"Wild Applause" (highest rating) from the San Francisco Chronicle: "Lately, when I want to relax, I put on slippers and I put on a Rick Steves show. The sameness about the shows is comforting: The theme music, the interplay of voice-over and stand-up narration, the exceptional photography, and the encounters with locals — these elements are consistent. At the same time, the sights and locations change. There's always something new, fascinating and glorious to look at. Without doubt, the shows generate an intense desire to go places. At the same time, they give you some of the benefits of travel without your having to leave your sofa, and that's not bad either. The programs are also a document of what Europe and Europeans look like today, and in the future, the shows will be valuable as history. I find Steves enormously appealing — good-natured, somewhat goofy in manner and yet clearly nobody's fool. If the Europeans he encounters come away believing that all Americans are like Rick, that's OK by me." — Mick LaSalle

This is the only DVD that includes all seven half-hour “Rick Steves’ Europe” TV shows on Italy’s countryside, produced from 2000 to 2007: Cinque Terre—Italy’s Hidden Riviera, Siena and Assisi—Italy’s Grand Hill Towns, Tuscany’s Dolce Vita, Italy’s Great Hill Towns, Italy’s Amalfi Coast, and The Best of Sicily. The running time is 3 hours and 30 minutes. Filmed on location by America's most popular travel guidebook writer, Rick Steves' DVDs offer one great escape after another, from Europe's most thrilling cities to its charming, little-known villages. These DVDs are of the highest broadcast quality (NTSC format, all region compatible), with closed-captioning. Each DVD is packaged in a durable Amaray case with on-location cover photos and complete program details.