Merchandise FAQ

If you have questions about ordering Rick Steves merchandise from our Travel Store, returns, shipping information, or security, we've got answers for you!

Contact Information

Phone: 425-771-8303
Email: [email protected]

Hours

Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Closed Sunday

Ordering Merchandise

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. Our Travel Center is open to the public on Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT.

To make an online purchase, first select a product and if you would like to order it, click the "Add to Cart" button. For some items, such as travel bags, you must choose a color before clicking the "Add to Cart" button. You can also adjust the quantity of each item you would like to order before placing it in your shopping cart.

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 425-771-8303 or [email protected].

Why is my cart empty at checkout when I put items in it?

You need to "enable cookies" on your computer. Instructions can be found here.

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

More details about shipping can be found below. Please allow 1-2 business days for processing. 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 after processing. The Express shipping option will arrive within 1-2 business days after processing. Please note wheeled bags are not available for Express shipping.

As soon as your order is shipped, we'll send you an email containing your UPS tracking number so you can check the scheduled delivery date.

What is the CVV2 code your order asks for?

The code is an additional security check for credit card transactions. For Visa or MasterCard cards, you can find this code on the back of your credit card and appears as the last 3 numbers after your account number. For American Express cards, the code is on the front of the card and appears above and to the right of the imprinted card number.

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.

I made a mistake on my order that I just placed online. What can I do?

If you need to cancel or change your order, please contact us at [email protected] as soon as possible and we'll make every effort to complete your request. Please note that depending on the timing of your request, your order may have already been finalized for shipment. In these circumstances, you may return the item to us for a refund. All related shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer.

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?

Shipments may be undeliverable due to any of the following reasons:

  • Incorrect or incomplete address information provided at the time of order placement
  • No recipient on hand to accept the order from the carrier during three delivery attempts
  • Refusal to accept an order by the recipient at the time of attempted delivery

These shipments are considered incomplete and will be returned to Rick Steves' Europe by the carrier.

Upon receipt of an Incomplete Shipment, Rick Steves' Europe will credit the full purchase price of the merchandise. The original outbound shipping charges for incomplete shipments are non-refundable. Shipping charges will apply to any reorders. Reorders must be placed in our Travel Store.

What methods of payment do you accept?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express payments online. For your security, we do not retain any relevant credit card information. 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.

Does your Convertible Carry-On have wheels?

No, in this case "Convertible" means it can be used as a backpack or a suitcase. However, both our Rolling Carry-On and Rolling Backpack have wheels.

Does your Rolling Carry-On turn into a backpack?

No, but our Rolling Backpack smoothly switches from the ease of wheels to the versatility of a backpack.

Are Rick Steves bags waterproof?

Bags made of thicker 600- to 900-denier polyester — our Convertible Carry-on, Europe Through the Back Door™ Classic Back Door Bag, Rolling Carry-On, Velocé, and Appenzell bags — are reasonably water resistant. Our lighter-fabric Civita products are a bit more likely to leak during a steady rain. It's always a good idea to have a plastic bag handy as an inside liner in case you're caught in a storm. To protect the contents of any travel bag against rain, the best solution is…duck indoors!

Returning Merchandise

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. 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?

Items purchased from our Travel Store at ricksteves.com may be returned to us in new and unused condition within 60 days of the purchase date. To return your purchase, please complete a Return Form. A copy of the original packing slip is required. Refunds will be issued to the original payment method. Please allow 2 to 4 weeks for returns processing. Sorry, no refund on shipping charges.

If you've received a damaged, defective or incorrect product — or have questions about how to use a product — please contact us.

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.

How do I make returns from locations outside of the United States?

Contact us to let us know that you need to make a return so that we can issue return authorization and instructions. Please include the reason for return and the country from which the item is being returned. Sorry, no refund on shipping charges. Ancillary charges, such as brokerage fees, etc. will be deducted from the refund amount.

Shipping Information

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; allow 1–2 days for order processing). Please note that final delivery of items received at APO/FPO addresses is beyond our control.

$ Amount of Order Shipping Cost
Under $25 $6
$25–$49.99 $8
$50–$99.99 $11
$100–$199.99 $14
Over $200 $18
Over $300 $22
Over $400 $26
Over $500 $30 + add $4 per add'l $100

 

RUSH DELIVERY within US (arrives within 3–4 business days from the shipping date; allow 1–2 business days for order processing)

  • 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.
$ Amount of Order Shipping Cost
Under $25 $15
$25–$49.99 $18
$50–$99.99 $21
$100–$199.99 $25
Over $200 $30
Over $300 $35
Over $400 $40
Over $500 $45 + add $5 per add'l $100

 

EXPRESS DELIVERY within US (arrives within 2 business days from the shipping date; allow 1–2 business days for order processing)

  • No wheeled bags — use rush delivery! Street addresses only.
  • No express orders to PO boxes, military or foreign-service addresses, or Canada.
$ Amount of Order Shipping Cost
Under $25 $35
$25–$49.99 $38
$50–$99.99 $41
$100–$199.99 $50
Over $200 $60
Over $300 $70
Over $400 $80
Over $500 $90 + add $10 per add'l $100

 

STANDARD DELIVERY to CANADA (arrives within 6–8 business days from the shipping date; allow 1–2 business days for order processing)

  • 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.
$ Amount of Order Shipping Cost
Under $25 $8
$25–$49.99 $10
$50–$99.99 $16
$100–$199.99 $22
Over $200 $28
Over $300 $34
Over $400 $40
Over $500 $46 + add $6 per add'l $100

 

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

$ Amount of Order Shipping Cost
Under $50 $28
$50–$99.99 $38
Over $100 $78 + add $20 per add'l $100

 

  • 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.

Track Your Order

Once your order has been shipped, we will email you a shipping confirmation. If it has been shipped via UPS, we will include a tracking number. To track the status of your order, enter your UPS Tracking Number and click the button below.

If you have questions about shipping, please contact us

Need to change shipping information after placing your order?

If your order has already shipped, please reference your order's shipment tracking email and use the link provided to update your information with UPS. You can make the following changes:

  • Reroute a package to a new address only if the package is still in transit
  • Put a hold on a package for you to pick up at your local UPS facility
  • Delay shipment delivery by up to five business days if you are not able to receive it on the estimated arrival date

We cannot apply changes to shipping information or change the shipping method on international orders after the order has been placed. Please ensure your shipping address and method are to your preferences before placing your order.

Secure Ordering and Privacy

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 www.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.