I'm a little confused with previous reviews of Rick Steves' Rome book. Are we reading the same book? Poor content? Really? I'm planning my first trip to Rome and, if anything, this book has been an indispensable planning tool for our big trip. I have been "traveling" with Rick for many years now. I update my "Europe Through the Back Door" books whenever I plan a trip to Europe, and my 3 versions of these books are all dog-eared, full of highlighted sections and are well worn. Rick's books have been my best friends during past trips to the UK, France and Germany, so his book on Rome was the first book I bought when we began just even considering a trip to the Eternal City. And one of the best things about Rick's country/city books is that he updates them every year, so you know that you have the most up-to-date information available on print. His website is also a fantastic travel resource.

Rick Steves' Rome is subdivided into several categories: Introduction (planning tip, what to know before you go), Orientation, Sights, Sleeping (accomodations), Eating (restaurant suggestions), Rome with Children, Shopping, Nightlife, Transportation Connections, Daytrips, Roman History, Appendix and the Index.

* The "Sights" section alone covers over 230 pages with fantastic and detailed information on Self-Guided Walks (Nightly Walk, Trastevere Walk, Jewish Ghetto Walk) and Self-Guided Tours (including the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Capitoline Museum, Borghese Gallery, Vatican Museum and St. Peter's Basilica to name a few). Each section of this self-guided tours and walks has practical information (hours, cost, how to get there, how to avoid long lines), background history, descriptions of the interior and exterior, maps, pictures and details on each "must see" (whether its a painting, sculpture, structure or item of architectural/historical interest). I've browsed through many travel books on Rome and Rick is one of the few (or the only one) who has given useful tips on the best tours to take, how to avoid long lines, what sights are not worth the trip, what sights are underrated, and how to travel well on a budget.

* "Sleeping" and "Eating" sections covers his recommendations for a wide range of budgets (although those who know Rick knows that he specializes in travel for cost-conscious travelers).

* "Shopping" covers tips on markets, ideas for souvenirs and general shopping tips. It is sparse, however, so if you plan to do some serious shopping, then I recommend that you supplement this book with a "Rome shopping guide" as well.

* "Daytrips" covers Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Naples and Pompeii (sights that are within a 2-hour train ride from Rome). If you are looking for sights around Tuscany/Umbria, then you will want to pick up Rick's "Florence" book for information on those areas.

I highly recommend this book to anyone (especially budget-conscious travelers) who is contemplating a trip to Rome. In my planning, I have also supplemented this book with the latest version of Rick's "Europe Through the Back Door" (fantastic practical planning guide) and "Europe 101: History and Art for the Traveler." If Rick's books have a shortcoming (and, yes, no travel book is perfect), it is the lack of glitzy color pictures that some travel books have. What he lacks in snazzy pictures, he makes up for in content. His self-guided tours and walks, and his tips and budget recommendations are always excellent. However, if you are a "visual" person like me (who must have my pictures) and particularly if you are going on your first trip to Rome, then I have found that Fodor's Rome (Full-Color Gold Guides) with its color pictures, visuals and maps is the perfect complement to Rick's books. I always find that investing in a guidebook or two, and a really good map are well worth it. As a seasoned European traveler, I know that Rick's Rome book, Fodor's Rome and MapEasy's Guidemap to Rome are all I need to help me make my trip a success.

Recently spent a week in Rome with the family. My 12th trip, the family's first. We took Rick's book and DK Eyewitness Travel Rome. Rick's book is a great book. Lots of detail and a clear picture of some out of the way places in Rome. Rick has a good eye and his research is second to none. His descriptions of places and events are as good, or better, than a tour guide. That is the good, and bad, news.
If you are interested in what Rick is interested in, you'll do great. If not, you may miss out on a lot of sights and attractions. Some of his favorite places are virtually next to other attractions of which his book makes no mention.
Rick's tours and focus have a definite "Christian" slant. While early Christianity and the Catholic Church play a huge role in Rome and its' place in history, I felt his self guided tours and places to visit steered the reader more to this part of Rome than necessary.
On the other hand, the DK Eyewitness Traveler Rome packs a tremendous amount into their book, but lacks the detail and descriptions of Rick's book.
We used each book about evenly, with a slight advantage to the DK book. Towards the end of our stay, after becoming more comfortable in our surroundings, we found ourselves using the DK book more and more.

A hint that neither book mention: Men..wear pants and polo or short sleeve shirts; women and girls...forget about the short-shorts, tank, tops, or spaghetti strap tops. Many, many of the attractions associated with the Church, from the Vatican to The Capuchin Monks Crypt, REQUIRE modest dress. Women must have covered shoulders and appropriate length leg coverings (like capris or a skirt). Likewise men shouldn't show up in shorts and muscle t-shirts.
Also for women...those great looking sandals you like so much...ok to bring them, but not the best thing for walking around Rome. Most of the tourist areas are cobble stone or Roman roads. Comfort is a must.

My husband and I just got back from 18 days in Italy, and we used this book and Rick Steves' Florence and Tuscany book for when we were in those areas. Both books are excellent! He gives you great information that is accurate and reliable (about pricing, opening hours, etc.), and provides a great overview of the region. We had brought along two other guidebooks about Italy, but ended up using the Steves' ones pretty much exclusively since they were so thorough and complete. He also has a great sense of humor that makes his books fun to read.

If you go to Rick Steves' website, he also has free audio tours that you can download and put on your mp3 player. My husband and I did downloaded them before we went, and it was great to be able to have tours of many of the major attractions in Italy (the Colosseum, the Uffizi, Pompeii, etc.) that were conducted at our own pace. We saved quite a bit of money from not having to rent audio tours at every site we visited.

The only downside is that so many people in Italy had Steves' books that getting into some of his recommended restaurants was a bit difficult. He mentions this problem himself in his books.

Overall, though, I highly recommend this book if you are going to Rome! It was our first time using Steves' books, but it won't be our last!