Green book and insider tips
Hi. My husband and I are first time Tauck Tour travelers and will be going on the June 3-15 Amalfi Coast tour. Between now and then I will be taking advantage of your generous information and tips by posting my mostly naive questions. I have done a little perusing and have seen the term "Green Book" several times. In speaking with two different Tauck customer representatives, neither could tell me what a Green Book is. That's my first question. What's a green book? Next, Is there a suggested effective way to maneuver through the site to learn from others? Last for now but not forever: any insider tips for a couple of newbies? Thank you so much. This community forum is extraordinary.
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Tauck has never published a forum user's guide.
Pre-Covid, the "green book" was mailed to travelers before their trips. It was a spiral book. It included a day- to-day itinerary, hotel contact information, phone numbers to call in case of emergency and suggested tips for the tour director and driver, when appropriate. It was called "the green book" because of the color of its cover. Since Covid, Tauck has sent this information by e-mail, usually about 60 days prior to a tour, after the final payment has been made. If you use a travel agent, Tauck will send it to the TA, so make sure that you keep on top of your TA to get the "green book."
Tauck’s website also has a wealth of information. If you haven’t already, find your tour and open it for detailed information.
I find both the forum herein and Tauck’s website to be very intuitive. No need for a guide; just explore. Have fun.
I have talked with Tauck many times about reinstating the green book. I was told it simply was not going to happen because they wanted the ability to update the details without issuing new ‘documents’. That being said, we have been on a number of tours where the TD has issued a ‘white book’, that was similar to the green book but had the most up to date information about that specific tour. We sometimes used them to make a journal of the tour. .
You can make your own green book when you download the documents Tauck sends. I have no clue how you configure the computer and printer to do it, but it looks exactly the same as the old green book when it is done. I assume the green books cost a lot of money to make and send out.
I make a custom, reduced-size book with my own custom cover (I usually use the map and a photo from a key location), the Tauck info on the right hand pages and photos harvested from the Internet on the left hand pages that match the opposite text. I first compose it as an MS Word document with alternating photo and text pages. Then I print it using a single side color laser printer on standard 8 1/2" X 11" paper as a "booklet" using the free version of Adobe. Adobe figures out which pages to put where and in what orientation, etc. so once the printed sheets are stacked in the right order and folded in the middle, you end up with a 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" booklet with alternating text and photos pages. Unless you have a dual-sided printer you will need to feed the paper twice like I do, to print on both sides. This always confuses me how to stack the sheets. When printing is completed, each 8 1/2 X 11" sheet will have 2 booklet-sized "pages" on each side.
If you don't want to add photos, just print the document and you'll get text on left and right pages. I use a long arm stapler or sew the binding. You can always avoid the hassle and print it full size on full sheets, then just staple it in the corner.
Or save it to your smart phone and don't print it at all.
I have also re-created the Green Book by this method. As the tour progresses, I make notes on the pages. My husband is forever asking after the tour - "where did we have the excellent dinner or where was that crazy.... etc." Now, I jot it down this little tidbit on that day's page. I have a small notebook and pen and take notes during the guided tours. There is so much interesting information that I can't possibly remember. I do a Shutterfly album, and my notes bring the tour back to life. I tend to focus on facts and photos that aren't readily known. (Years ago, on our first visit to Paris, I devoted an album page to the various toilets we encountered and how the heck to flush them.) This is the type of quirky things that I include.
I just got done printing my booklet for our upcoming Scandinavia tour. In Adobe I picked the specific pages I wanted with a page range that was something like 2, 4-16, 21, 25. That gave me the map, itinerary, arrival details, tipping, etc. Unfortunately I also spent time on the phone with my brother trying to coach him thru the printing process unsuccessfully. I'm on a PC and he's on a Mac. I ultimately ended up printing his booklet myself.
Does anyone who's done this on a Mac have any recommendations or tips?
JudyOH, I have liked having the Green Book in the past but don't go through all this trouble mentioned above. I print up the pages from the itinerary on my Tauck log-in page, and make notes on it about additional reservations that I have made. I also carry a small notebook in my purse to remember names and places. You will get an updated itinerary from the Tour Director when you arrive. in fact if there are any places you want to see on your own during the tour, it is a good idea to check with Tauck in advance that there are no changes to the posted itinerary. They will always (ha, MOSTLY) let you know in advance if a hotel changes, but not if the order of activities changes. Of course, especially in Italy, they can't always know these things in advance, but often they do.
I rarely print anything from the electronic green book version .I store the entire document in “my books app”.The most important arrival information such as local transport service and the hotel address and phone # ,I add it in my contacts on the phone.Once you arrive at the destination you are provided another package with itinerary by the Tauck director.
As far as remembering travel sites etc,I learnt from a fellow Tauck traveler about an app “Find my penguin”You can make it private and send to family.Each day I put in most important photos and brief notes.This also helps in making a photo book after your return.The app is free unless you want more advanced features.
Y'all are absolutely amazing. Thank you ever so much. Now, I'm headed back to the category on packing (what, how, etc.) to see what tips I can get there. That is my main point of anxiety. Again, thank you so much. Since you are such seasoned travelers, you may not realize how grateful a 'newbie' is for this support. Bless you.
Since I am probably a rare one who never has had a smart phone or who relied online for PDF documents, whenever I traveled with Tauck I would always receive the spiral bound "Green Book" before my Tauck tours. Quite useful and informative. Since Tauck does not use the spiral bound "Green Books" anymore, it definitely would mean more work for me should I travel. Sigh.
This is a favorite topic. I will try to be specific for this trip. You will not need more than a 25 inch checked bag and a small carry on at most. Tauck will handle your bags once you arrive at the pick up destination pickup site(airport/train station) until you drop off at the end of the tour. They will move you luggage from hotel room to hotel room. You will not have access to that luggage during the transfer days. We travel with one checked bag and one small carry on such as a cabin bag or small 30L or less backpack. You may want a small bag during the day to carry water, sunscreen,...or to have on the ferries or on the boat cruise around Capri as well as going to the pool. Pack like you're going to Malibu. Amalfi is where the beautiful people go. You will need some nicer coastal attire for dinners out. For men, there is no need for a sport coat. Comfortable shoes for walking. There are cobble stones. Sandals are fine for the evenings(not the shower flip flop kind.) Comfortable clothes for the day. Shorts, sundresses, short sleeve tops. Hat or Hats. The mornings and evenings maybe a little cool and light fleece may come in handy and you may want a light windbreaker.. You may go into a church or two and you may need to cover your shoulders, my wife always has a light scarf in her bag. Pool attire. The pools at the Caterina and Quisisana are fabulous.
JudyOH: You will have several dinners on your own. You may want to make reservations in Capri and Amalfi ahead of time. Puialli in Capri is excellent as well as Da Gemma in Amalfi. There will be a hotel shuttle that runs from the hotel to the center of Amalfi, the walk is a little treacherous with the traffic and narrow road..
Wow, Ben, you have given me very practical, specific advice. I can go thru the closets now and feel a lot more focused. I especially appreciate your including the luggage details. This has really bothered me. In the past, our European trips have been self-planned and casual with one or more couples which gives us more freedom re luggage. Your post has been a huge help. Thanks!!!!
I'll just add one bit - that churches in Italy require shoulders and knees to be covered.
Leave some room to bring some items home. Capri and Sorrento have numerous linen clothing shops. Sorrento is a little cheaper. If you want sandals, try CE sandals(also know as desposita) which is along the walk to Villa San Michele on Capri. They will custom make them while you wait and they do have a rubber heel which wears a little better. in addition their shop also as an assortment of limoncello products they you may be interested in.
Thank you, again, Ben. I just caught up with your restaurant and shopping recommendations. These are super helpful. I need to buy the tee shirt that says "Hold on. I'm overthinking this." I do that with everything. But if someone like yourself gives me insider tips, I go with it! I do want to make sure we make good use of our free time in the afternoon and evenings.
Have a great time. You will be well taken care of and you are going to meet incredible and interesting people along the way. Remember that sometimes the best memories come from unscripted, unexpected and spur of the moment experiences. Ciao.
Sometimes the best use of free time is to simply wander with no set plans. Turn down a side street, if you see hordes of people moving in one direction, go the opposite direction, invite a local to sit with you at an outdoor cafe. Some of our most memorable experiences have been those that we have stumbled upon.
Enjoy your trip, JudyOH. I look forward to reading about your experiences.