Are hard copies of guidebooks doomed? Should they be?

I agree with your conclusion about the fate of the printed guidebook. But part of the problem with the Kindle is that it simply replaces one item designed for a single use (books) with another item designed for a single use (to read books.) In this era of "convergence," I don't think that's the way to go. My ideal would be a pdf or similarly-formatted RS guidebook that I could electronically "rip apart," add other material, then store on my netbook. Not only will the original RS book still be "intact" on my home computer, but I will carry the relevant sections on one small machine that also acts as my entertainment, mapping, communications, and recording device.

I'm not sure about anyone else, but for me there is nothing like ripping out the chapters I need from the guide book , taping them together with duct tape and then flipping through over and over on the train. As much as the technology of Kindle is amazing, to me, It's just gotta be paper!

Hi JER,
You make an excellent point! I think that you're correct--a paperless guidebook is the way to go.

It's not just essential for packing light but imagine how wonderful it would be to have a guidebook updated immediately as hotels change, restaurants close, fees to museums change, etc.

Have a great trip!

I prefer to visit my local library, so wouldn't get a Kindle for general use, but if I could eliminate carrying guidebooks and reading materials while traveling, I'd buy a Kindle in a heartbeat. And this from a person who doesn't even carry a cell phone while abroad!

I like paper books, but they just weigh too much, especially fat guidebooks. We pulled out some chapters on our last Italy trip to avoid carrying the entire book. It worked well, but it was still paper we had to keep track of, and we probably had more pages than we really needed.

As someone who has a Kindle, perhaps I can give some information that might help.

The Kindle is really the first generation of a device that will give everything Norm points out. As of now, you can, theoretically "rip apart" sections of books by the use of bookmarks. These bookmarks are listed and you can go directly to a bookmark. Yet, the entire book is on the device should you wish to reference it. (And no extra weight added.)

The Kindle is currently on the Sprint Network. It has a basic browser which allows for some websurfing including bookmarking favorite sites. They have audio players os if you download an audio file you can listen to it either through the included speaker or headphones. I'm sure future versions will include mapping, better web searching, even wi-fi. And most importantly, make it available for use internationally.

Recently, I downloaded a pdf format book and emailed it directly to my Kindle. No problem.

The second generation Kindle improved on some of the functionality problems of the first kindle and I'm sure future versions will improve on this one.

And with Kindle now available for the ipod Phone and Ipod Touch, the future might be hand held devices that carry all o the information we'll need to travel with.

For some of us who remember the days without computers, guidebooks are just fine. For me, forget the GPS; getting lost is fun! And I actually LIKE reading maps! I am technologically challenged, and that's okay, too. I enjoy reading a real book. I've only recently gotten rid of my "bag phone" (why? it worked!) in exchange for a cell phone, and I don't want to know how to "text", and I rather like it when I can't be reached! As for the Ipod, I still can't figure out why you'd need music playing all the time....maybe life needs a soundtrack? And I've never even seen a Blackberry; my schedule is written in magic marker on my wall calendar! I'm a great fan of Rick's and have traveled extensively in Europe without any gizmos, except a camera, and I prefer it that way. My favorite things to do and see when traveling are usually very old, and I really don't need electronics to appreciate them. There's the "generation gap" and there's the "technology gap". Don't forget, when you drop your map, it doesn't break! LOL! Happy travels!

I think that eventually printed guide books will be like selectric typewriters. Anything that can benefit from easy updating is a great candidate for online materials. Also, guide books are items that would work well with hyper linking. You start with a city, then click on lodging, or restaurants, or sights. You read little bits at a time, not long narratives. The key part that is currently missing from Kindles is the illustrations. I work in college textbooks and we now make ebooks available for all textbooks that don't have permissions problems. Pam

Mommy, what's a typewriter?:)

The good old days...A few years ago, we went to an antique show. My son who was about seven at the time was looking at an old record player, pointed to a record and asked what it was. My oldest son stated "That is when CDs were really big back in the olden days."

I thought about the Kindle briefly for travels. One thing I was concerned about was that it doesn't provide pictures (such as RS walking tours). Sorry, I am a female and need visualization. I think I am like most people, I will mostly likely be ripping pages, but that seems so wrong to distroy a book like that, but beats carrying around the weight of three RS books.

I just download a sample of one of Rick's books. (One of the great things about the Kindle is that you can sample the first chapter of any book available for Kindle before you purchase.)

I downloaded his London 2009 book (sample). It showed the photos (not the greatest quality but you can definitely see what they are), his "hand drawn" maps, and hyperlinks to other portions of the book referenced in earlier chapters.

I'm 22 and should be more technologically savvy then I am. I have an iPone and love it. I use it for everything, most importantly maps (yeah, yeah no teasing for women's sense of direction) But I really don't want to imagine American travelers standing around the sights of London or Rome with their Kindles. (Think of all the people you see staring into their RS books) We already can't go anywhere without our cell phones or laptops, now we are adding electronic travel books to that! I hate reading on a screen and so, I will remain faithful to the good old fashion paper books.

I just rip out bits of guidebooks or take photocopies with me. I like to travel with as little technology as possible. I don't want to be worrying about where I can safely store all my expensive stuff. I have had a go on those e-book reader things and I would just be too paranoid to ever get those out in public! I have got friends who have been mugged for mobile phones that cost a quarter of what those book reader things cost.

I photocopy lots of library books and print internet pages but have found my Blackberry very useful. Save webpages (accessable evebn if you can't get online). I email myself stuff - even if my BlackBerry poops out on me I could in a pinch go online at a cafe. I still love to read guidebooks at home but again, from the library - just don't know if drag one on my trip.

I like the idea of having my guides on something like a Kindle. Rather than buying a new edition and throwing out the old, I can simply update my version on line, then put it on a Kindle.

I never bring reading material because I generally don't have time to read. If it adds no weight to my bag, however, throwing in a few good novels is fine.

I haven't made the jump yet, but I'm sure I will soon. I'm still trying to decide what applications I would want on a product if I did jump.

Semper paper! And Sylvia...duct tape AND paper? If you could work chocolate into this, you may have the product of the century.

For pleasure travel, I never bring a cellphone, laptop, pager, or GPS. I don't even bring an MP3 player. No, I'm not a technophobe, but I go to Europe to unplug and get AWAY from home. I'll bring a Kindle to Europe the day the last guidebook goes electronic. Until then, the less gear I have to lug around, the better.

Actually, I prefer paper to electronic reading myself. But there is no question that this preference is costing me space and weight in my baggage. I could travel lighter if I weren't lugging around so darn much paper. And, though I have destroyed plenty of guidebooks with my trusty exacto knife so that I can bring only the pertinent portions along, I still find myself wishing I didn't have to bring so much weighty paper stuff along with me.

At some point, it seems to me that those of us who want to pack light will have to come to grips with the contradiction between packing light and packing paper. Some of us will say, weight be damned, I'd rather bring hard copy. And others of us will say, I'd rather go light and ditch the books. But what I am wondering is, if Rick doesn't provide for that choice, somebody else will and that somebody may end up taking over the market.

I love to travel. Travel costs money. Kindles cost lots of money. Secondhand books cost much less then Kindles. Can throw away second hand book, so weight goes down as trip goes on.
Kindles are fun to steal,, much like cell phones, Blackberries, GPSs and IPods,, people bring so much fun stuff to steal that they have to spend too much time worrying about their stuff.

I also find small screens on Ipods and Blackberries too hard to read.
I have not used a Kindle but I think they are larger right? Just one more expensive toy to carry around and worry about.

Nope, I will likely not get a Kindle .

I'm old fashioned I suspect, but I just love books (the hands-on kind). I hate reading e-versions of anything because you can't immediately see the overall context.

Earlier this week we were talking with some friends about doing a trip to New England this fall. Today I went and bought a guidebook for 20-some dollars in prep for that trip should it occur. I will certainly do some research online, but for me the guidebook comes first.

It's really small investment in the overall travel picture when you think about it.

When I travel, I prefer to not take anything expensive that I might lose therefore, nothing technical or electrical! I love my hands-on guidebooks and always try to justify buying another country such as to make suggestions for a friend--not to mention I then learn about another country!

Are hardcopy guidebooks doomed? Certainly.

Paper guidebooks were "invented" at a time when printing was about the only way to disseminate information. The world has changed a lot since then. In the last few years, dozens of major U.S. newspaper have gone out of business, because people prefer to get their news on the Internet. The Seattle P.I. has remained in business by changing to become an electronic Internet news outlet.

In the beginning, I might use a guidebook for general information and perspective about places, but when I get serious, I go to the web. My 2002 edition guidebook contains all I need to know; no need to keep updating.

I travel really light: one piece of paper & a couple of maps. Eventho my first purchase for a trip is a bunch of guidebooks & a fist-full of good maps, I distill the info I really want onto one sheet. Don't need the description, I've already decided it's of interest. So my list includes: reservations, addresses for postcards, info for possible rooms or sights not to miss.

I travel because I like to EXPLORE. The hunt for a room or restaurant is part of the adventure. Sometimes a sight in the hand is worth more than the one you picked out from home. While in the Marne area of France we drove miles trying to find a particular WWI US cemetery, gave up, then saw a sign in Dormans directing us to a dramatic, over-the-top French memorial, remeniscent of the Disneyland castle, but very moving.

JER~

I'm going on the RS Best of Britain tour this summer. I have an iPod Touch. I got the free kindle app and just bought the 2009 London guidebook for $10. I wish RS's Great Britain book was on kindle too. Besides holding my guidebook, i'm going to do plenty with the touch. It has wifi so i can check my email and even send free text messages to my kid's cell phones. my email contains saved messages with itinerary, booking confirmations, all my contacts, tons of photos from home to share, backup photo of my passport and other important info (encrypted). PLUS for the airplane, train, and bus rides i have podcasts, video games, maps, eBooks, hundreds of songs, etc. to keep me occupied.

all in the palm of my hand.

i must say i use this daily when commuting to work on the train and i would never go back to just paper or lugging books around. the lighter the better!

i'll take the chance of it getting lost or stolen over the bulk of books and photocopies. but to each his own.

To the original question, I think that this would be a great idea. My wife and I are the type that just cannot rip apart books. We want to be able to have the "whole thing" on our return.

As for the increased dependency on technology, I think that there is an undue fear on the part of many. It tends to be masked in a proud stance of "I don't need that" or "I don't want to be reached," etc. Technology, like everything else, can be addictive - and there are those that are too addicted. Having an iPod with you on a trip or using a Kindle doesn't automatically equal addiction, though. For those who spurn technology like cell phones, iPods, and Kindles, I notice that by virtue of being on here, you use computers...what's the difference? I mean for thousands of years people got by without telephones at all (much less cell phones) but I bet you have one of those too (and probably use it one on your European trips)- and a radio and/or television. Don't forget about microwaves and refrigerators. And of course there are Debit/Credit cards - what European vacation would be complete without these? All of these things were "new-fangled" at one point and the majority of the human race got by without them through history. Should we ditch it all?

When using technology to create convenience, I'm all for it. If you are addicted to the point that you don't actually look at what you came to see, but rather you play a game on your iPhone - well that is your loss and bears no reflection on me and my technology usage. But in the end, no one who uses telephones and the internet to make bookings, and uses debit/credit cards to get around is really "roughing it" in Europe.

That being said, you won't find me chatting with friends on the phone when I'm on vacation, no matter where it is.

Pros and Cons of the Kindle for Travael

Rick doesn't seem to fancy it much for guidebooks, but his publisher does. More of his titles will be released this year.

Not to be a skeptic, but does anyone think that the reason Rick suggests tearing up your guidebook and only bringing along the pertinent pages is to sell more guidebooks.

A few years ago, I wrote to ETBD suggesting that they make their guidebooks electronic by subscription. They wrote back that their clients were not computer literate enough to do that. After reading some posts on this thread, I think they might be right. (I really suspected that they feared that they would sell one subscription and everyone would share it.)

However, a printed guidebook works well for me. I bought my last one in 2002 and continue to use it. Until they move Bacharach or something, nothing of importance to me changes each year. If they had the guidebooks only by subscription I would have to pay each year to keep looking at the same information.

There is a huge amount of free information on the web, if you bother to find it. If all you use in Germany is Rick's guidebook, all you will ever see of Germany is the Middle Rhine, Baden-Baden, and Rothenburg (OK, I exaggerate a little, but his selection of places in Germany is sadly limited).