Hi Pilgrims,
I am considering the stretch of the VF between Lucca and Rome this October. I prefer to use a guidebook when on pilgrimage and have looked in the forum for ideas but have not had success. So can anyone who has walked this path this year suggest something useful and up-to-date please.
Grazie!
Roving Rufus lists the 3 giodebooks in English, and as he says, it's a matter of personal preference. Personally, I liked the Cicerone book over the Lightfoot book because of its general descriptions. The Lightfoot book is more comprehensive for accommodations, but Gronze will serve you better for locating and describing places to stay.
However, I liked the the Terre di Mezzo guide best of all (which I didn't find outdated when we walked the route in the fall of 2021). It did an excellent job of combining the general and the nitty-gritty specific, and featured very clear and useful maps. Unfortunately, the latest edition is out-of-print, but copies can still be found on Amazon. Also, the publisher has just released a new edition in Italian, so I suspect a new English edition will shortly follow. (Keep checking their website, if your trip is not imminent).
Also, if it's useful, I'm linking a "how-to", logistical guide which I put together which covers the guidebooks and other information, which -- hopefully -- would be helpful in your planning.
Buon cammino!
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