I am so excited!  I am going to Italy this spring for my mother’s 70th birthday. This will be my third trip to Italy. When DK publishing asked what travel books I wanted to review, I of course chose Italy!  I also chose Paris as a future destination and a place I had already been.

[amazon_link id=”1465410589″ target=”_blank” ]DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Italy[/amazon_link]

Experience the best of Italy with DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Italy. This newly updated travel guide for Italy will lead you straight to the best attractions this country has to offer, from touching the stones of the Colosseum in Rome to gazing up at Michelangelo’s David in Florence to slurping gelato along the canals of Venice.

• Extensive itinerary recommendations help plan trips to Italy by length of stay and by interest, whether you have just one day to spend in Rome or a week in the countryside, or are looking for a gourmet tour.
• Neighborhood walking maps show you the sights at a glance and help you make the most of your visit.
• Hotel and restaurant listings include DK Choice special recommendations.

Inside DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Italy, you’ll find DK’s famous cutaway illustrations of major architectural and historic sights, museum floor plans, and 3-D aerial views of key districts to explore on foot, along with in-depth coverage of the country’s history and culture. Maps are marked with sights from the guidebook and include street finder guides for Florence, Rome, and Venice.

With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Italytruly shows you this country as no one else can.

Looking through this book, I am even more excited for this trip!  Phone numbers, hours of operation, websites, etc. are given for sites.  The photographs are beautiful, and there are recommended places to eat and stay.

The maps are handy for planning your trip, but I prefer to use my iPhone to look less like a tourist (and potential pick pocket victim) on the streets.  I wish there was more information about public transportation. It is included, but it isn’t as clearly spelled out as I wish.

[amazon_link id=”146541052X” target=”_blank” ]DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Paris[/amazon_link]

Experience the best of Paris with DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Paris. This newly updated travel guide for Paris will lead you straight to the best attractions this city has to offer, whether you are planning visits to the Louvre and other museums of Paris, a climb up the Eiffel Tower, or just want to go shopping.

• Themed itineraries help plan trips to Paris by length of stay or by interest.
• Neighborhood walking maps include restaurant locations by area.
• Hotel and restaurant listings include DK Choice special recommendations.

Inside DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Paris you’ll find DK’s famous cutaway illustrations of major architectural and historic sights, museum floor plans, and 3-D aerial views of key districts to explore on foot, along with in-depth coverage of the city’s history and culture. A pull-out city map is marked with sights from the guidebook and includes a street index, a Paris Metro map, and a chart showing the walking distances between major sights.

With hundreds of full-color photographs, hand-drawn illustrations, and custom maps that illuminate every page, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Paris truly shows you this city as no one else can.

This guide book suggests some great 90-minute walks that look amazing.  I haven’t been to Paris for 25 years, and this book is bringing all my memories back!  It also features a pull-out map.

My only criticism of these books is they are kind of heavy.  I think they are more for planning your trip then for schlepping them around.  Both of these books do have ebook versions, so that solves the heaviness problem 🙂

It’s really great to have updated 2015 versions of travel books!   I want to explore this great world we live in!

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[amazon_enhanced asin=”1465410589″ /][amazon_enhanced asin=”146541052X” /][amazon_enhanced asin=”146541052X” /]