About Rick's guidebooks....

Comparing an old (2016) edition of the Italy guidebook to the current edition of the Florence guidebook, the Florence guidebook contains one more self-guided walking tour and several more self-guided museum/sight tours. I also remember comparing the Germany guidebook and the Berlin guidebook for a trip in 2019, and the Berlin guidebook contained more hotel and restaurant recommendations. So I would guess that the “City” specific guidebooks contain more information than the “Country” guidebooks. There are also “Pocket” guidebooks, which look to me like they might just be clipped from the larger “Country” guidebook and do not contain any additional information.

I don't know about Italy, but generally his city and regional books have more detail than the countrywide books. Here's his advice on what book(s) might work best for you.

Thank you for the advice. I ended up phoning them to confirm if one of our desired destinations, Cinque Terre, is included in the Tuscany & Florence volume (it isn't), so I ended up buying the big Italy book!

You have your answer already, but for anyone else asking a similar question, the page for each guidebook includes a sections comparing the different books for each region. For example, for Italy, pick any guidebook and choose "Is this the right book for me?" You'll get a great description of what each book for the region contains, or doesn't contain. A great resource!

Try this page, to answer Karen's question: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/best-italy-guidebook

I’ve bought a ton of his guidebooks over 20+ years of travel, and the overlap is pretty consistent. The city/region books just give you the option to focus down. So, if you’ve got a trip that’s just Rome with some day trips, you don’t have to buy the full size guidebook. I found the RS city guides contain very detailed museum tours and such that don’t make the cut in the full guides. IMO, these details are nice extras but not the essential info I rely on RS for.

I want to buy Pocket Venice and Pocket Rome, since these two cities are in my plans. They'll be more detailed books, right? Thanks for the advice.

Just the opposite. The "pocket" versions contain less than the regular ones. So Pocket Venice has less information that RS Venice.

If you go to the RS store on this website you can get information on each book.

Here are the links Frank is alluding to:

Pocket Rome

Pocket Venice

Just click on "Is This the Right Book for Me?"

The "pocket" refers to the small size of these books. They are best for a short visit because they cover the "must see" highlights.

I am going to Florence next year and am definitely planning to get the Florence(not pocket guide to Florence) guidebook. I am also going to Bologna, which Rick doesn't cover, so plant to get the new Frommer's Italy when it comes out in the fall.

I bought the Italy book for planning purposes, as initially I wasn't sure where I wanted to go. Now that I'm focused on Rome and Florence I'll probably tear those sections out of the guidebook and take them along. I have a cardboard folder they'll fit in. Rick used to sell those but I don't see it in the store at the moment.

Here it is, Marty
https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/guidebook-page-binder

I find his guidebooks somewhat lacking actually.

I have the Switzerland one and it doesn't mention Geneva, I also have the French one and it does't mention Bordeaux, one of the nicest and largest towns in France.

He seems to write about places he personally likes, rather than a factual guide.