Snapshot: Hill Towns of Central Italy

Rick Steves Snapshot: Hill Towns of Central Italy contains all the complete chapters on this region, excerpted from Rick's complete Italy guidebook — and leaves out the chapters on other Italy destinations. So if all you want are the hill towns, this compact Snapshot guide delivers everything you'll need to know — for about half the price, and a fraction of the bulk.

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

• Siena
• San Gimignano
• Volterra
• Montepulciano
• Pienza
• Montalcino
• Assisi
• Orvieto
• Civita di Bagnoregio
• And more
  • Great self-guided walks and tours, including a driving tour of the Heart of Tuscany
  • Advice on planning your time
  • Easy-to-follow maps
  • Transportation tips for connecting the towns by car, bus, and train
  • Sidebars on the region's history, culture, cuisine, and wines
  • 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: Hill Towns of Central Italy covers the exact same topics as the several hill-town chapters of the complete Rick Steves Italy guidebook (including Assisi, Orvieto, and Civita di Bagnoregio) — 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 lightly condensed coverage of our favorite hill towns — enough for a quick trip. If you'd like more comprehensive coverage of the region, or any information on Volterra, San Gimignano, or Pienza (not included in Best of Italy), the Snapshot guide could be worthwhile. (For the most comprehensive coverage of smaller Tuscan cities and towns, it would make more sense to supplement your Best of Italy guidebook with the more thorough Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany guidebook.)

Should I get this Snapshot guide in addition to Rick's Florence & Tuscany guidebook?

Only if you'd like information on Assisi, Orvieto, or Civita di Bagnoregio, none of which are covered in Rick Steves Florence & Tuscany. But the full-length Florence & Tuscany guidebook already includes all the information on Tuscan destinations that's in this Snapshot guide (and even has a little more on Siena and Pisa).

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.