Lonely Planet Florence & Tuscany

by Lonely Planet, Nicola Williams, Virginia Maxwell

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher

Lonely Planet Florence & Tuscany is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Gaze upon Renaissance masterpieces at Florence's Uffizi Gallery, hunt for truffles in the hilltop town of San Minato, or climb San Gimignano's medieval towers; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Florence and Tuscany and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet Florence & Tuscany Travel Guide:



Full-colour maps and images throughout

Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests

Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots

Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices

Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss

Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - including customs, history, art, literature, cinema, architecture, politics, landscapes, cuisine, wine, and more

Free, convenient pull-out Florence map (included in print version), plus over 45 colour maps

User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time

Covers Florence, Siena, Central Coast, Elba, Apuane Alps, Lucca, Pisa, San Gimignano, San Minato, Chianti, Arezzo, Garfagnana, and more
The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Pocket Florence & Tuscany , a colourful, easy-to-use, and handy guide that literally fits in your pocket, provides on-the-go assistance for those seeking only the can't-miss experiences to maximize a quick trip experience.

Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out our Lonely Planet Italy guide for a comprehensive look at all the country has to offer or Lonely Planet Discover Italy, a photo-rich guide to the country's most popular attractions. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet.

About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, Italy

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2015

About the author

OUR STORY
A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. One hundred million guidebooks later, Lonely Planet is the world’s leading travel guide publisher with content to almost every destination on the planet.

Reviews

[Ninja Neko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this guide (together with the superfluous LP Tuscan Road Trips to plan a 12 day autumn road trip through Tuscany. It was my first time in the region and I wanted to get as much as possible out of our short time there. I suppose I went for LP out of habit, their info on the sights is correct and the restaurant tips have worked for us as well.
This guide was average, good info on the larger cities, again some pleasant surprises on the restaurants. I would have liked a little more information on the smaller locations around the Val d'Orcia. We ended up following LP's suggested itinerary through the valley (page 182), adding a few extra stops along the way. In the end it was our favourite part of the trip, and I was very surprised to only find a single paragraph of text on San Quirico d'Orcia in this 380+ page guide book.
A guide which does spend a full chapter on Livorno, labelling it a "highlight" and "undeniably worthwhile stop on any Tuscan itinerary". This description of the city (and it's fish stew) was the main reason we detoured a full day to squeeze Livorno into our planning. Sorry LP - and sorry Livorno - but calling the historic quarter "shabby-chic" is total sugarcoating, it's dull and wasn't worth the detour. But if you're in the neighbourhood (or catching the ferry) the local food is really good - "cinque e cinque" a particular highlight.
Another disappointment was trying to find the mentioned walking path from Greve in Chianti to Montefioralle - it's a road. Greve is an excellent place to have lunch instead.

Long review short: some hits, some misses, overall the guide served it's purpose in helping to plan and accompany our road trip.

[Maria Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sempre os melhores guias!

[Liz McSpadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic

[LeAnn Sipple]

Helpful in depth guide to the region

[Ocelot · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, this Lonely Planet guide to Florence and Tuscany strikes my attention once more. Inside are beautiful pictures, detailed descriptions, and lots of maps and guidelines for YOUR trip to Italy. There are many sections, and you can turn from page to page, or simply open a page and start reading to learn more about this beautiful place. I used this book on my trip to Italy, and it really assisted me. As always, there is a section on Top Sites, and others on family-friendly vacations, and places where one can dine and sleep at. Some fun activities include:

- The Uffizi Gallery, containing many famous artworks including 'The Birth of Venus'.
- Taking a tour of the Tuscan food! With a mix of cheese, wine, olives, pasta, and more, it's arguably one of the best cuisines in the world!

Interested in learning more about Italy? Are you going to Italy? This book is the #1 tourist guide for YOUR trip to Florence & Tuscany!

I'd like to thank Lonely Planet for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Sara W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome! I can no longer be lonely when I read this book. I have found a place wherein I feel like heaven because of its beauty. I hope to travel and see the most beautiful places in the world like Florence and Tuscany.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lonely planet has good stuff as always. I wish there was a little more Florence and a little less Tuscany, but it's still a good book.