We are tentatively planning a June 2011 trip. I like having a book to peruse and mark whem planning. If I get the 2010 book will I be missing out on anything (except price changes) by not waiting until the 2011 book is released?
Your thoughts are appreciated.
I confess...
I buy both.
It's gotten cheaper now that I buy them on Kindle, but....
Definitely wait. If you want to start planning now, go to the local library and borrow a copy of the 2010 guide and simply photocopy any pages you may want to mark/highlight (i.e., hotel recommendations, street maps, addresses for museums).
I completely agree with Ceidleh's advice. For one thing, you might get discounts at hotels if you have the correct year guidebook. Things don't generally change year to year, but occasionally there is a big change, such as when the Roman Forum went from free & open to charging admission. They re-routed the entrance/exits and the info in Rick's book was completely wrong until the next edition came out.
Before deciding to wait you should confirm with the RS office when that guide book will be out. They are not always the same date. I take a RS tour every year and since I know a year ahead of time where I am going next, I buy the current edition to use now and then get the new one when it comes out. A small price to pay considering the cost of a European vacation.
Use the library copy till the new book is published. Remember we still have libraries in this country.
However, since we don't FUND them, the copy you may find on the liabrary shelf could be several years old.. if there is one at all.
I looked at my local branch not too long ago. Honestly, there was nothing current there and when I checked the computer, they weren't checked out... they didn't exist! (I did take in several year old copies of travel books to them, but...)
I always buy more than one guide book, so I would buy one now so I would have one to look through all year, then get a different book next year. The library idea is good, but you can only check out books for so long.
One year I did not buy the new version and made hotel reservations based on the old book. The hotel was really bad and when I checked, it had been dropped from the new book. So, I always get the newest one.
Thanks everyone. I think I will continue to use the internet and wait to get the new book.
I know my library doesn't have copies. We are a small city and the library kind of stinks anyway!
here's a thought--there really should be some sort of book exchange on here for this purpose. of course people will still buy the newer versions of the books (so no one is losing any money on book sales!), but i know my house is full of guide books--some for places i thought i was going but am no longer (this year i've already bought one for montreal and quebec, iceland, and florence--i'm going to london, paris and barcelona!)
Do you have a HalfPrice Book Store or other larger used book store near you? They often have later issue guidebooks to get you started on your planning.
I assume we are talking about Rick Steves' books here... they don't change that much year to year. Europe through the Back Door is very attentive to providing accurate updates every year concerning opening times and costs, but the overall recommendations don't change very often, and the destinations almost never change.
Although I think Lonely Planet is superior for overall trip planning, sometimes I wonder if they even proofread the text before slapping a new date on the cover. Their 2010 Germany guide contains a few instances of "scheduled for renovation sometime in 2007", making me wonder how long ago their researcher last visited the site in question.
Remember that you can almost always donate your old guide books to most local libraries.
At the moment we're planning a trip for April/May 2011 and I've got quite a collection of guidebooks. Like Carol, I buy both and love reading them of an evening when I want to relax and use the internet and forums such as these to get more information, updates and accommodation reviews.
It's difficult and expensive to get RS books in Australia so I order them all through Amazon, even with shipping it's still much cheaper. Lonely planet Guides here are about $40 and although they're in depth, I have noticed alot of references to events, etc that happened a couple of years ago.
I guess I have to 'fess up. I bought the Germany and the Vienna/Tirol guidebooks last month. Then I decided I had to have THrough the Back Door. THe BAM website said the 2011 would be out in August - but I wanted it now. SO I ordered it (had to wait three days for delivery). I'm not travelling until December, and I know I'll probably get the 2011 version too. I like to think of books as investments. I know, I know......
