DIY Greenbooks
I recently found a way to easily print the digital "greenbook" that Tauck now provides. The Adobe Reader app provides a Booklet print function that works well. Here is one set of steps to follow:
Save the PDF to your PC
Open Adobe Reader
Open the PDF within it
Select File then Print
Choose the printer to use, page range, etc
Under Page Sizing & Handling chose Booklet
You'll see a small preview screen in the lower right of the Print box.
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Claudia, we just tried it and it worked for our trip next week! Thank you so much, I’m going to sew it on a machine to bind it! Shame we already printed it on full pages already. Anyway, if we could do it, anyone can!
Lots of options for what to do with the pages from nothing, stapling, have it spiral bound at an office/copy store or put in a ring binder. I found an A5 that is just about the right size.
I've also found that Delta/KLM/AF will let you download your flight itinerary in PDF form.
As some of you know, for years I have been making multi-page, full color tour “brochures” to pitch tours to my wife. They have a customized itinerary on the right sides, and on the left facing pages there are photos that correspond to the places mentioned in the itinerary days. I make it full size (8.5 X 11), now I need to see if I can turn it into a booklet-sized doc.
Now there's a business opportunity for you, Alan!
I have not received a digital greenbook lately, but the Request a Tour Planner for a specific date gives information that I think duplicates the info in the greenbook. Just go to the Tour, select Pricing and Availability and the specific date then select Request a Tour Planner. Tauck will send you an email that you can download and save in PDF format. Is this much different than the greenbook?
Yes Travel Guy it is different. The map and itinerary are likely to be the same but it won't have the emergency phone numbers if your flight is delayed or your transfer driver isn't at the airport when you arrive (the number is different for different countries), suggested tips for the TD/Bus driver, directions on where to find your driver, suggested packing list, etc.
OK Good to know!
Thanks Claudia! I got my book printed and bound. So much lighter than regular paper. I’d like to make the font a bit larger, but I’m guessing I’d have to purchase the version of Adobe that is editable.
Doing a line of stitching on a sewing machine took me a minute. If it gets ratty on the trip and I want to keep it, the good thing about this is you can just print a new one.
I finally got around to experimenting turning my full page version of the eGreen. With help from Claudia, the internet, and Adobe Reader (free version) I was able to figure it out.
As I mentioned above, I started with my own MSWord version of the Green Book, and ended up with a half sheet, reduced size booklet that is an exact copy. Some of the internet info was rather confusing or didn't explain certain techniques, so I set the print color to B&W so I wouldn't use up toner (good thing I did!
I don't have a dual sided printer so had to print the 'A' sides first then reinsert those into the paper tray and print the 'B' sides. I flipped the pages during one attempt so all the 'B' sides printed upside-down. 
I have more work to do. Despite doing a calibration on my printer, the color of some images, including the Tauck route map, wasn't as dark or vivid as I would like. I probably need to go back to the MSWord version and tweak the images. I also want to see if I can borrow and insert selected individual pdf pages from the eGreen Book into my booklet.
Really! Did you have to figure out the sizing on your abacus as well! 😂
No, just used fingers and toes.
I also need to figure out why red text is not bright or vivid- never has been. I guess I need to mess around with the printer.
Adobe Reader figures it all out for you. We are lucky enough to have an Epson printer that will do double sided printing. Super easy. I make myself up notes as well of sights, restaurants, and public transport we might want to use - not as elaborate as Alan's. I use Word but did a Save As to a PDF to print in Booklet mode.
Thanks for pointing that feature out. The only negative is that it makes the text fairly small.
Wouldn't it be nice if Tauck restarted sending them out?
I did some more testing this morning and you can be selective in the pages you print in your Booklet. If say you just want the itinerary and emergency phone number pages you can select Pages then something like 2-6, 9 and your booklet will only have those pages.
Our healthcare system uses the MyChart software so I logged onto my acct, opened up the prescriptions section and selected Print. Instead of printing I used the pull-down menu there and chose Save to PDF. Then used Adobe to print the pages I wanted half-size. I use the tiny daily ziplock bags for my meds and pack them all along with that printout in a larger ziplock.
Anyone who goes to some effort to make their own book, suggest you wait until a week or so before the trip.
I just got a revised green ebook for my Essence of Japan trip which starts in ~2 weeks. They change the arrival emergency/after hours contact info.
I can’t tell you how many times the paperwork gets changed from Tauck and quite honestly, although we love the green book, once we arrive at the destinations, we still get the daily paperwork from the TD’s that is more detailed with timing etc and sometimes switched itineraries. We only once pre booked something to find that an optional trip was offered that we would have rather taken than the one we had booked. Also, we booked Spa treatments once, to begin one hour after the planned return from a safari and we were not going to be able to make it as we were out so much longer. We mentioned this to the guide and he cut the trip short, we said there was no need, we would sort it, but he rushed back inconveniencing the others on the trip, but they did not realize, we would have been annoyed if we had to rush back for someone else. So now we don’t book anything during the actual tour.
Too bad the Tauck App for cell phones has become extinct. If it was implemented the way it should have been we could access the green book as well as other functionality in real time without having to carry around the book.
I thought I saw something about it being resurrected and if so, hopefully they will do it right.
I suppose you can “print to file” any of the eGreen Book for whatever you need, e.g. just copy to file the hotel/contact info pages and attach them to an email to send to family and friends.
Great idea about the list of meds- we have Epic/My Chart, also. I need to see about adding that to my little booklet. Can pages be added to an existing pdf?
I always carry an official Penn hospital copy of my meds printed with me both here at home and when I travel. I do sometimes leave a list on my desk incase the children need to see them if we should need them while we are on vacation if they get stolen or we get stranded.
Alan, I'm not sure about adding pages. It might require an actual paid copy of Adobe vs the freebie. Same answer for whether you could increase font size. More experimenting needed.
I have Adobe Acrobat and can make multiple pdf's into one pdf. But Acrobat is a pay program - I don't know if you can do it with the free reader.
I would be willing to put together multiple pdf's for people, as long as the volume was not too much. You'd have to email me your pdf's.
Very generous offer Mike. I gave it a try with my free version and as soon as I tried the Combine Files option it popped up with the 7-day free trial offer so definitely not available in the free version. Oh well.