Just wondering what's the difference in these 2 books. Planning to be in Italy Sept and into October and not sure which is the best option for info. Is there duplicate info in each?
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Best of Italy is a summary, the guidebook has more detail.
Posted by
Maryland
31 posts
We used the Best of Rome and Best of Venice books on a recent trip. They are definitely a condensed version of the full guide book so they leave a lot out. On the plus side, one book easily fit in my pocket. We could easily pull it out to follow a tour or look something up.
I would go to a bookstore -- if you can actually find a brick and mortar bookstore -- and compare the full version and the condensed version to see what fits your needs better.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
You can also use the e-book versions.
Posted by
WPB, FL & Firenze
3112 posts
The 2 guidebooks do contain overlapping information but they don't mirror one another information-wise. One of the big differences I've noticed is that the Best of Italy guidebook has much less information on places to stay and dine than does the Italy 2019 guidebook. I also get the impression it's updated less frequently than the guidebook with the year in its title, but I'm not 100% certain on that point.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area
5697 posts
And Best of .. books have prettier pictures and heavier paper -- I use them for dreaming/ planning . (I borrow them from the public library.) For the most detailed information and walking tours, look at the one-city or one-region books.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
For the official take on the difference, go to this link and open the tab "Is This The Right Guidebook For Me?": https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/italy-guidebook
My take: the Best Of series is not a good deal. They have lots of color pictures on heavy paper, but MUCH less information. If you want to use one for dreaming and planning, fine; for actual traveling, get the regular Italy book, which has all the nuts and bolts you will use on a daily basis.
Posted by
76 posts
Don't forget Rick's tip of tearing out what you need for the trip and leave the rest at home.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32392 posts
Alice,
What Kent said. The "Best of" books have some of the content of the country guidebooks, but not in as much detail. If you were planning to buy only one, I would recommend the RS Italy guidebook.
If you're also planning to visit Sicily, note that the brand new RS Sicily guidebook has just been released. It's well laid out with lots of detail, as with other RS books.