Best of Travels in Europe: Italy

Combining material from the first (1991) and third (1995) series of Rick Steves' acclaimed PBS-aired Travels in Europe, the Best of Travels in Europe series (available as six videos or six DVDs) offers an excellent guided tour through Europe's major centers, including British Isles, France, Spain & Portugal, Germany & Austria, Italy and Greece & Turkey (with the DVD versions including Switzerland and, though not Europe, Israel and Egypt). I took the Italy DVD for a spin, and was immediately struck by the crisp, colorful transfers on the episode "Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast," which not only visited the de rigueur attractions such as the Pantheon and the Coliseum, but true to Steves' trademark back door style, took viewers to a number of off the beaten tourist track places in and around the glory that was Rome. Armchair enthusiasts will see Hadrian's villa in Tivoli (for a glimpse of the "lifestyles of the rich and ancient"), learn about daily Roman village life in the port of Ostia (discussing meals, Steves deadpans "there were no Caesar salads"), stop in at Naples' Spanish quarter (still a home to Corleone types, if you get my drift), check out the perfectly preserved (thanks to lava) Pompeii, and peek in at the hillside shopping mecca towns on the Amalfi coast--all the while keeping our valuables in our money belts, thank you very much. The two other near hour-long episodes are "Venice and Florence" and "Hill Towns of Tuscany and Italian Riviera," and the DVD's extra features include a half-hour "travel tips" guide, as well as shorter segments on Milan, Lake Como, and the Venice Regatta. At $59.95, the VHS collection of six tapes (approximately 80 minutes each, and available separately at $12.99 each) are a fantastic bargain, but the DVD collection on six discs priced at $79.99 (approximately 31/2 hours each, and available separately at $19.99 each) is an absolute steal--especially since each DVD is well over twice the length of its VHS counterpart! An informative, entertaining, and budget-conscious guide to Europe from one of the true travel masters, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)