Rick's Guide Book - Hard Copy or Kindle??

When I'm planning a trip, I really prefer to have the hard copy. I like to highlight and make notes. (You can do it on a Kindle, but it's a pain.) I also like to flip through guidebooks, which is also difficult on a Kindle. When I actually go on a trip, I don't like the weight of a guidebook, so I buy one for my Kindle. I normally get one that I don't have in hardbook. Before I leave I read through the Kindle guidebook and make notes (like bookmarks) on all the pages I think I might want to refer to on the trip. It makes it much easier to find what I need. Kindles really aren't the best for guidebooks, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to avoid the weight of a hard copy.

Gordon, I generally prefer paper versions of Guidebooks, as I find it much easier to go directly to any part of the book and locate information. I sometimes take a Guidebook when I'm out day touring in cities, and find it quite useful for reference and finding my way around. However, I decided to try packing along a few of Rick's Guidebooks in Kindle format this year, in addition to two "hard copy" versions. The Kindle books were loaded both on my iPod Touch as well as my Netbook. Having several Guidebooks in my shirt pocket proved to be very useful on a couple of occasions, although I'm still not entirely proficient with Kindle so I had difficulty at times finding information quickly. I expect this will improve after some practice. The most difficult aspect of use with an iPod Touch is the small screen, so reading maps is a bit challenging at times. This probably wouldn't be as much of an issue on devices with larger screen sizes. I will undoubtedly be buying 2012 versions of some Guidebooks, and I'm really "wrestling" with a decision on whether to buy hard copy or electronic versions. While a paper version is familiar and easy-to-use, the electronic versions are definitely more convenient to travel with and easier to pack! Happy travels!

Carroll and Ken - thanks for your thoughts. They really help. I am thinking the large screen on my iPad will make reading the small pages much easier plus I can download any number of guides ... yet only carry one thin reader. Hmmmm .... decisions, decisions, decisions. Thanks again.

I downloaded all my Rick Steves material to my iPad. It certainly will save you weight and luggage space, especially if you are covering more than one country and have more than one book.

Gordon, One other thing I forgot to mention. I find that travelling with "hard copy" Guidebooks is a bit "safer" in terms of theft or damage issues. There's no way I'd use a large device like an iPad in crowded tourist areas in Paris or Rome or on the Metro, as there's just too much potential for problems. In my view, the iPod Touch doesn't have quite the same issues, as it's normally concealed in an inside pocket, and reading it can be done more surreptitiously. I have no problem using a conventional Guidebook in situations like that. There wouldn't be much "market" for an inexpensive English-language Guidebook in Rome. If someone want to steal it, I'm only out $20. Cheers!

Gordon, I love reading Kindle books. I do so usually on my Android phone. I actually prefer buying ebooks now. I've decided that I don't like reading a guidebook on a Kindle, though. My experience is that I need to flip through the guidebook between sections, treating it more like a reference work than something read sequentially. It is just hard to do that comfortably on a Kindle, regardless of the size of the device. I bought one of Rick's books on my Kindle but gave up trying to use it. For my last trip, we cut pages from the hard copy of the book and took those. Much easier to handle. Also, the maps just aren't ready to be read on a device, yet. I couldn't enlarge them, which made them worthless on a smaller device.

Thanks everyone. It looks like the concensus is to stick with hard copy paper! Cheers.

One other reason to always bring a hardcopy guidebook and map(s) is that electronics sometimes break. Just think if your Kindle or iPhone broke on the first day of your cruise and you didn't bring any guidebooks, etc. Another analogy: I now rely on my Garmin GPS when driving, but I always have a map in the glove compartment of the car....just in case.

@Paul, "Also, the maps just aren't ready to be read on a device, yet." I've found that while it's a bit cumbersome to use the Maps in the Guidebooks, after some practice I've been able to function with them reasonably well. In the E-book versions, a complete copy of each Map is shown, and this is also presented in four segments to allow closer viewing. I tend to use the complete copy of the Map most of the time, "pinching & expanding" to provide an easier view. Once the Map is expanded, I can scroll around to view it. It's not as "user friendly" as the hard copy version, but I take the attitude that the best Guidebook is the one you have with you. Having several Guidebooks in my shirt pocket is a new way to travel for me, so I'm still trying to get used to the concept. Cheers!

I know it's old fashioned of me, but for my Rick Steves Guidebooks (only ones I use for Europe!), I still prefer the hard copy. I like being able to jot notes down on the fly, underline items quickly, etc. For most of my reading, I've gone the Kindle route, but for the guidebooks, it's still hard-copy for me! As guidebooks go, the RS ones tend to be MUCH smaller than, say, Lonely Planet, Fodor's or Frommers (b/c they include almost EVERYPLACE in a partucular country, vs. Rick, who focuses on "the best!"), so I don't really find them too bulky, heavy, cumbersome to include in my day pack, etc. I'd also hate to potentially lose (or have stolen) a Kindle or an iPad (especially an iPad!); just 1 less thing to concern myself with while abroad.

I took the pages out of my hard copy and organized them according to our itinerary. Just took along the pertinent pages to guide us each day. I hate to damage a book but figure I'll want an updated one for the next trip, anyway. Rachel
Miramar Beach, FL

Rachel - that is what I did last trip as well and it worked great!

Me too, Rachel.

on a recent trip I brought a Kindle with the RS guidebook and would not do that again. It is difficult to read the maps, for one thing. And flipping thru the book is not that easy, which you frequently need to do because there are overview chapters and then breakout chapters covering specific museums, etc. I think the Kindle is a wonderful device for reading a book since you normally go thru it start to end, but found it awkward to use for a travel book. I also think authors/publishers have not taken the steps yet that might tilt the balance towards electronics esp. on a more powerful device like an iPad. When they list a hotel or restaurant, why not a link to the website if they have one, to a map program that could give you directions, to a small video related to it?

I went on a RS tour and received the guidebook as part of the package but downloaded the guidebook to my IPad. I would do so again but I will pull out the maps and bring those with me. That was the only thing I had an issue with - the maps. Also, in bigger cities, I relied on a city map not produced by Rick Steves - it was more accurate and easier to read. But I will download again.