Making Hotel Reservations

Contact them by phone or email to make the arrangements, then fax them your credit card info (along with the details you previously worked out), and ask them to send a confirmation by email.

Some places won't do this and will insist on email (in my experience, very few, but they do exist). If that happens, either pick another place, or go ahead and do it as they ask -- but watch your credit card statement carefully.

Both methods have worked for me.

Emailing your credit card number is far safer than faxing it. There is absolutely no problem with email to transmit credit cards. People who don't understand internet security would like you to believe that it is unsafe. It is not.

I send my credit card number in two 'batches'. of course, notifying the accommodation that that is what I will be doing. Never a problem.

I have done as Pat suggests. Send two emails. Each with half of the number and one with the security code. Let the hotel know that is what you are doing and it is not a problem. I don't know if it is necessary but it is peace of mind.

Dennis

Nothing wrong with splitting numbers but the additional security gain is very marginal. A little more security would be gained if you split the sending over several days. But the actual transmission of data over the internet is extremely secure. The only risk is what happens to your number when the guy at the other end puts the number back together. Now you security is zero.

Leslie, We've been reserving hotels with Rick Steves's book for 7 years, and never once had a problem with credit card info being emailed to the hotel. On a side note, never once in our seven trips have we ever had a problem with our reservation. The B&Bs and hotels have always expected us and charges were exactly as represented to us. My advice is just do it...and don't worry about it.

Leslie....Our experience is much the same as Ron above. We have used email for an even longer period of time. While we travel we carry a copy of the emails - never had a problem. That said, we watch our credit card account online very carefully.

Keep in mind that your credit card does offer protection should you need it and also that the lodgings you find in RS and other good guides are already prescreened. If earlier travelers reported problems with these places they wouldn't be included in the guide.

Never encountered any problems of this sort in the past decade. Many of the lodgings that Rick recommends have websites that allow you to make on-line reservations, cutting out email altogether. Providing a credit card number has been standard practice for making reservations since before the internet age, and if anything, is more secure now than it ever was.