Is your New Year resolution to travel more? Be sure to be a savvy traveler … which really means to be a well-prepared traveler. One of the best ways to prepare for a trip is to read up on where you’re going and how to get there. And there is certainly no shortage of guidebooks on the market.
In fact, a quick perusal of any bookstore’s travel section can leave you feeling a little confused, overwhelmed or both. But don’t worry — you can narrow your choices without spending hours at the shelves.
If you’re planning to travel in the new year and would like to do some research first, here’s a look at three particularly helpful books. Each has a different focus, but there is quality information in all of them able to be applied to many types of excursions. Look for these titles at your nearby library or bookstore, and let them assist and inspire you as you plan your trip.
“Gutsy Women” by Marybeth Bond, Traveler’s Tales, 2007, ISBN 1932361510 $12.95
Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, Marybeth Bond’s book, now in its 3rd edition, will provide you with practical tips and enthusiastic encouragement. Its short chapters and lists of suggestions are easy to read and quickly digestible. It gives advice about a wide range of travel topics, such as eating, staying safe, choosing the right travel companions and maintaining your budget.
This book is general enough to be useful to any female traveler but specific enough to supply women with concrete, practicable ideas for different types of trips. To be able to avoid typing in your ATM code in the Cyrillic alphabet, for example, Bond advises international travelers, “If you have an alphabetic PIN, translate the letters into numbers before leaving the country.” She reminds businesswomen to pack a stain removing pen to solve a coffee-spill crisis before a meeting, and she repeats many basic yet overlooked safety tips throughout the book, including guarding your drink at a bar and stashing money in safe places.
But beware of any tips that might sound a little too “gutsy” for you. Bond suggests walking right into the kitchen of small restaurants where no one speaks English if you’re not sure how to order. While this may have been a fun experience for her once upon a time, it might not be the best idea to just waltz into a foreign kitchen, especially if you can’t speak the language to apologize to an irate cook!
However, the brief Resources section contains helpful Web sites and packing lists, finishing off “Gutsy Women” on an empowering note. With the tips and information found here, you’ll be better prepared for any type of travel, and after reading the interspersed quotes from other women travelers, you’ll remember the larger benefits of travel and be even more motivated to hit the road.
“Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia” by Braiden-Rex Johnson, John Wiley & Sons, 2007, ISBN 9780471746850 $34.95
One of Marybeth Bond’s suggestions in Gutsy Women is to plan a trip based on a theme of interest to you, such as a culinary trip to experience the culture of a country or region. Braiden Rex-Johnson’s “Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining” is an ideal guide to implement this approach in the beautiful, unique Pacific Northwest region of the U.S.
This travel-cum-cookbook includes descriptions of restaurants, wineries, farms, and bed & breakfasts from Boise to Vancouver, and all points in between. The author also includes intimate portraits of special locations and characters from the region, such as a blend-your-own bottle winery in Portland, Oregon, and a traditional balsamic vinegar producer on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Recipes for specific dishes are included for the reader to try Pacific Northwest flavors at home.
Essentially this book shows you the cuisine of the Pacific Northwest is based on a fusion of styles and the freshness of local ingredients. Asian, Scandinavian, French, Italian and Native American influences are found in the dishes profiled.
These ethnic tastes and cooking methods are made unique to the region through the use of local products, including salmon, halibut, cherries, hazelnuts and mushrooms. Sampling the cuisine in your kitchen is tempting, but unless you live in the region it’s difficult to enjoy the dishes’ full potential because they rely on fresh Pacific Northwest ingredients.
Instead, let Rex-Johnson’s vivid descriptions and Jackie Johnston’s tempting photographs inspire you to taste the foods and wines of the Pacific Northwest in person. By choosing the locations of the most interest to you, and entering their provided addresses onto Internet mapping services, you can plan an individualized regional tour. If you enjoy food, wine and are ready to experience some natural beauty, this book will encourage you to visit this charming region yourself.
“The Practical Nomad: How to Travel Around the World” by Edward Hasbrouck, Avalon Travel Publishing, 2007, ISBN 1566918286 $21.95
For those who want to experience places far beyond the United States, Edward Hasbrouck’s book is a must-read. “The Practical Nomad,” 4th edition contains essential information and updated facts, such as current world events and 2007 prices. This is a dense book meant for the serious traveler who is planning a multi-destination or around-the-world trip.
If you fall into this category, you will certainly find the book indispensable.
“The Practical Nomad” covers all aspects of long-term travel, from choosing destinations to transportation and travel documents to dealing with culture shock. As a former travel agent and experienced world traveler, Hasbrouck has gathered extensive tips about these subjects and shares his full knowledge with readers. The chapters on ground and air transportation are particularly valuable because such transportation is one of the most basic components of a long trip. His advice about how to book affordable flights, why to avoid buses, and how to buy train tickets provides the nuts-and-bolts guidance any organized world traveler needs.
Hasbrouck also offers advice for replacing lost or stolen passports and discusses the types of questions to expect on visa applications. Medical precautions to take in developing countries and the basics of learning foreign languages are also covered, along with any other type of travel-related question you might have. The extensive Resources section is packed with contact information to find accommodations, plane or train tickets, travel insurance and more, and he even points readers to other useful guidebooks.
This book, and the type of travel it covers, is not for everyone. But if you’ve ever fantasized about taking a multi-destination or long-term trip, Hasbrouck’s book is a great starting point to inform and motivate you to undertake around-the-world travel.
Bon Voyage!
So if you’d like to do a little reading before taking off on a vacation, a business trip or an around-the-world adventure, rest assured you’ll be able to find helpful books without spending days at the bookstore. “Gutsy Women,” “Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining” and “The Practical Nomad” address just about every type of trip you could take, and each has fantastic tips, advice and inspiration. After reading any of these titles, you’ll not only feel better prepared for your trip, you’ll be more excited to get going and enjoy the vast world around you!