What we love about the national geo series is that they entice you into getting ready for your trip. the photos, proposed walks and drives - these get a 5 out of 5. However, they are not good for finding a reasonably priced place to stay, eat, shop and in general finding your way around. For this I recommend a good road map and the Lonely Planet guide. We did 14 days Italy driving from Rome through Tuscany to Florence and the Nat'l Geo guide was essential for planning the trip.