editors have put together a handy reference guide that includes information regarding: the best times to visit, customs and visa, tour and admission information, traveling with children, travelers with disabilities, conversion charts, personal health and security, banking, email/phone/internet communications, car/bus/boat/rail transportation guides, and more.  There is even a mini Italian phrase guide to help you on your travels.

 “Photographs and text reproduced by permission of DK, a division of Penguin Random House from [DK Eyewitness Travel Italy 2014]. ©2014 by DK. All rights reserved.”

Giveaway Question: If you had to choose between Italy, Paris, London, or New York City, which locale would you choose to travel to and why?

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