Snapshot: Milan & the Italian Lakes District

Rick Steves Snapshot: Milan & the Italian Lakes District contains all the complete chapters on this region, excerpted from Rick's full-length Italy guidebook — and leaves out the chapters on other Italian destinations. So if all you want is Milan and nearby Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, this compact Snapshot guide delivers everything you'll need to know — for about half the price and half the bulk.

Inside you'll find in-depth, Rick-tested information on the best sights, hotels, and restaurants for:

• Milan
  • Including self-guided tour of the Duomo, Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, and Sforza Castle
  • Helpful strategies for making Last Supper reservations
• Lake Como
  • Varenna (including self-guided town walk)
  • Bellagio
  • Menaggio
  • More sights on Lake Como: Villa Carolotta, Villa del Balbianello, Isola Comacina, and Como
• Lake Maggiore
  • Stresa
  • Day trips from Stresa
• And more
  • Advice on planning your time
  • Easy-to-follow maps
  • Transportation tips for getting around the region by train, car, and boat
  • Sidebars on the region's history, culture, and cuisine
  • Handy Italian survival phrases
  • Basic tips on managing money, communicating, reserving rooms, handling emergencies, and other helpful hints

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's complete Italy guidebook?

Nope! Our Snapshot guides are simply excerpted chapters from our full-length guidebooks. Snapshot: Milan & the Lakes District covers the exact same topics as the Milan and the Lakes chapters of the complete Rick Steves Italy guidebook — the same hotels, same restaurants, same sightseeing information, same everything.

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's Best of Italy guidebook?

That depends on how deeply you want to dive into the region. Rick Steves Best of Italy includes very condensed coverage of Milan and Lake Como. If you'd like more comprehensive coverage of the region, including information on Lake Maggiore, the Snapshot guide is worthwhile.

Latest updates: When we learn of critical changes to the information in our guidebooks on Italy, we post them. (Of course, it's still smart to reconfirm critical transportation and sightseeing details locally.) Armed with a Rick Steves guidebook and these late-breaking updates, you're set for a great trip!

Submit feedback: Once you've used this book in Europe, we'd love to hear your feedback — good or bad — about our advice on sights, hotels, restaurants, and travel tips. We're also interested in any tips or discoveries you made while in Europe. Your comments help us improve our guidebooks for future travelers.