Scrapbooks...what do you like to see?

The first scrapbook posted for this year is a good example of what I like. I'm not really curious about how light you packed - I like to read about and see the hotels, sites and food! For some reason, I enjoy looking at the daily itineraries posted by the guides.

One thing that really turns me off are the scrapbooks that sound like a Sunday paper advertising supplement about the superiority of RS tours over any other way of seeing Europe.

I remember one scrapbook that had an ongoing segment about things people usually do, vs. things they could do instead that would be better. One example was: in Venice, hiring a gondola for a ride around the canals (good), vs. taking a rowing lesson with RowVenice (ever so much better). I really liked that.

Where do you find the scrapbooks on Rick's website?

Where do you find the scrapbooks on Rick's website?

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scrapbooks/tour-alum-scrapbooks

https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scrapbooks

I like to hear the writer’s impressions of where they were and what they enjoyed seeing. I do like seeing some photos but I skip slide shows. Too much.
Independent time before, during and after tour is also interesting. Not at all interested in what in they packed at all or how they got to the the tour.
Or how fabulous their guide was. Some go on and on and on about their guide; I assume the guide would be excellent. COVID related info is ok too.

I like hearing what you did in your free time, maybe what you did before and after as well. Even though hotels can change, it’s nice to know where your group stayed. Group meals aren’t as important, although I always enjoy food pictures. I appreciate details as the published itinerary gives me a pretty good overview. And, thank you for taking the time to do a scrapbook.

I like details and a moderate number of pictures. I don't want pictures of people, lol.

I do want to know how light you packed, haha. And as a solo traveler are there things you'd want 1st time solo travelers to know. And yes, I want ideas on what you did in your free time! I'm not one that cares about food or hotels but I am sure there are many that do care.

I'd do it so it makes sense to you and is pleasing to you!

Uh oh, I'm going to contradict almost everything Pam just wrote. For me, the more photos the better, I love photos with people to give the photo personality and possibly perspective to show the size of something. I also like captions with the photos. And I don't care about packing details. Sorry Pam😁 I also enjoy your opinion of what you saw and why you liked it or didn't like it.

I asked a question like this a couple of years ago but about Trip Reports. What I discovered is that if 25 people answer, you'll likely get 25 different answers. So do it so it's a memory for you and the rest of us will pull valuable nuggets out of it, no matter the content.

I want to know what hotels you stayed in. I want it to look like a normal person did it, not a professional graphic artist (otherwise it is intimidating). I don’t want it to be an ad for RS tours.

I enjoy seeing how you made a standard RS tour your own experience and what were your highlights. That is so helpful for us to see what we might want to do and visuals of seeing your own highlights.

Where you went pre-trip is interesting, and I agree with Allan - photo captions are very nice for your audience! Seeing photos of leaving on a plane, etc. can be skipped.

During the trip, I like a few photos of local food - especially something unique to the area.

The guide’s daily itinerary photos can help tell the story, too.

Action shots with some of the tour members, such as going down a salt mine wooden slide in Austria, give the story some fun personality. The other people photos I enjoy are interactions with locals when it’s natural.

One themed page can be fun to see, too. It may be a collection of photos of all of the gelato, or the different types of lodging keys, cappuccino art, or drink coasters, etc.

A finale paragraph of what you learned, what you would do differently, and maybe even what this tour makes you want to do next are all great additions.

Above all else - thanks to everybody who posts a scrapbook!

I agree with Estimated Prophet. I like learning about the hotels, the included meals, the sights that were on the tour and those you experienced on your own while on the tour. I agree, too, that the guide's posted daily itineraries are fun to see.

Thanks all for your comments! I can see that you are not wanting a sales pitch for RS tours. And that random photos of people don't need to be included, tour members or not, but if they tell part of the story they are good. And that my personal thoughts and observations are encouraged. After that, everyone has their own ideas of content. Pam, if you want to know about my packing experience, send me a PM. I am happy to chat with you about it but won't include it in the scrapbook.

I have done a number of these scrapbooks for previous tours and they take me a huge amount of time. I enjoy using the project as a way to remember my trip and potentially help others out as well. I have spent many hours looking at the scrapbooks to daydream about travel and hope others do as well. Thanks again.

There are so many items already posted I also like to see in scrapbooks. I do enjoy seeing your captioned photos of people (other tour members?) enjoying themselves and photos of what you did in your free time. I like local scenery shots, pictures of the tour hotels you stayed in, special and/or unusual foods you might have enjoyed (or not!), I love the idea of including photos of the daily itinerary and don’t really care at all what or how you packed unless it happened to be something that came in really handy as you traveled. Personally, I’m not fond of slideshows but that’s because I’m basically computer illiterate and they are difficult for me to figure out! I don’t particularly care for the too ‘professional’ looking scrapbooks and I feel intimidated by the overly competitive nature this creates. I don’t feel like it should always be about ‘winning the prize’ but more about sharing the enjoyment of the adventure. I love the scrapbooks section of the website and eagerly anticipate the days new ones are published. I was thrilled to see the wonderful one already there. Like others posting here, I use them to help me decide which tour to take next. I can only imagine the time and care it takes to create a scrapbook and thank everyone who has published in the past and intends to share in the future!

I love hotel info and pics! Also enjoy reading about pre/post tours and side trips, and the logistics of the tour itself (transportation between cities, spontaneous group activities, etc). Thanks so much for taking the time to create a scrapbook! I spent a lot of time looking through old scrapbooks during the early days of the pandemic. They definitely helped keep my travel dreams alive. :)

I reviewed several Best of Turkey and Best of Istanbul scrapbooks, after I'd signed up for the tours and before I went on them. I was looking at what ladies were wearing on that specific tour: shoes, clothing, weather gear, and (particular to Turkey) modest dress and head coverings.

I really wish that every scrapbook had a way to contact the author so that I could thank them for their effort!

I love the scrapbooks. I have done several myself. At first, I was hoping to win something, but now I am creating something for myself to look back on and hopefully something that will help someone else. "Giving back".

I agree that the best advice for OP is to make the scrapbook that you want to make. There a lot of folks that will appreciate it. I enjoy the professional, well written ones and the ones that are only 1-2 pages. I don't read every line of the long-winded ones, but I still enjoy them.

@CW, I hope my scrapbook of the Turkey tour was helpful to you in some way. I, along with many others adored your trip report!

Vandrabrud, thank you so much! Writing that on-the-road style trip report was so much fun because you and others rode along and cheered me on! I put together a PowerPoint presentation after the trip. That was just for myself, and I know how much work that was. I can't imagine the effort it would take to make something shiny enough for a scrapbook.

A beautifully laid out 2006 Turkey scrapbook by Laura Sabraw won first place that year!

I'll just about bet that I looked at your scrapbook and got value out of it before my tours, because I looked at most (maybe all) of the Turkey ones. I don't know how to tell which one is yours?!? Please send me the link: I'd love to relive Turkey all over again through your scrapbook .... even if I did see it before!

ETA: aha, you went in 2019. (Forum profiles are so handy!) I may have found your scrapbook, and if so, I know I read it because I remember the lovely Turkish background that you used. And I followed (at least) one of your tips to take a "bus bag" loaded with the things for bus travel.

The things I like best are pre-tour, post- tour and additional activities that aren’t included on the tours. That gives me ideas of things to do. I also wish they would post an email, so that I can tell them how much I enjoyed their scrapbook, or ask a question. I enjoy scenery pictures because I can see what to look forward to. Thanks to all who post their scrapbooks. I am in the process of making my own pictorial scrapbook. I love adding stickers, maps, brochures and ticket stubs.

I love the new comments. Thanks! I will try to remember suggestions when I build the scrapbook.

Lots of good suggestions already. I love the scrapbooks and love that they are all different. One thing I do like is if the dates that the tour was taken are included. It helps to see what each season looks like and what clothing might be appropriate. Although I know that can change from year to year - minute to minute!

Thanks to all who commented on this post last Fall... I have now completed my scrapbook and it is posted on the website. I listened to your suggestions and tried to incorporate some of them into my book. I went on the Loire to the South of France tour and hope you enjoy my efforts!

All of a sudden there are 14 scrapbooks!

The deadline is this coming weekend, if past years are an indication, you will see a lot more next week! The vast majority are submitted at the last minute.

Martha,
I loved your scrapbook! Great pictures and commentary.

@Martha: Thank you for making a scrapbook. You made a previous one for the Best of Eastern Europe which I loved. We have signed up for that tour and your scrapbook gives us a good sense of what to expect each day. I love the details you included.

Martha- I love your scrapbook! It’s really good, thank you! I am torn between 2 RS France tours for next year- the Loire vs. Eastern France. Your tour scrapbook had a lot of what I was wishing to see- thanks!

I haven't had a chance to view all the new scrapbooks that recently popped up, but I have to say that I love Maggie Strazzo's Best of Spain scrapbook. Not a zillion pictures (which I sometimes find too overwhelming), and her commentary is so informative, witty and funny!

I am one of those people who loves seeing people in the scrapbook photos. if I just want to see pictures of places, I can find those anywhere. Seeing how people interact with their environment is what really interests me. I loved seeing pictures of Maggie and her 94-year old mom!

I also like details about hotels, food, and any advice re traveling to the destination.

Thanks to all those who spend all that time and effort to put together their scrapbooks. I know how time consuming it must be.

And I imagine the judges have a heck of a time trying to pick the winners because there are so many great entries every year!