RS books: Europe vs. Country specific vs. City specific vs. Pocket guides

Cindy, The method I've been trying lately is a combination of hard copy and E-Books on either Kindle or iBooks platforms. The Kindle versions can be used not only on Kindle Readers, but also Netbooks, iPod Touch or iPhones. These are the options for each of the destinations: > Munich - Snapshot Guide, Kindle E-book (dated 2009 so may be out-of-date) or the iBooks version, which is current. > Venice - Venice Guidebook (a bit too large for "light travel"), the Kindle version or the iBooks version. > Rome - Rome Guidebook, the Rome Pocket Guide, the Kindle version or the iBooks version. > Paris - Paris Guide (again too large for "light travel"), the Pocket Guide or the Kindle version. I'm not sure it's available in iBooks format. > Amsterdam - Amsterdam/Bruges/Brussels book, the Kindle version or the iBooks version. I really prefer having paper copies available when possible, as they're a lot more convenient to "leaf through". However, the realities of travel mean that I have to compromise. For my next trip, I'll probably travel with minimal paper copies and rely on E-books. Most of my touring is already planned out on my Itinerary, so I'll only need them for reference, which I can do via an iPhone or Netbook. Good luck with your decision!

I used my ipad this last trip and was able to download inyourpocket.com guides and other free guidebooks. I brought 3 hard copy guidebooks with me - two country specific, two city specific. I narrowed down restaurants I would like to go to and sights I'd like to see. I ended up doing only what was booked in advance (Blue Lagoon Tour in Reykjavik, Iceland Catherine Palace tour in St. Petersburg, Russia) and everything else I looked up again. I spent a lot of time in my hotel room on wifi double checking tripadvisor for restaurant suggestions. I left my ipad at the hotel and used my iphone, which is synced up. If you like having the entire book with you and feel comfortable travelling with an ipad, then an ipad would be great. I just needed checklists and didn't feel comfortable having my ipad on me, since I prefer backpacks, not sling bags.

Cindy,
In the past I've purchased RS Best of Europe and ripped out the sections relevant to my trip. I found this useful and convenient, and didn't break the "travel light" rule...lol...I could take the section I needed( for example Paris) and stick it in my day bag while in Paris, leaving the other sections back in my main bag at the hotel. Of course, it did destroy the book, but for the sake of $25-30( for a trip of several thousand dollars!) I personally considered it worth the destruction, and each section, accessible in my bag, earned back my investment multiple times. I even thinned out each section by removing portions that weren't relevant to me, such as hotel reviews, since I have accommodations booked before I go. This Fall, my plan is to download the RS Pocket guides to my smartphone, and see how that works, since I take the phone with me everywhere anyway. In the absence of that little electronic wonder, and not owning an eReader, Netbook, or Tablet yet ( each has merits), I would default back to ripping out sections again.... a tried and true option in my opinion

If you are thinking about the e-books, check the publication date. The ebooks come out later than the print books. For example, on Amazon, the RS Berlin Snapshot book has a publication date of Jan 2012. However, the latest kindle edition available is the Nov 2009 edition. I had wanted to take the book on kindle, but decided to go with the more recent hard copy.

Cindy, I've always done the "cut out the sections I want to take" method, and it has worked very well. I throw them away after using as I go, and my load gets lighter. I also have RS and Lonely planet guidebooks on a kindle app on my itouch, but mainly use the paper version. for my upcoming trip I took two guidebooks, and cut out the sections I don't need as I am concentrating mainly on those two countries. I have always considered money spent on guidebooks money well spent, if it saves me time, and enhances my touring!

Wow, once again great advice from fellow travelers. @laura
I would NEVER have thought to check the pub dates on the e-books vs paper, so thanks for that one.

Regarding the publication dates--it is SO important, I feel, to have the most recent books! Yes, many times the info is identical but we won't know that unless we have the most up-to-date info. Even at that, sometimes some things have changed since the recent research was completed. I've never tried a guidebook on kindle but probably won't considering what I have read on the Wall about the difficulty with flipping back and forth and the display of the maps. I rip up my books (hard to do but worth not taking the extra weight) and have the sections I need spiral bound. I too leave behind the sections I'm done with. I also don't like to announce to pickpockets what I might have in my Civita day pack that's why I don't like to take my kindle!

Hello Cindy. The travel guide books that you read, from the Library, are very good. I think the book "Rick Steves' ITALY" is his best book on one country. And the book "Rick Steves' Paris" is very good for planning a person's first visit to Paris. I think all of the replies by other people here are good. But, different people have different styles of travel. In deciding what to bring with me to Europe, my motto is "Less is best". I do not bring an iPad or any computerized item with me to Europe. After my experiences of carrying travel guide books with me to Europe, and not using the books there, in several trips, I decided to not bring any travel guide book to Europe. I do not cut pages out of a Rick Steves travel guide book. I keep the entire book, in my Library in my home, permanently. I make photocopies of some of the small maps that are in Rick Steves' travel guide books.
I did cut out the beautiful color map of an entire country, from a Lonely Planet book on one country. I carried that map with me. After I returned from that trip I placed that map on a page in my scrap book of pictures from that trip. While planning a trip to Europe, I write important information that is in Travel guide books, onto one sheet of paper. It is information of a few extra Hotels, a few eateries and a grocery store in each city that I will be in, the address and Telephone number of the United States of American Embassy and Counsulate offices in countries that I will be in. And the name and address and Telephone number of a physician who can talk in the English Langauge, located in a city that I will be in. I print my itinerary for my entire trip, on one sheet of paper (8 1/2 inches x 11 inches), printed on both sides of the sheet of paper.

Ron's response shows just how differently we all travel. I refer to my guidebooks multiple times a day, and wouldn't dream of traveling without them. I always use one or two others in addition to Rick Steves, since I want to get more than one viewpoint. For logistics (which bus to catch, how to beat a line, etc), the RS books can't be beat. But other books have alerted me to sights, restaurants, etc that Rick missed. And sometimes he loves a sight that others don't care for, or poo-poos a sight that others think is worthwhile. I at least want to know if there's consensus or not, so I can judge for myself if I want to make time for a place or sight. I always rip up the books I'm bringing, so I carry only the relevant portions. For example, for my upcoming Germany trip, I'm going to Berlin, Leipzig, and nearby areas, so I intend to leave the front part of the book at home. I don't have an electronic device for books, so I have to bring the paper. Well, technically, I have an iPod Touch, but the thought of trying to read a guidebook on such a small screen is unpleasant, to say the least.

@Harold, "I have an iPod Touch, but the thought of trying to read a guidebook on such a small screen is unpleasant, to say the least." Actually, it's not too unpleasant reading on an iPhone or iPod Touch for short periods of time (ie: "light duty" use). I've found it quite useful on several occasions to be able to refer to a Guidebook when out sightseeing. The Maps are a bit awkward, but that gets easier with some practice. It always amazes me that I can carry around a Library of Guidebooks in my shirt pocket! Cheers!

... And I write my instructions for me, for each day in Europe, on a card (4 inches x 6 inches). One card for each day. On a card (for one day) I write the hours when a musem is open, and the time when I wish to arrive at a castle or palace. And directions for going to the places, including the names of underground train stations (in big cities), a Bus number of a bus that I wish to ride in, and for some locations I write the detailed directions for going to it, from a travel guide book (Rick Steves', or Lonely Planet, or Let's Go, or ...). And I write on the card my plan for eating lunch that day. I could write on both sides of the card. At some places I complete my directions and instuctions on a card for one day, the previous evening. Each day of sightseeing, I carry one card. I leave the other cards in my bag in the hotel room (or B & B room).
(I composed most of this in my first reply here, dated June 9, but it could not be posted. So, I completed it today).

I like all the messages here, but wan to piggyback. I am bringing in I Pad to Eastern Europe and am thinking about buying RS Eastern Europe or maybe the (big) printed version. Thoughts? I am staying a couple of places that offer discounts if I show the book. Has anyone shown the downloaded version? I assume that would work for the same discount, but wanted to make sure. Thanks.