Should I get this Florence & Tuscany book in addition to either Rick's complete Italy guidebook or his Best of Italy guidebook?
Probably not. If you're only spending a few days in Tuscany, as part of a longer trip in Italy, the Tuscany chapters of either Italy guidebook are all you're likely to need.
If, however, you're spending four days or more in Florence — or, say, at least week in Tuscany as a whole — the extra information in Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany can be worthwhile. It offers more in-depth sightseeing information for Florence and Siena, several additional self-guided city walks and museum/sight tours, chapters on Cortona and Elba (not covered in either Italy book), and more specifics on shopping and nightlife in Florence, plus suggestions for kids. Other information is generally the same, especially compared to the complete Rick Steves Italy guidebook, which includes nearly all the hotels, restaurants, and nitty-gritty practical advice for the region that you'll find in this Tuscany-specific book. (But compared to Rick Steves Best of Italy, the Florence & Tuscany guidebook does have more hotel and restaurant listings, and in general far more comprehensive coverage of small-town Tuscany.)
What's the difference between this Florence & Tuscany guidebook and Rick's Pocket Florence guide?
The biggest difference: The full-size Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany is not only a comprehensive guide to Florence, but also covers Rick's favorite small-town Tuscan destinations.
Rick Steves Pocket Florence works best for people taking a short trip, or perhaps a return trip, to Florence — and not venturing beyond it. Like our other Pocket guides, Pocket Florence is smaller than the complete guidebook (and in full color), but still offers our best sightseeing advice and a handful of self-guided city walks and museum tours.
For travelers who want to delve deep into Florence, or travel elsewhere in Tuscany, the full-size guidebook is a better option. It offers complete chapters for plenty more Tuscany destinations, as well as more substantial (and more frequently updated) advice on Florence itself: practicalities, sightseeing, self-guided tours, hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, kids' activities, and the city's history and culture.
