The Bottom Line
Frommer's popular Day by Day series appeals to those with little or no experience visiting a given destination. Beyond a simple offering of "how to spend three days in Rome," these books explain the significance of each recommended site in detail that is punctuated with vivid photography and historical references.
The newest Day by Day guides to Italy, Ireland, and Hawaii will be followed by guides to Spain and Costa Rica. Readers should look for the same attention to practical detail and visual style that Frommer readers have come to expect for several generations.
Pros
- Comprehensive itinerary planner for the first- or second-time visitor
- Brilliant illustrations, photos and coverage for the areas tourists visit most
- Included: a full-sized foldout map in its own plastic pouch attached to the back cover
Cons
- Those on tight budgets might find food and lodging picks to be expensive
- Cities of secondary importance to tourists are not covered
- The Italy volume is heavy and somewhat bulky -- 756 pages
Description
- Italy Day by Day authors Sylvie Hogg and Stephen Brewer each bring many years -- and many travel miles -- to the project.
- This book offers what might be called an in-depth introduction to the major tourist attractions.
- Overview sections of Italy include "The Great Churches" and "Is Venice Sinking?"
- Chapter 16 is entitled "The Savvy Traveler" and includes 22 pages packed with practical information.
- Recommendations can be entertaining: The "best boisterous lunch in Rome" (p. 125).
- Included: 139 maps and 117 self-guided tours.
- 756 pages, Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, N.J. 2010
Guide Review - Frommer Day by Day series
Budget travel often requires difficult decisions as itineraries are planned and vacations are booked.
For many of us, a week in Rome would be much preferred to the three-day window that actually is available. When in that situation, most prefer solid, practical advice rather than criticism.
The Frommer Day by Day series helps budget travelers form meaningful itineraries based on their individual time limitations. It also offers background sections designed to support these sometimes difficult choices.
For example, in the Italy Day by Day volume made available for this review there is a section entitled "The Best of Florence in 2 days." Three pages later, there is a section called "The Best of Florence in 3 days" that adds two additional museums, time at some grand cathedrals and a romantic dinner in the nearby hill town of Fiesole.
But traveler demands aren't that simple, and one-size-fits-all itineraries can be disappointing. So the book also adds art and architectural highlights for those who would rather craft their travel plans based on individual interests.
There are practical recommendations for accommodations and dining as well. Some on a tight budget will complain that those suggestions are a bit on the high end. This series does appear to be tailored more for those seeking value than the travel-on-a-shoestring crowd.
It is also designed for those who are "hitting the highlights" rather than exploring a region or country in more detail. The Italy volume includes chapters on all the key tourism centers. But there isn't any coverage of coastal cities such as Ancona or Bari. These are frequent ports-of-call for cruise ships.
The Italy volume takes up very little space on your bookshelf, given its length of 756 pages. But it is far from lightweight in your baggage, weighing in at nearly 2 lbs. One would hope that books like this one will be available soon in electronic formats travelers can access on portable devices.
It might not be fair to the authors to complain about baggage bulk when they have gone to such lengths to provide practical detail: They offer no less than five favored swimming spots for Campania (p. 579); there is a primer on pizza in Naples (p. 605); visitors to Vatican City or Florence's Uffizi Gallery will find page after page of helpful and complete information.
For budget itinerary planning, the Frommer Day by Day series is an excellent buy. Although designed primarily for the novice, veteran travelers are likely to find plenty of helpful information for planning repeat visits.
