Customer Reviews
A lovely book, but limited practical advice - By: jsm999, 12 Apr 2007 
As you'd expect from a guide by Dorling Kindersley, this is a beautifully presented book, full of colour illustrations, photographs, & interesting & easy-to-read bits of information. The guidebook covers Naples, divided into 6 areas, with maps & places to visit in each. There are also 2 suggestions for guided walks within the city, each taking in a number of sights.
A separate section then covers the Amalfi coast, listing the main villages & towns, with chapters on Pompeii, Vesuvius, Herculaneum etc., & illustrations, photos & suggestions for places to visit in each. There are smalll maps for some of the towns & for Pompeii & Herculaneum. A section at the end lists hotels & restaurants to suit alll budgets. We found the information to be pretty accurate, & the suggested sights were as described (when they were open).
My main criticism of this book is its lack of practical information. For example, it tells you that you can get the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii - but not that it doesn't run after noon on certain public holidays even though the site is open alll day. It tells you that you can drive, & the main road to take, but nothing about parking once you get there. It doesn't warn you that the station at Herculaneum is at the top of a long hill, or that the only snack bar inside is closed on certain public holidays - which can be important if you're travelling with children or older people. There is little or no advice on accessibility for people with disabilities. The maps are patchy, with only some roads labelled - I found the map of central Sorrento was fine for walking around, but the road maps of larger areas were too vague to navigate by, & the two maps of Pompeii missed off far too many streets & features to be much use.
This is a lovely book to read before you go on a visit to the region, & after you get back to remember what you've seen & done, but there isn't enough practical information to make it the only guide you need.
