National Geographic Traveler Florence and Tuscany

What I like about the National Geographic Traveler Florence and Tuscany:

• This guide provides excellent background information on Florence and Tuscany – the history, culture, food, literature, cinema, architecture, etc.
• These books are geared towards people who want more than just information on where to stay and eat. The writing is excellent and the book is packed full of facts about cities and sites. The book is written in the style of the National Geographic Traveler magazine, meaning it reads more like it is written by a travel writer than most other guidebooks
• National Geographic does not gear these books to travelers on either end of the budget spectrum i.e. they are not for the budget conscious nor are they for the luxury traveler
• One of the things I like best about the National Geographic Traveler series are the 3-D architectural drawings
• Contact information for the tourist information centers is provided
• Addresses, phone numbers and a cost guide are included for popular sites. Days closed is given, however, hours of operation are not provided for most sites
• Regional trivia is scattered throughout the books
• There is a very short section on practical information to help you get around
• If you are only visiting Florence and Tuscany it is nice to have a book that focuses only on that region

I always like to pair a NationalGeographic Traveler book with a smaller book that I can fit in my pocket like The AAA Travelguide to Florence Italy or Florence and Tuscany Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide.