Does much changes from year to year? Is 2008 "good enough?"
I'm thinking of buying 2008 from Amazon.com to save five bucks.
I'm probably going to rip it apart anyway (with all my other books) and make a single trip bible...as other posters have recommended... otherwise I'd be bringing 30 lbs of books!
Pete & Robyn
France/Italy, July 2009
Peter, I think you'll be fine with 2008. When I used RS' 2008 Florence and Rome books last year, it was mainly for guidance on walks and places to eat. The admission costs and some opening/closing costs were outdated by the time the book went to print. It's probably the same with the 2009 version as well. You can also check out what updates have been made to the 2009 guidebooks via the "Books" tab above.
They really do update them every year. I wouldn't want to save five bucks at the expense of getting incorrect information, particularly on the hours of museums, details about mass transit, etc. Compare the five bucks you would "save" to the entire cost of your trip. Do you want to risk it?
I also wouldnt save 5.00 to get a year old book.If a restaurant is dropped for whatever reason and you ate there and were not satisfied you would lose more then 5.00.
I agree, for the $5 extra bucks, get the latest and greatest.
If you want to save some real $$$, here's something you won't find in the 2008 or 2009, but hopefully will find in the 2010.
2008/2009 says that the "upgrade to 1st class trains is worth the splurge". Perhaps the 2010 will be modified to add, "With the major exception of the Eurostar trains, the upgrade to first class is worth the splurge".
I wonder how many thousands of dollars a day are being wasted on 1st Class Eurostar tickets??
If you OWNED the book outright, I'd say you'd be fine. I took 2008 Rome in both December 07 and November 08. For 2008, I got the Rome 2009 book out of the library and wrote updated information in the margins.
To save $20, sure. To save $5? No way. Buy 2009 and peace of mind.
