Rick Steves is at it again with a new guidebook, and this time his focus is on a trio of Italy's most majestic cities: Rome, Venice, and Florence. A valuable addition to the veteran traveler's oeuvre, which includes guidebooks to major Mediterranean cruise ports and exposés of the great monuments and bubbling bathhouses of Budapest, this one leads the reader through the land of pizza, pasta, and panzanella.

His original "Rick Steves Italy" is now in its 28th edition, and Steves still has fond memories of his time in the country. He still says his 1973 romp to Rome was among his best-ever trips to Europe, and he recently revealed that Lake Como and the scenic Alta Via 1 hiking path in the Italian Alps were among his vacation destinations of choice for 2025. So it's fair to say that the eminent author, TV presenter, and radio host is a big, big fan of Italy and all it has to offer.

He's not the only one. Data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (via SchengenInsurance) shows that Italy reigns as the third most-visited country in the whole of Europe. Over 57 million folks travel here each year! Many of those tourists will head straight for the big-hitting cities of Rome, Venice, and Florence, a triptych of enthralling towns that often dominate lists of the must-see places in the country. Well, now they'll have a Rick Steves guidebook to accompany them, since those three metropolises are the headline destinations of this new publication.

Read more: Rick Steves Says To Always Do These Things Before Traveling

A new perspective on three iconic Italian cities

Up until now, most Rick Steves guidebooks on Italy have concentrated on the whole country or niche cultural areas like Italy for foodies. That, or they've been deep dives into specific cities on their own — there are dedicated standalone books for traveling just to Rome, to Florence, to Venice. Where this new publication differs is in its merging of three into one.

By recognizing just how popular that golden trifecta of cities really is, Steves now tables a handy, packable product that you can use for not one, not two, but three top Italian must-sees. The travel guru has done something similar before. Previous editions of his snapshot series of books have coupled the fashion city of Milan with the glinting waters of the Italian Lakes District, for example.

Doing it this way will mean some inevitable sacrifices in detail. For example, the new book doesn't have certain day-trip suggestions or information on what to do with kids in each place. However, it's still jam-packed with all that great "Rick-tested information" you'll be used to, spread across a whopping 400-plus, super-thin pages. Steves recommends it for anyone looking to visit all three hotspots in the same journey and planning to spend up to four days in each city.

Reveal the secrets of Rome, Venice, and Florence, the Rick Steves way

Avid followers of Rick Steves will know of his so-called "back door" approach to travel. It's a way of really getting under the skin of a place by seeking out lesser-visited sights, doing as the locals do, and overnighting in popular day trip destinations. This new guide is true to that age-old way of doing things; a way of doing things that's served this Europe expert well since 1976!

It's crammed with vital information for maximizing your time and budget, outlining both the top-draw attractions and the hidden wonders of each town. Take Florence as an example. Steves offers comprehensive walkthroughs of the Uffizi Gallery, but also tips on side street osterias where you can dine on real Tuscan food and drink an authentic Chianti. Want to know the best place to glug a Negroni in Rome's romantic quarter of La Trastevere? This one has you covered. Keen to skip the crowds and see the most underrated parts of Venice that Rick Steves calls the most intriguing of all? No problem!

Then there are the mapped-out walking routes. These have long been one of the central pillars of Rick's Italy coverage, revealing ways to navigate bustling cities that take in oodles of landmarks and hidden gems, all on easy-to-follow maps. They include Rick's curated "Dolce Vita Stroll" from Piazza del Popolo all the way to the Roman Forum, and a self-guided cruise down the legendary Grand Canal to lay eyes on the Campanile di San Marco, the tallest structure in Venice.

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Read the original article on Islands.