Cultured Travel Guide Books - Italy With Kids (Open Road Travel Guides Italy With Kids) |
 |
List Price: $16.95
Our Price: $9.98
Your Save: $ 6.97 ( 41% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
|
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 914.50493
EAN: 9781593600648
ISBN: 159360064X
Label: Open Road
Manufacturer: Open Road
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 128
Publication Date: 2006-07-11
Publisher: Open Road
Studio: Open Road |
| Spotlight Customer Reviews: |
Customer Rating:  
Summary: Helpful Book
Comment: So far we have found this book helpful in planning our trip. It seems most useful for the larger cities.
We especially like the section with the specific kid phrases to translate.
However, we have found that we are still going online to get additional information. We really like www.ciaobambino.com for child friendly accommodations and have used www.itravelitalia.com to help plan our trip which has provided trip specific info for our needs.
Overall, I would say it has been an average book in planning our trip.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not realistic
Comment: I was very disappointed with this book. I took 2 books it was ITALY DISCOVERY JOURNAL I turned to and it is the one my kids enjoyed the most. Pat had great insight about how to make your kids part of the experience, they will always remember this trip as with ITALY DISCOVERY JOURNAL they were part of the decisions.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Lots of useful hints
Comment: As other reviews have stated, this book is far from perfect. But I bought it as soon as I read the art-gallery hint (take crayons and paper). We just got back from a Picasso museum, and our 6-year-old was begging for freedom even though she learned about Picasso in kindergarten. The crayons would have been a lifesaver.
On the upside, the authors understand what kids like and need, and give good hints on things they will like. On the downside, they don't seem to be the brightest bulbs on the planet (the book is filled with howlers like "wet your appetite" and "taxi cues"). They also seem to have a heck of a lot more money than I do (and I'm far from poor). Their idea of an inexpensive hotel is 95 Euros a night for a double (and the kids are extra!). That's my idea of splurging. I shudder every time they tell me that a particular cafe is "a bit pricey, but a good place to relax". I translate that to "lunch will cost more than you ought to be spending on a room."
The second edition also suffers from sloppy proofreading. There are lots of places where prices are still given in lira. The Euro has been around long enough now that I have no clue what 5,000 lira would equate to.
Even so, I'm glad I bought the book. I'll be able to sit down with my daughter and plan the trip together, and that alone is worth the price.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not very good
Comment: We own every European travel book that exists. I can honestly say that this one is by far the worst one I have seen, hands down. The coverage of accommodations is sparse and only includes extraordinarily expensive hotels, for the most part, and the dining recommendations are little better. There are no unique tips in this guide and it really covers 6 cities, and not very comprehensively. I give an extra star for making the attempt to write a kids travel guide, since they are not common.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't waste valuable suitcase space with this book.
Comment: I bought this book prior to a trip to Italy with my 3-year-old son and was highly disappointed. The authors stick to only the most obvious siteseeing destinations and didn't provide the nitty gritty that a traveler with children really needs. For example, the chaper on Venice of course describes St. Marks, but makes no mention of the playground right near the train station. The Milan chapter mentions "The Last Supper" but overlooks a park we discovered that has a collection of dinosaur statues and a carousel. Another major omission: the authors made no mention of the fact that many youth hostels offer accommodations for families, and the YH in Verona was a real gem -- gorgeous grounds to run around on, a spacious room, and cheap meals. It was also about one block away from a playground. None of the accommodations listings mention the hostel option. Bring Lonely Planet and leave this book behind -- the luggage space is better used by a spare coloring book or toy.
|
| More Reviews |
| Editorial Reviews: |
| An indispensable resource for family travel to Italy. Featured destinations are Rome, Venice, Pisa, Florence, Siena, hill towns of Tuscany, Naples and Amalfi Coast, Milan and Lake Region. Everything is written from the parents' perspective: are the hotels family-friendly? Which restaurants are appropriate for kids? How do you say "I need a babysitter tonight?" What are the best gelato shops in each city and town? What books should my kids read before we leave? 'Fun Facts' sidebars are sprinkled throughout for the kids to ponder, and great activities are planned with the kids (and parents too!) especially in mind. "Real parent-tried advice with sections for Rome, Venice, Verona, Tuscany, Naples & Amalfi, and Milan & Lakes Region." - Transitions Abroad .
|
|
|
|
|
