Rick Steves Rome 2019

We have been in Rome three times in the past (total of 6 weeks). We used mainly the Michelin Green Guide and recommendations of our Roman friends. Nevertheless, as we have been there for the last time in 2005, we decided to refresh or memories from a brand new 2019 guide. We have chosen Rick Steves Rome 2019. I’m about 75% through the guide and I find most of the information very helpful and correct even if I would add a bit more information about some unique spots; e.g., about the foam on coffee at the Sant' Eustachio Il Caffè. Another passage could use a bit of explaining: "You’ll pass (at #16, on the right) a low-key doorway protected by security. This is the headquarters of Italy’s Democratic Party. The street becomes Via di Propaganda. You’ll pass alongside the...” (Kindle Locations 2500-2502). Not many readers will remember that the Italian Democratic Party has very different roots than the American Democratic Party – it is the Italian Communist Party that changed their name to something rather misleading. The “Democrats” mismanaged the Italian economy so badly that the current government (and the mayor of Rome) is governed by parties that were just a few years ago left- and rightwing populist movements, on the fringe of Italian politics. As this is the first guide by Rick Steves that I purchased, I did not know that he has a very childish sense of humor in addition to out of place leftist biting remarks; e.g. “And the big beige building with columns and clock houses the right-wing Il Tempo newspaper. It’s appropriately situated in what was the headquarters of the fascist party of Mussolini.” (Kindle Locations 2447-2449). Sorry Mr. Steves, the fascists were just a nationalist version of communists and had nothing to do with the right wing. This comment about the Il Tempo shows the problem with making silly comments without first checking some sources. By the way, Il Tempo was founded after Liberation of Rome, so it has no connection to the fascists. What about this childish and silly comment that a good editor should delete: “Christians blamed the fall [of Rome] on moral decay. Pagans blamed it on Christians. Socialists blamed it on a shallow economy based on the spoils of war. (Republicans blamed it on Democrats.)” (Kindle Locations 3443-3444). Why not the other way around? The final quote shows that slandering those that Mr. Steves doesn't like takes precedence over facts: “In the 1500s, the best way to keep Protestants from stealing your church members was to reason with them. By the 1600s, it was easier to kill them, and so the Thirty Years’ War raged across Europe. The church became crusted over with the colorful, bombastic, jingoistic Baroque we see today.” (Kindle Locations 2770-2772) Hello! What about reading a bit about what precipitated the Thirty Years’ War? Anyone knows what ended the Peace of Augsburg? What about the Defenestration of Prague? Were there more Roman Catholics or more Protestants killed before the Peace of Westphalia ended the carnage in 1648? Who won the Thirty Years’ War?

Using this book and the Rick Steves book on Florence and Tuscany, we were able to plan our trip to Italy without using a professional tour. We felt like we had everything we needed to make the appropriate reservations, travel safely, use multiple modes of transportation—Metro, Taxi, trains, and ferries—avoid long lines for attractions and museums, and see the most important and amazing things without ever tiring of the huge quantity of history and art that exists in italy. You absolutely must download the Rick Steves Audio Europe app too! You can click on Italy and then make sure to download his audio tours to your playlist for anything you plan to visit. Downloading it in advance will make sure you can access it once there since we found even our expensive cell coverage to be spotty and extremely slow. We compared the Rick Steves narrative to the official Uffizi Art museum audio tour which you have to pay for, and the Rick Steves version was more interesting and gave much more information about the context/climate of the period of paintings and better details and descriptions. My husband who I thought would be bored to tears in the art museum absolutely LOVED it, thanks to Rick’s audio narrative. Thank you, Rick Steves!

We just returned from 10 days in Rome. I kept this book with me all of the time. It was great for organizing self guided walks in the different areas of Rome. For example with took a bus to the Termini station and visited all of the sites the book described in that area one day. We were able to see all of the Michaelangelos, Berninis and Caravaggios scared around the city. Good descriptions of what to see at the more popular sites like the Vatican museums as well. We did have some guided tours and we noticed those tracked pretty closely with what was in the book.

This book bailed me out. We were in Venice during extreme flooding and headed to Rome. I paged through the book and found a hotel named Oceania which Rick said was a favorite of his. It was the highlight of our trip. I would never have found a hotel in the historic district with that much charm and delightfull owners without this book. It was a bargain as well.

Rick Steve's Guide book to Rome is perfect. I used it every day of my one week trip to Rome and it was so helpful. From suggestions on which sites to visit, how to avoid tourist scams, restaurant and hotel recommendations, and valuable historical information on the sites, I found the guide to be extremely useful. It helped me plan what sites we would see each day and plan accurately for how long it would take to visit each site. The information on the history of the sites and works of art gave context and meaning to what might have been otherwise overwhelming. There is so much to see in Rome, this guide really helped to make my trip run very smoothly. I highly recommend this book if you are planning a trip to Rome!

This book was full of concrete information to read in advance -- like the fact that there is one price to eat at a table at a restaurant and another price to eat while standing at the bar -- so you know to specify your preference while in Rome. It also has detailed walking tours, divided by neighborhood of Rome. We completed several and found them easy to follow, informative, and highly enjoyable. Initially borrowed a copy from the library and could see we'd want our own to take with and be able to mark up. Will purchase a Rick Steves book for any other European travels before we go. Highly recommend.

Nobody does it like Rick Steves! I used a lot of books to plan my trip to Italy and Rick's consistently contain the most and most useful information. From train travel tips to restaurant suggestions to self-guided tours, this is the book to get. I love the little man that it came with and the level of helpful hints provided.

I was going to be in Rome for exactly 7 days and one of the chapters was "What to do in Rome if you have 7 days!" So, my husband and I made a list of the suggestions and compared that list to ours. We ended up adding 3 sites we never considered before. We also reserved private tours of all the main sites, including the Colosseum and the Vatican. The licensed tour guides have to pass a series of tests in order to give accurate details of the history. The guide book was very useful in explaining the importance of the sites. We ended up taking the book with us most of the time. Very useful and I would recommend you buy this before you plan your trip to Rome.

I had never before read a Rick Steve’s travel book. This was humorous and very informative. In terms of readability it was the best travel book I have read. Not at all like Frommers or typical guide books. There was more substance. Rome has a lot of religious art and the fact that the author was well versed in religion was obvious. It was clear that was a passion of his. If I have a criticism it is that there was too much religious talk for my taste. I would have preferred more information on secular culture and current events.

This is not a negative review of the book content as written by Rick Steves, but rather of Amazon. When I opened the "new" book today, I started marking it up and highlighting interesting activities. Unfortunately, part way through reading it, I realized that someone else had the same idea. My NEW book had notes in the margins of the text. I can't return this because I've already added my own annotations, but I'm deeply disappointed to own someone's Roman sex bucket list. Imagine if I had given this "new" book as a gift!

We have been in Rome three times in the past (total of 6 weeks). We used mainly the Michelin Green Guide and recommendations of our Roman friends. Nevertheless, as we have been there for the last time in 2005, we decided to refresh or memories from a brand new 2019 guide. We have chosen Rick Steves Rome 2019. I’m about 75% through the guide and I find most of the information very helpful and correct even if I would add a bit more information about some unique spots; e.g., about the foam on coffee at the Sant' Eustachio Il Caffè. Another passage could use a bit of explaining: "You’ll pass (at #16, on the right) a low-key doorway protected by security. This is the headquarters of Italy’s Democratic Party. The street becomes Via di Propaganda. You’ll pass alongside the...” (Kindle Locations 2500-2502). Not many readers will remember that the Italian Democratic Party has very different roots than the American Democratic Party – it is the Italian Communist Party that changed their name to something rather misleading. The “Democrats” mismanaged the Italian economy so badly that the current government (and the mayor of Rome) is governed by parties that were just a few years ago left- and rightwing populist movements, on the fringe of Italian politics. As this is the first guide by Rick Steves that I purchased, I did not know that he has a very childish sense of humor in addition to out of place leftist biting remarks; e.g. “And the big beige building with columns and clock houses the right-wing Il Tempo newspaper. It’s appropriately situated in what was the headquarters of the fascist party of Mussolini.” (Kindle Locations 2447-2449). Sorry Mr. Steves, the fascists were just a nationalist version of communists and had nothing to do with the right wing. This comment about the Il Tempo shows the problem with making silly comments without first checking some sources. By the way, Il Tempo was founded after Liberation of Rome, so it has no connection to the fascists. What about this childish and silly comment that a good editor should delete: “Christians blamed the fall [of Rome] on moral decay. Pagans blamed it on Christians. Socialists blamed it on a shallow economy based on the spoils of war. (Republicans blamed it on Democrats.)” (Kindle Locations 3443-3444). Why not the other way around? The final quote shows that slandering those that Mr. Steves doesn't like takes precedence over facts: “In the 1500s, the best way to keep Protestants from stealing your church members was to reason with them. By the 1600s, it was easier to kill them, and so the Thirty Years’ War raged across Europe. The church became crusted over with the colorful, bombastic, jingoistic Baroque we see today.” (Kindle Locations 2770-2772) Hello! What about reading a bit about what precipitated the Thirty Years’ War? Anyone knows what ended the Peace of Augsburg? What about the Defenestration of Prague? Were there more Roman Catholics or more Protestants killed before the Peace of Westphalia ended the carnage in 1648? Who won the Thirty Years’ War?

Using this book and the Rick Steves book on Florence and Tuscany, we were able to plan our trip to Italy without using a professional tour. We felt like we had everything we needed to make the appropriate reservations, travel safely, use multiple modes of transportation—Metro, Taxi, trains, and ferries—avoid long lines for attractions and museums, and see the most important and amazing things without ever tiring of the huge quantity of history and art that exists in italy. You absolutely must download the Rick Steves Audio Europe app too! You can click on Italy and then make sure to download his audio tours to your playlist for anything you plan to visit. Downloading it in advance will make sure you can access it once there since we found even our expensive cell coverage to be spotty and extremely slow. We compared the Rick Steves narrative to the official Uffizi Art museum audio tour which you have to pay for, and the Rick Steves version was more interesting and gave much more information about the context/climate of the period of paintings and better details and descriptions. My husband who I thought would be bored to tears in the art museum absolutely LOVED it, thanks to Rick’s audio narrative. Thank you, Rick Steves!

We just returned from 10 days in Rome. I kept this book with me all of the time. It was great for organizing self guided walks in the different areas of Rome. For example with took a bus to the Termini station and visited all of the sites the book described in that area one day. We were able to see all of the Michaelangelos, Berninis and Caravaggios scared around the city. Good descriptions of what to see at the more popular sites like the Vatican museums as well. We did have some guided tours and we noticed those tracked pretty closely with what was in the book.

This book bailed me out. We were in Venice during extreme flooding and headed to Rome. I paged through the book and found a hotel named Oceania which Rick said was a favorite of his. It was the highlight of our trip. I would never have found a hotel in the historic district with that much charm and delightfull owners without this book. It was a bargain as well.

Rick Steve's Guide book to Rome is perfect. I used it every day of my one week trip to Rome and it was so helpful. From suggestions on which sites to visit, how to avoid tourist scams, restaurant and hotel recommendations, and valuable historical information on the sites, I found the guide to be extremely useful. It helped me plan what sites we would see each day and plan accurately for how long it would take to visit each site. The information on the history of the sites and works of art gave context and meaning to what might have been otherwise overwhelming. There is so much to see in Rome, this guide really helped to make my trip run very smoothly. I highly recommend this book if you are planning a trip to Rome!

This book was full of concrete information to read in advance -- like the fact that there is one price to eat at a table at a restaurant and another price to eat while standing at the bar -- so you know to specify your preference while in Rome. It also has detailed walking tours, divided by neighborhood of Rome. We completed several and found them easy to follow, informative, and highly enjoyable. Initially borrowed a copy from the library and could see we'd want our own to take with and be able to mark up. Will purchase a Rick Steves book for any other European travels before we go. Highly recommend.

Nobody does it like Rick Steves! I used a lot of books to plan my trip to Italy and Rick's consistently contain the most and most useful information. From train travel tips to restaurant suggestions to self-guided tours, this is the book to get. I love the little man that it came with and the level of helpful hints provided.

I was going to be in Rome for exactly 7 days and one of the chapters was "What to do in Rome if you have 7 days!" So, my husband and I made a list of the suggestions and compared that list to ours. We ended up adding 3 sites we never considered before. We also reserved private tours of all the main sites, including the Colosseum and the Vatican. The licensed tour guides have to pass a series of tests in order to give accurate details of the history. The guide book was very useful in explaining the importance of the sites. We ended up taking the book with us most of the time. Very useful and I would recommend you buy this before you plan your trip to Rome.

I had never before read a Rick Steve’s travel book. This was humorous and very informative. In terms of readability it was the best travel book I have read. Not at all like Frommers or typical guide books. There was more substance. Rome has a lot of religious art and the fact that the author was well versed in religion was obvious. It was clear that was a passion of his. If I have a criticism it is that there was too much religious talk for my taste. I would have preferred more information on secular culture and current events.

This is not a negative review of the book content as written by Rick Steves, but rather of Amazon. When I opened the "new" book today, I started marking it up and highlighting interesting activities. Unfortunately, part way through reading it, I realized that someone else had the same idea. My NEW book had notes in the margins of the text. I can't return this because I've already added my own annotations, but I'm deeply disappointed to own someone's Roman sex bucket list. Imagine if I had given this "new" book as a gift!

This book was an excellent guide for us in Rome! We tore out the pages we would need each day and followed Rick’s walking tours and an excellent guide to day trip to Ostia Antica. I also purchased the Spain guide and used it at every museum and site. I was actually shocked at how easy to follow and how interesting the information was. I’ve always bought and read Rick’s travel guides before but this was the first time I used it on the street. Well worth the money! Loved it!

Our travel style is very much like Rick's style. Not too cheap, not too expensive. I love the tips that are given in his books. You can actually plan a trip to the day and time of day using these if you like since they are detailed in what is normally open and how much the tickets are, etc. Rick Steves books are our go-to for vacations.

Rick Steves never disappoints. Handy tips, real life information and great history! In fact, we found that this book was more accurate in opening times for attractions than Google! Any time we travel, we buy Rick Steves book.

Rick Takes the time to show some of the details about what is available to stay, see and eat. This if the sixth RS travel book we have purchased for trips to Italy.

Excellent and has already payed for itself. I booked a tour to Tuscany and used a code from the book, saved me 45 bucks. This book is just filled completely with good to know information. This book will be with me in my suitcase.

Rick Steve's books are the best for learning about destinations. Been using them for our last 5 trips to Europe

This book is excellent for a birds-eye-view of Rome - in color!!! We are going there in late April and now we know what we want to see. Great read.

You can’t go wrong with ANY of Rick Steve’s books. This was no exception. We were in Rome 9 days and I used the book to plan in advance and also carried it with me daily. The walking tours were incredible and very informative.

Everything we needed to know for 8 days in Rome including not to be missed day trip to Tivoli and another great easy day trip to Ostia Antica. Take your own euros...ATM conversion rate will not be a highlight!

Perfect for getting me around Rome last November that and downloading his app with various tours so I could just wander on my own to my hearts content.

I mistakenly thought this book was for Rome, Georgia and was very disappointed until my wife said we’re going to Rome ITALY. so everything worked out okay and the book was very helpful.

When I "looked inside" to get a feel for what this travel book is like online, I saw vivid, easy-to-read colorful pages. Imagine my surprise when I opened the book I received today to see everything in B&W, small type size, flimsy paper, and poor resolution. It was just wall-to-wall light gray type. I guess I unknowingly previewed the Kindle version online. However, even the preview of the print version is misleading as to the quality of the book. It will be returned tomorrow.

Excellent, as always! Can Mr. Steves do no wrong?! LOL A fantastic guide with wonderful maps, helpful hints and insights, lists and suggestions. It’s an enjoyable book as an armchair traveler. Can’t recommend highly enough. A MUST!!

We've used several Rick Steves travel books and always found them informative, helpful, and easy to follow. Steves does not get too carried away and his material is easy to read. We will use his books for many more trips to Europe.

Whether is was the excellent pull out map, tour guide suggestions, or hotels, I found info to use.

This book is excellent for a birds-eye-view of Rome - from soup to nuts it is a comprehensive look at the city, including the Vatican. The pull out map is an nice bonus! I will be in Rome and Tuscany for Easter and now I know where to go, what to see, and what to avoid. This is a great read.

Amazing! I used this book while on vacation in Rome..It saved me so much money, And I noticed so many people using it....Do yourself a favor and buy this book.

Doesn’t disappoint. A lot of good information in the maps are excellent. It saves us a lot of time it may roam a little easier. I’m glad we got it

If you bought the Italy Rick Steves, it is disappointing the the Rome nook is just a subset, nothing extra

I do not travel to Europe without my Rick Steves book. Always an incredible reliable resource and it allows you to tour on your own if you want. I recommend him to everyone.

This typical Rick Steve’s guide is a treasure cove of useful information. He pays careful attention to the little details, which often make the difference between a successful vacation and a mixed bag. I also like the small format which makes it easy to carry around.

This book is perfect for planning a trip to Rome. I highly recommend. It helped me a lot and I appreciate everyone involved in the book.

The book is fantastic, but the map is worth the entire price of the book. It is so easy to follow, showing all the tourists points of interests. Highly recommend!!!!

I always buy his books before going to Europe. Great tips on restaurants and tourist attractions

Rick Steves is so knowledgeable--and shares all his wealth of info! Great book!

AS always, Rick's books are very functional. I was able to guide myself through Rome thanks to this book. Saved me so much time and money!

Really great book for exploring Rome. My friend and I loved Rick Steves’ insight and thoughtfulness. Definitely recommend.

Full of fantastic information and tips for travel to Rome.

I bought this to prepare myself for an Oct, 2019 visit to Rome. The book was great at helping me plan my visit, not only because of the loads of detail on must-see sights in Rome, but also for the wealth of practical and up-to-date travel tips.

a trip to rome leaving for Rome March 20th

Good information to review prior to your trip

Terrific book - normal Rick Steves quality.

Very helpful information

As always, as great guide when we went on a trip to Rome this past October! Everything is organized well in the book and his tips are pretty much spot on!

The best Rome guide.

Super helpful!

Best books!

Great guidance and entertaining language. Up-to-date and helpful.

I am better prepared for Rome than I thought I would be.

Dog eared pages, so much info. Taking book with me....

Really helped on our trip to italy

Rick Steves puts together a great travel book. He is my favorite

Good information.

Gift to someone traveling to Rome for first time!

Wonderful detail in this lengthy book including recommended places to stay. There is also a Rick Steve’s discount. Looking forward to using it on a trip to Rome.

I waited for the 2019 version and it is as expected. I use these books whenever planning a trip to Europe.

Pretty new book. Very nice.

The Best in travel information!

It’s okay. Filled with a lot of information but could be better with hotels and restaurants.

Great ideas and full of important information.

I used this on my trip to Rome EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Love traveling with RIck Streves books make planning and navigating once we are abroad allot of fun

Pointed out things I would never been aware of. He said crowded that was so very true

Getting to visit Rome and needed some information. Good for this!

Great book and user friendly

Excellent book. Wouldn’t travel without Rick Steves!

I used this book this past week....recommendations weer right on

Excellent!

incredibly helpful with quick info, maps, destinations, anything you need

The book provided everything we needed to enjoy Rome.

useful travel guide.

Great!

Extremely helpful in planning my trip

Packed with information. Very helpful in planning our vacation.

For planning upcoming trip to Rome

What can you say about Rick Steves? The man knows how to build a travel empire and writes a darn good guide. Steves is a stickler for detail and gives travelers a feeling of place before they've stepped off the plane. He is a shining example of travel writing and has positively influenced generations of travelers. Can't wait until he comes out with a Rome, Florence and Venice triple whammy.

Good.

Guide easy to read, well organized and detailed. Best travel guide I have ever used. Can't wait for wheels up!

I love Rick Steves guides because they are full of tips that you just don't find in other ones. I love the guided walks he includes because they are a great way to orientate yourself in the new city. It also helps make sense of the things you are walking past that you might otherwise miss, rather than just going from sight to sight without knowing what was between.

I love Rick Steves Audio and Video tours. This guidebook does not disappoint. Informative and entertainingly presented, with sufficient detail to pique interest

Excellent! If your traveling to anywhere in the world, Rick Steves tells it he way it is and prepares you well. We were very well informed for our trip to Italy with our family of 6 adults and 2 babies and we didn’t have one problem whatsoever in 2 entire weeks. Do your homework, follow his advice and travel safely and smartly. Be educated!

I used this for my six days in Rome. It was just the right level of detail, and found it extremely useful. It looks so used now - which is a good sign! When traveling, you don’t want to be spending too much time looking at your travel book, yet be informed enough on what to look out for as well as get a good context of what you’re seeing. There is also a Rick Steve’s app to download but it’s content is identical to what’s written in the book. Spend some time reading this book before your trip if it’s your first time to Rome, and you will find this book a most invaluable companion. Just keep in mind this book is written with an American reader in mind, but it wouldn’t matter for anyone who understands English.