You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go_they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!Frommer's Northern Italy is the premier guide to the region, with complete coverage of Venice, the Dolomites and South Tirol, Milan and Lombardy, Liguria and the Italian Riviera, and more. You'll get candid reviews of the best hotels, restaurants, and nightlife, as well as the author's picks for the best travel experiences, including: cruising the brenta canal; driving the great dolomite road; riding the cable cars over mont blanc; hiking the cinque terre; taking in the art at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan; partying at the spring Carnevale in Venice; and more.Every one of our honest, in-depth hotel reviews is based on a recent personal inspection; every restaurant has been tried personally; and every sight and shop was checked out in detail. You'll get the latest trip-planning advice, valuable cultural insights, wonderful tips for venturing off the beaten path, and detailed, accurate maps. With Frommer's in hand, it's a snap to design the Italian adventure that's right for you.

Reid Bramblett learned Italian on the playground of a Roman parochial school when he was 12, explored Italy with his parents for two years in a hippie-orange VW camper, and spent a year studying there during a break from the anthropology department at Cornell. After a stint in Frommer's editorial offices, Reid vaulted over the desk to write Frommer's first guide to Tuscany and Umbria and hasn't stopped exploring, learning, interviewing, taking notes, and reporting it all in guidebooks since. He has also written Frommer's Portable Florence, Frommer's Memorable Walks in New York, Europe For Dummies, is co-author of Frommer's Italy from $70 a Day, and contributes to Frommer's Europe from $70 a Day. When not on the road, he lives in Maspeth, Queens, with two cats and the brilliant and beautiful Frances Sayers, without whose invaluable help and stupendous patience none of those books listed above (to say nothing of this one) could have been written.