- Martin Dunford
The Rough Guides have built up an excellent and well-deserved reputation for writing clear, informative travel guides and the Rough Guide to Italy is no exception. This 1200-page book contains a wealth of detail about Italy, not just from a purely tourist viewpoint, but with intelligently written guides to Italian history, language and culture. As a tool for helping you travel round the country, its transport and accommodation listings are reliable and comprehensive, but where Rough Guide stands out above its nearest rivals is in its ability to describe a city or town as more than a sum of its museums, art galleries and churches. These are mentioned in detail, of course, but so are attractions off the tourist trail which are often missed in other guides but which give as valuable as sense of Italy as the more visited places. The Rough Guides are aimed at the young-spirited, independent traveller, but the many boxes of local information - ranging from where to buy the best gelato to local festivals - mean that travellers of all ages will find something to inspire them.