DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Rome

Eyewitness Travel Guides

by D.K. Eyewitness Travel, Ros Belford (Editor), Roberta Mitchell (Editor)

Eyewitness Travel Rome will lead you straight to the best attractions this cultural city has to offer. With detailed listings of the best hotels, restaurants, bars and shops for all budgets in this fully updated and expanded guide, and insider tips on everything from soaking up the charms of the café scene to gaping at the ancient ruins that line the streets, there is in-depth coverage of all Rome's unforgettable sights from the Coliseum to Villa Borghese. Eyewitness Travel Rome includes unique cutaways, floor-plans and reconstructions of the city's stunning architecture, plus 3D aerial views of the best districts to explore on foot. And the new-look guide's indispensible map is so easy-to-use, keep it with the book or remove and use on its own.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Italy, Reference, History, Guidebook

448 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 1993

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

How not to miss a single important place in Rome!
A Very informative guide. Lots of essential information. Wonderful suggested walking routes with tips of where to eat drink and shop.

[Kristīne Līcis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ja ar atlaidēm ceļvedis nemaksātu nieka 5 eiro, diez vai pirktu, jo nu briesmīgi raibs un sadrumstalots teksts, kas tādēļ šķiet steidzīgs un trauksmains, lai gan trauksmes jau tāpat pietiek no domas, kā visus Romas dārgumus, kas OBLIGĀTI JĀREDZ, paspētu apskatīt viena mūža laikā. Bet nevar noliegt, ka informācijas daudz, tā pat strukturēta pa Romas rajoniem, tā ka ceļveža funkciju grāmata izpilda. Atliek tāds sīkums kā aizbraukt uz Caput Mundi un piedzīvot vēl kādu gabaliņu no Eiropas kultūras un reliģijas vēstures.

"Pilsētas daudzie kultūrslāņi glabā liecības par neskaitāmām celtnēm, kas tapušas divtūkstoš gadu laikā, tāpēc nav pārsteigums, ka tūristiem šīs vēstures šķiet mazliet par daudz."

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I have had a successful vacation by using a DK Eyewitness Travel Guide. It got me around Estonia and now Rome. The book is a little bit heavy, they could consider using lighter materials for carrying around while traveling. Aside from that I have no complaints. It is beautiful with pictures and illustrations to help the reader decide what to prioritize on their journey. It is packed with information and organized in a logical way. The book is broken down into the main areas of Rome and each section is packed with information about monuments and what people would want to see. It covers less popular sites too which was immensely helpful to me as I wanted to see as many churches as possible. The inside cover has a table of contents for each section of Rome which helped when I needed to quick check where a church was. After discussing the areas of town there is a suggested itinerary for walks to help a tourist maximize their time. It also has a list of restaurants and hotels and practical information that can come in handy as well. It even has a brief history of Rome in the front to help you get your bearings as you dive into each district. I highly recommend this book and hope to find a DK Eyewitness for my next location.

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overall guide to Rome, although it nearly gave me an anxiety attack at the beginning as I initially realized how overwhelming Rome can be. This guide gives an overview of Rome's (many, many, many) attractions, sites, and sights, and divides the city into "bite-size" areas that make it seem manageable. If you want a general idea of Rome without diving too deeply into any landmarks, this is a worthy guide.

[Linniegayl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book with area-specific guides and walks.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In year 2000, DK (Dorling Kindersley) released their 5th updated travel guide “Rome: The Eyewitness Way to See the World.” The 452 page guide has 750 full color photographs, unique “cutaway” floor plan drawings, street finder coded location reference maps, and a collection of pictures and notes about currency exchanges, parking locations, and recommendations about how to use Rome’s busses, walkways, trams, and taxis. Also the travel guide has sections about Roman historic architecture, shopping districts, restaurant locations, plazas, hotel features. churches , entertainment facilities, and historic museum sites. The guidebook presentations on Vatican artifacts, historic places, and amazing historic artifacts are very well done. Also the commentaries about each of the guidebook’s 750 pictures are very interesting and full of surprising disclosures. This is an amazing reference manual. (P)

[Adri Dosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3,5 Takhle, kniha je naditá spoustou informací a hodně o památkách, ale pokud hledáte nějakého praktického průvodce, od něhož se chcete odrazit, kam vyrazit a co chcete vidět. Co je kde v jaké čtvrti a nejen památky, tak je to podle mě méně přehledné. Má to trochu jiný systém prezentace, než jsem četla a vyhovuje mi to méně. Tolik ani vědět nepotřebuji, když si tam vlezu.. ano, když budu chodit jen okolo, chápu... jo není to nejhorší, jen mi ten předešlý způsob vyhovoval více a je to možná i mnou, že mám už určitou představu a už jen vyzobávám. Ale rozhodně do kufru a je pěkný i na poličce a prostě i po letech aktuální, památky nezmizí

[Sally Edsall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Eyewitness series is always superb.

Apart from the superb cut-aways, sumptuous photography and enagaging text, what Eyewitness unfailingly delivers is USABLE, properly indexed street maps. Too many guidebooke provide sketchy maps where scale turns out to be a mere fantasy, missing minor streets.

Sometimes I find Eyewitness books a BIT too heavy for the baggage allowance, so I wish the maps were included in some sort of detachable form. They really are better than those in other guides, and as usable as a "freestanding" map book.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good maps and guides to museums, galleries etc. - we used it to guide us around Gallerie Borghese, the colosseum, Palatine and Forum, the Vatican and Bernini statues in Piazzas, and numerous churches, not forgetting restaurant recommendations and travel tips. Great - only criticisms are better indexing would help, and larger print (that's just me getting old). Then I left it in a cafe - ah well, it was the last day.

[Sandy Korom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love DK Books, but this travel book was wonderful! It's like a fascinating history book with wonderful illustrations and maps with additional floorplans that show the location of especially important things you shouldn't miss. Fantastic resource! Now I'm starting on the one for Florence!!

[Donna Boultwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these eye witness books. They have so many fantastic tips and of things you would never find otherwise which makes your trip all the more memorable. With just enough history to dip in and out of.

[Renn Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Eyewitness travel guides, they are the most user friendly and pack the most information for your own self guided tours.

[Robert Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good.

[Beth K · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite guidebook for layouts, area maps and visual guides for specific sites, museums and areas of interest in Rome.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful.

[Morris Yen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great travel guide for Rome, lots of sights included
Beautiful pictures and page design as well.

[Tri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not a perfect guidebook, and I definitely think the “Rome for Families” section needs a revamp, but it was quite good and I’ve wrote down many many places I still haven’t been!

[Claire Zelmanski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the structure of this book! Helpful information without being an impossible to digest encyclopedia. Small enough to carry around.

[Julie Swane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this DK series. Easy to follow information, great maps and suggested walking routes. A wonderful help in planning out 3 days in this amazing city.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't been to Rome, nor do I intend to go, but this book made me feel that I now know something about the city.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of the Eyewitness Travel Guides. The format is appealing -- a lavishly illustrated introductory section expounding on the history and key features of the city followed by color-coded sections, each devoted to a different area. The rear of the book is devoted to practicalities such as transportation, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment. Since it heavily relies on pictures rather than words, it's easy to pick up a guide, thumb through it, and let a striking photo serve as inspiration for where to go or what to do. The text on even the major sights is succinct, so if it's the full monty you're after, supplement this guide with something more substantial like a Blue Guide. However, if you want to get a quick sense of what a destination has to offer, an hour or so spent with one of these guides is probably one of the most effective ways to do background research.

One quibble is that since the Eyewitness Guides are printed on nice, heavy stock, they're not that light. Perhaps in the future another format - digital? - will get around this problem.

[Angel Serrano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guía turística para visitar Roma. Completamente enfocada en el centro de la ciudad, con la historia clásica y el Vaticano como puntos principales de atención. Mapas útiles y paseos detallados para facilitar el viaje.

[Nicky Wheeler-Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the 2000 edition of this book which I took to Italy in 2001. These are fantastic travel guides. They are much more focused on the things you want to see rather than travel, hotels and restaurants. The maps are top-notch and there is page after page of color photographs. These guides are practically like a computerized or digitized version of everything you're going to see, how to get there and even how to find your way around once you do get to your destination. The guide to Rome is divided into various sections of the city, is really well-organized and makes practical sense. I particularly liked the practicality of information about being over-run by other tourists. Important to know when you have limited time. You don't want to waste it standing in long lines. These are especially wonderful in a city like Rome which is filled with so many sites. Highly recommended.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Travel guide with lots of historical information. It is organized by area in Rome and gives historical information about many of the buildings found in each area. There are also sections on where to stay, eat, shop, and go for entertainment. Although small, the book is very heavy and wouldn't be very convenient to carry around with you while you are sightseeing. This is more of a resource to refer to before you go or that you keep in your hotel room during the day and refer to between sightseeing. I would recommend this to someone interested in historical tidbits and to someone who is not going on a guided tour who needs to plan their vacation on their own. This should give you some ideas.

[Carolyn Dorstek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, Roma! What can I say. This book was my buddy for a month before our trip and a week traveling the streets of Rome. Rome is mind boggling, but this book helped me to sort it out as best as can be expected for only spending a week there. We took the walks and were able to identify and understand many of the sights without taking a guided tour, which we vowed to avoid! The maps were the best I have encountered. The pictures were outstanding. We saw so many people with this book (in a dozen different languages) on the streets of Roma. The only downside was trying to read or follow maps at night.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have relied on many DK Eyewitness Travel Guides over the years, and have a shelf full of them that I even loan to other travelers from time to time. I've only ever spent a few days in Rome, so look forward to going back for a longer, more in-depth stay. This book contains all the info needed to plan that trip. However, the publishers decided to use standard paper in this guide rather than the glossy paper that shows off the photographs so beautifully and gives a quality feel to the entire book. It now seems rather like the other run-of-the-mill guides that contain few pictures. Bring back the good paper !

[Ramita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to bring along/pick up at the local tobacconist for a trip in Rome.

PRO: Excellent at what it aims to do: tell you bits of this n that on numerous tourist (and not so tourist-y) sites, as well as enough history to get you immersed in the surrounding. Pretty pictures and cut-aways. Also good as a coffee-table book and a souvenir (don't forget to jot your own notes in it!)

CON: A bit on the heavy side, and the maps are not that detailed (better get the free updated pub. transport one from (i))

[Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great starting guide for a beginner planning their first trip to Rome, which I'm doing currently.

I appreciate that the guide divides the city into neighborhoods and lists things to do and see in each one. It makes things easier when planning lodgings and itineraries. The guide focuses on the really touristy things -- the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Sistine Chapel, for a few examples -- but doesn't spend much time with any off-the-beaten path sites. I love love love all the pictures and the maps.

[Catherine Woodman]

These are very popular guidebooks in general, but I find them hard to use--very buys in their layout, and while there is good information in them, there is a lot of stuff that is just not of interest to me--drawings of things and such--and I find I can't really use them. THey do have phenomenal pictures and for me are helpful in plannign where I might like to see, but wouldn't recommend actually carrying it with you.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best travel book I have read on Rome. I used this book while touring Rome, but I recently sat down and read it again (cover to cover to reminisce and pick up on the history again). Great tidbits of history, great walkthroughs of the city, and great advice on where to eat and visit. I highly recommend this book to anyone going to Rome (and read it before you get there).