Merchandise FAQ

How do I make a purchase?

You can browse our selection of travel bags, accessories, guidebooks, DVDs, and maps by visiting our online Travel Store.

To make an online purchase, first select a product and if you would like to order it, click the "Add to Cart" button.

When you're finished shopping, simply proceed to the checkout. The instructions will walk you through each step to enter your shipping and credit card information.

The Rick Steves Travel Store sells retail products to customers for their personal use. We reserve the right to invalidate any order, with or without cause, including those orders that appear to be purchases for resale or otherwise for commercial use. If you wish to order multiple items for an organization or traveling group, please contact us for assistance.

If you have trouble placing your online order, please contact us at [email protected] or 425-771-8303.

What happens next?

After you place an order, an order confirmation immediately appears in the same window. You will also receive this order confirmation via email. If you do not see it, please check your spam/junk folder. When your purchase has been shipped from the warehouse, you receive a second email with tracking details.

How long will it take for my order to arrive if I order today?

More details about shipping can be found below. If you choose Standard Delivery your order should arrive within 5-7 business days once shipped. A Rush Delivery order is guaranteed to arrive within 3-4 business days once shipped. The Express Delivery option will arrive within 1-2 business days once shipped. Please note wheeled bags are not available for Express Delivery.

As soon as your order is shipped, we'll send you an email containing your tracking number. Please allow up to 24 hours for it to update.

What is a promotion code?

Rick Steves may offer promotion codes to specific groups for limited-time offers. If you have a Rick Steves travel store promotion code, it must be entered in your shopping cart at the time of check out to receive the offer.

Can I change or cancel my order?

We're sorry but we cannot cancel or change an order once it's been submitted.

My order didn't confirm. What can I do?

Confirmations are emailed. If you do not see it, please check your spam/junk folder. If not found, during our regular business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT) contact us at [email protected] or 425-771-8303 to verify if your order went through. After hours, email us and we'll respond the following business day.

What happens if I don't receive my shipment?

If you experience any issues with the delivery of your shipment, please contact us at [email protected] or 425-771-8303.

What methods of payment do you accept?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express payments online. For more information on the safety of online ordering, please see our Security and Privacy policies.

Do you have gift cards?

Gift cards can be purchased in various increments between $10.00 and $500.00 and redeemed for merchandise only (excludes tours). Gift cards are available for purchase and redemption online or at the Rick Steves Travel Center located in Edmonds, Washington. For more information about our Gift cards, visit our Gift Card FAQ.

Product Warranty

Every Rick Steves travel product comes with our guarantee that it will be free from material and manufacturing defects. If a defect appears, we will replace the product free of charge. This guarantee does not cover damage caused by an airline or other common carrier. Nor does it cover wear and tear to components and materials which may occur over time with use of the product.

What is your merchandise return policy?

If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, you may return it in new and unused condition within 60 days of the purchase date to qualify for a refund. Items from the Bargain Bin or items marked as "Final Sale" are not eligible for returns. Please note you are responsible for the cost of shipping items back to us.

How do I return merchandise purchased from the online Travel Store?

1. View your orders with us. If prompted, log in with your shop account or enter the email address associated with your order.
2. Select the order you'd like to return.
3. Select "Request a Return" and follow the prompts.
4. You'll receive a confirmation email with next steps once your request is submitted.

If you've received a damaged, defective or incorrect product — or have questions about how to use a product — please contact us at [email protected] or 425-771-8303.

How do I return merchandise purchased from the Travel Center in Edmonds, Washington?

Items purchased in our Travel Center in Edmonds may be returned there in new and unused condition with the sales receipt within 60 days of the purchase date. In case of possible defect, please visit our Travel Center in Edmonds or contact us.

Can I return purchases made with a Rick Steves Gift Card?

Products purchased with a Rick Steves Gift Card may be returned within the guidelines of our sales and refunds policy. Return value will be applied back to a gift card and may not be redeemed for cash or applied as credit to your credit card account.

For US, Canadian, and foreign orders, use the tables below to calculate your shipping charge.

• We ship UPS (United Parcel Service) to most US and Canadian street addresses (*see below for Canadian exceptions). Delivery to business addresses is preferred but not required.
• We ship via mail (US Postal Service) to all US and Canadian post office boxes, military APO/FPO, foreign service, and Hawaii and Alaska standard-delivery orders.
• Outside the US and Canada, USPS mail: see chart below for charges.

"Business Days" for delivery are non-holiday weekdays (Monday–Friday).

STANDARD DELIVERY within US (arrives within 5–7 business days from the shipping date). Please note that final delivery of items received at APO/FPO addresses is beyond our control.

RUSH DELIVERY within US (arrives within 3–4 business days from the shipping date)

• PO boxes are OK. Hawaii and Alaska will ship UPS to street addresses.
• Sorry, no rush orders to Canadian, military, or foreign-service addresses, as timely delivery of items via USPS is beyond our control.

EXPRESS DELIVERY within US (arrives within 2 business days from the shipping date)

• No wheeled bags — use rush delivery! Street addresses only.
• No express orders to PO boxes, military or foreign-service addresses, or Canada.

STANDARD DELIVERY to CANADA (arrives within 6–8 business days from the shipping date)

• We ship all Canadian orders via UPS for all street addresses.
• You may experience unexpected customs delays.
• Exceptions: US Postal Service will be used for all PO Boxes as well as for the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

OUTSIDE THE US and CANADA (Please allow 2–4 weeks for shipping. There may be an additional delay to accommodate for international customs processing.)

• Sales tax: For US orders shipped to AR, CA, CO, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NE, NJ, NV, OK, PA, SC, UT, VT, VA, WA, and WI, we will add state and local sales taxes.
• Canada TAXES & DUTY: For shipments via UPS, our website will automatically calculate and charge for GST/HST and customs duty and forward those payments to the appropriate agencies. This will appear as a separate line on your receipt. There are no extra payments due on arrival. For the USPS (mail) orders listed above, you will pay those taxes and duties at the post office when you pick up the package.
• Delivery to addresses outside the US & Canada: In accordance with changes in EU member state import tax regulations effective July 1, 2021, a fee may be required by the courier at the time an order is delivered to an EU member state address.

Rick Steves' Europe takes your security seriously. While you visit our secure Travel Store, our Security Pledge protects you so that you can shop safely.

The Rick Steves Travel Store Security Pledge.*

We will endeavor to make your transactions at ricksteves.com secure and safe. If any unauthorized, fraudulent charges are made to your credit card as a result of shopping at our Travel Store — you pay nothing. We mean it!

We protect the transfer of sensitive information between your browser and our secure server using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). To learn more about SSL technology visit www.verisign.com.

*The fine print — Security Pledge details: The Fair Credit Billing Act provides that your bank cannot hold you liable for more than $50 of fraudulent charges. If unauthorized use of your card resulted through no fault of your own from a purchase made at our online Travel Store, and if your bank holds you liable for any of this amount, Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. will cover the entire liability, up to the full $50. In the event of unauthorized use of your card, for this security guarantee to be valid, you must notify your credit card provider in accordance with its established reporting rules and procedures under your cardholder agreement.