Tour kits

Unless things have changed recently it is per person.

Unfortunately, it is ONE $100 store credit per Household; NOT per person in the same household. If a parent brings two minor children with her, it is ONE credit; a single adult gets ONE credit, a married couple gets ONE credit, two people travelling together who have different addresses and who booked the same tour separately get TWO credits - one each.

It is per room. Our family of 3 got $100 total.

GoodmanTX, I stand corrected. Thanks for the update.

TC - Yeah, things change. I was disappointed.

Ann - from 'Shop Online' > Tour Kits > Tour Kits FAQ:
What if I spend more or less than the promo code amount?

Your store credit promotion code is good for only one shopping session — so be sure to use it up! When you enter your code during checkout, the store credit amount is subtracted from the total amount (including tax and shipping). Once used, the code becomes invalid and any remaining balance is forfeited. If you spend more than your store credit amount, you can pay the remaining balance by credit card.

When will my promo code expire?

Your promotion code expires on the first day of your tour. We recommend you shop no fewer than 30 days before your tour departs to ensure that you'll receive your items in time to bring with you.

What if my promo code doesn't work?

Please call Customer Service at 425-608-4220 during business hours — or leave a detailed message and we'll call you back.

I think RS tours are still figuring this one out. Lot’s of unhappiness. First off, if you’ve done as many tours as we have short of a new guidebook we don’t need anything. Last time we purchased stuff just to use the money. Would rather have had a $100 discount. We travel with our adult daughter who lives in a rural area but uses our mailing address. They sent us only one $100 voucher and we argued she should get her own, and we won. Now, I know what you are thinking-why bother if you don’t really need more stuff? Yeah, reminds me of that old Borscht belt joke where the restaurant host asks a regular how she enjoyed the food. She says “horrible, could barely eat it. And the portions were so small...”

maybe they have a lot of inventory they want to move

Alan, I absolutely agree with you. For someone with as many tours as I have taken, there isn't one more thing I can buy to give as a gift or buy for myself except as you say, a new guidebook. Additionally, I feel it's very unfair to only award one $100 credit per family, whether that's a one person family or a family of five. I think one tour credit, however much that would be, should be awarded per paying customer. I, too, would love to see other options for this tour credit. I know a lot of alternative ideas and suggestions have been floated out there in past forum posts; hopefully, there will be some changes?

I agree it should be 1 per paying customer/ looks like we received $300 since my daughter & husband are on 1 email & my traveling companion & I have separate emails. Alan, I think you complained & got the $100 per person. Did they balk at agreeing with ur request? I wish they haikus let you combine some of the money so that u can buy the luggage. I have been on 2 other trips so I don’t really have much I want to buy..

Alan, I think you complained & got the $100 per person. Did they balk at agreeing with ur request?

At first, yes they balked. I patiently explained she had her own address but she lives in a town without home delivery (true!) and has to pick up her mail at the post office, sometimes she works late and it’s closed, so we use our address, blah, blah, blah. I think they got tired of listening to me.

It is a good way of getting you to spend the $100 with them instead of knocking the $100 off the price then going and buying your goodies elsewhere.

The voucher is a bonus so why look at it as "unfair". Maybe they will make it easier and just stop offering it to everyone.

I am pretty sure it was started as a way to make sure that each traveling group had access to a guidebook not as a way to get "free stuff". I will have a better trip if all of my tour mates are somewhat familiar with Rick Steves' style and are somewhat prepared.

I feel that the tour is appropriately priced and $100 off isn't going to help me much. It doesn't make me mad if someone gets a little more than I get. Don't let $100 ruin your day.

Fair enough, but, as I and others have pointed out getting the voucher is not really a bonus when you have everything. This voucher is in lieu of the old tour kit, which included a money belt, guidebook, etc. People complained about that-how many money belts do you need? And money is money, so, while the tours might be priced “right” we alums take advantage of our cumulative discounts, early booking discount if we can, so an additional discount would be welcome by most if not all. Need to point out, this $100 voucher is not really $100 as you are restricted to the RS store and at retail (even with sale prices if you are lucky). I think a more equitable solution might be for them to offer a choice-$50 or $75 off your tour price or the $100 voucher.

I think it would make a lot more sense to give $100 per person to anyone taking their first RS tour (even if they are from the same household) and $50 per person to repeat travelers with free shipping for everyone. The household thing isn't really fair and people on their first tour are more likely to need travel stuff.

In all fairness, Rick Steves frequently offers a $100 discount for the tours. Put your deposit down by a certain date in the fall and get $100 off. Use a special discount code after the test drive a tour guide/reunion event and get $100 off. You get the idea.......

The $100 "buy what you need" was a more flexible attempt to meet traveler's needs. It goes to show that it is simply impossible to find a solution that everyone feels good about. I appreciate their efforts to make this a more flexible option for people.

Didn’t know about the discount after the “test drive “ a- probably would have worked for the trip I’ll b taking in August- appreciate the “heads up” on this discount

Its a business, not a public service, so they do what they think helps the business. No shame in that. Our first tour, we got the whole package with guidebook, money belts, Civita bags, ear plugs, and I don't know what else. The tour leader told us they did this so that you would be encouraged (i.e., have no excuses) to actually read and bring the guide book, and the money belt, etc., - part of that "learning travel skills" idea they promote. It made sense for them to give that up when they learned that a big percentage of tour participants were repeat customers. Whatever they do, its not "free".

Going on my twelfth tour this spring, but I still like the $100.00 credit. I always get the newest guide book, then I shop. Rick's packing cubes are excellent! I wouldn't have tried them without the tour kit credit, and I am so glad I got them. I've also gotten a travelling picnic set of 2 plastic knives, forks and spoon, and a corkscrew. I'll use that in Greece in May. There's lots more in the travel store, and if I can't find anything I want, I buy gifts for people. Love it !!

The voucher is a bonus so why look at it as "unfair". Maybe they will make it easier and just stop offering it to everyone.

I agree with Vanderbrud. I don't know why people complain when they get something as a benefit and want more. The more tours you take the more $50.00 per tour you get deducted, as I understand it, so everyone is still getting something. And yes, there are always guidebooks.

I guess for some of us the cup is half full and others it is half empty, in general and in life. I always find these opposing viewpoints interesting. I'm a half full type of person.

Isn't there an old saying about not looking a gift horse in the mouth?

It’s not a gift. The cost is baked into the price you pay for the tour. What I and other posters are raising is the value of this versus something else, and I have already voiced an alternative. And, something inherently unfair about a $100 per household voucher when the tour is charged per person.

I've suggested in previous comments that I think an equitable solution would be to make the credit $50 per person. Yes, the single traveler would get a smaller "freebie," but the typical couple would get the same $100 household credit, while larger groups spending thousands of dollars more would receive a little bit extra. Or make it $100 for one or two people and $50 for each additional person. Seems like an easy fix to me.

I have taken 14 RS tours over the last 16 years - just one most years. I will be taking #15 &#16 in May and June. I have everything that I need to travel thru Europe and have had for several years now. Rather than let the $100 voucher lapse, I went up to RS Headquarters in Edmonds, WA (from Seattle) and used it towards another RS suitcase. I now have 4 of them which should last me until I am no longer traveling. I can always donate them then. I also saw a post about someone mentioning putting the voucher on Craigs List but that post did not stay up very long. I suppose the same will happen to this post. The voucher should be issued to each fee paying tour member.