AAA Spiral Venice ReviewIt is no mystery why Venice, Italy appears on many lists as the number one “dream destination” of people planning a foreign vacation. Venice is mysterious, romantic and well a little intimidating without some help from a guidebook. The canals combined with narrow alleyways create an extraordinary city.

Pages: 214

Dimensions: 8 x 4.7 x 0.6 inches

Weight: 11.2 ounces

Venice Maps: Detailed street maps of Venice. A map of boat routes is located on the inside of the back cover. Venice is a very difficult city to navigate and I have yet to find a map that can get me where I want to be. I generally get around my taking note of landmarks on my route.

Venice Pictures: Good pictures of most major sites

What I like about the AAA Travel Guide to Venice, Italy:

  • These travel guides are spiral bound making them easy to open and read especially when you are moving around. Because they are spiral bound you can open the book to the site you are visiting and leave it there rather than continually having to flip through pages to find what you are looking for.
  • The guide is for one city only so you do not need to carry a big book that has all the sites to see in Sicily, when you are only going to Venice.
  • There is a short section on the history of Venice, local foods and how a city surrounded by water functions.
  • These books tell you what you need to do in the first two hours after you arrive in a city and give the location of the tourist information offices.
  • Each book has a “Getting Your Bearings” section for each part of the city as well as what to do if you have one day, two days, etc. They even have suggestions for lunch and dinner taking all the guesswork out of your visit.
  • Highlights of museums and sites are bullet pointed .
  • Tip boxes are scattered throughout the books giving you tips such as arrive early or buy your ticket on-line, etc.
  • There is a section on excursions that includes trips to Padova, Chioggia, Verona and Vicenza. The book also gives an itinerary for seeing the Lagoon Islands in a Day and has short sections on Murano, Burano and Torcello.
  • A section on recommended walks through the city is accompanied by maps. The directions are very specific i.e. walk straight ahead, turn right into Via del Monte alle Croci. It makes it easy even for those of us who can get lost walking to our front door from the end of our driveway.
  • For each city there is a section on Where to Eat and Drink, Where to Shop and Where to be Entertained.
  • The end of each guide is devoted to practicalities such as How to Tip, Clothing Sizes, Health information and a short Italian to English Dictionary. Because these books are small enough to carry with you the dictionary is actually helpful.
  • Addresses, hours of operation, phone numbers and a cost guide are included for each entry.

What I Don’t Like about the AAA Travel Guide to Venice, Italy:

  • If the books were just a little smaller they could easily fit into the pocket of a jacket. As it is, they are long enough that they will stick out of most pockets.
  • It would be nice if the books included some out of the way places to visit. You get a good overview of must-see-sites but very little on lesser-known sites

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