On our previous trip to Europe, we received 10-15% discounts at many hotels and inns when we showed our Rick Steves travel books. For our upcoming trip to three countries, I am considering downloading the needed books to an ipad. Do we just show the ipad screen to receive discounts? I would like to hear from anyone who has had personal experience with this. I am still debating...take the paper books with great maps etc. or use ebooks and not have so much extra weight to carry around. Thanks for your thoughts.
Posted by
Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
629 posts
IMHO I've tried both and have returned to guide book(s). I like writing in them, using 'hands-on' maps and enjoy the new RS pocket & snapshot guides. I usually tear the maps out and like to carry one in my back pocket. Most of the discounts we've received came from mentioning Rick Steves' guides in an email. We use guide books for transportation, lodging and sights. We rarely use one for restaurant choices prefering to go by our instincts outside an eatery. Ebook may work for you but I've gone back to traditional.
Posted by
Hopkins, MN, USA
6 posts
I'd like to know too! I have a 2011 paper copy and a 2012 kindle version and would like to know if innkeepers accept the kindle version for the discount.
Posted by
San Jose, CA
1994 posts
I've gotten the discounts by mentioning the book in my e-mail; never had to show it. My experience with electronic guidebooks is that they are far more cumbersome to work with than paper. What I did last time worked well: For the guidebooks I use when touring sites (typically, the Blue Guide), I took paper books, but only those sections I needed (spiral bound at Kinkos). I normally don't travel with the RS guidebook, since I find it skips too many things that interest me... I usually just photo copy the logistics pages I need. But this time I brought the RS guide as an e-book, and that worked well... but again, I only use it for logistics.
Posted by
Monterey County, CA (formerly Verbania Italy-Lago Maggiore)
1626 posts
I only took my Kindle on our last trip. When I made reservations and mentioned Rick Steves, I received what was offered (discount, breakfast, etc) without showing either the book or hard copy. I'm sure that the e version would suffice.
I did take paper copies of the maps, since the kindle version's are not usable.
Posted by
Arlington, TX, USA
281 posts
Why not e-mail the hotels in question and ask them..
then let us all know!