travel abroad

Buy Travel Guides

Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guides are my personal favorites. Although they cost a few dollars more than most other travel guides, they are worth every penny. The guides are packed with fantastic color pictures that bring countries, cultural sights, people and local delicacies to life. Easy to follow travel routes are outlined for each region of a country. You'll also find accommodations and restaurant recommendations for all price ranges. With the detailed explanation of the country's history, unique characteristics and practical information for getting around, I find Eyewitness Guides to be especially valuable if you'll be traveling or living in the country for several months or more. As part of the whole travel series, you can also buy travel planners, language courses, phrase books, language cassettes and maps.

Rick Steves' specialty is Europe. For over 25 years he has traveled and led tours around the continent, discovering all the ins, outs, less traveled roads and original experiences. If you are going to Europe, check out his series of books on individual countries, phrase books and dictionaries.

Italy is a favorite travel destination for many people and the Eyewitness Travel Guide gives you comprehensive information on all that Italy is known for: impressive architecture, beautiful countryside, great food and more. The Introduction gives a fantastic summary of Italy's history and how it has changed as a country throughout the years. Explanations of regional foods and wines are very helpful. The guide is continually revised and all the information seemed to be up to date.

With over 30 years of travel experience, Lonely Planet offers not only Travel Guides for nearly every region of the world, but also a series of guides on World Food, Healthy Travel, Cycling, Walking, Diving & Snorkeling, Restaurants and Foreign Languages.

Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring, by Conner Gory, Fiona Adams, Sandra Bao, Virginie Boone, Krzysztof Dydynski, Paul Hellander, Carolyn Hubbard, John Noble, Danny Palmerlee and Rob Rachowiecki.

These 10 authors traveled far and wide over South America to bring you the best travel itineraries and tips, covering a wide range of budgets. The guide includes 238 country, regional and city maps, site-seeing tips, accommodations, restaurants, outdoor activities, historical information and a mini language course.

Lonely Planet Africa (Healthy Travel Guides), by Isabelle Young

Staying healthy while you travel is essential to having a good time. Learn the precautions you'll need to take to protect yourself from sickness and disease before you go abroad, while you are there and when you return. As the health precautions for each region of the world vary, it is worth investing in Lonely Planet's handy little Healthy Travel Guides for the region in which you'll be adventuring to find out the types of diseases you could contract, symptoms, precautions and treatments.

The Let's Go Series is intended for the budget traveler. It has been one of the most popular books among student travelers and backpackers and continues to provide all the essential travel and sight-seeing information for the average traveler. The series covers a comprehensive list of countries around the world, including the United States and also offers Let's Go Map Guides.

Let's Go South Africa 2002 : With Coverage of Southern Africa, by Own Robison (Editor), Sarah Jessop (Editor) and Emilou MacLean (Editor)

If you are traveling to South Africa on a budget, you'll find interesting and inexpensive ways to get a taste of the local cultures. For example, for $2 you can learn about your future from a Basotho healer in a traditional custom of rolling bones. Or, for less than $1 you can swim with penguins at Boulder's Beach. There are many more ideas like this, as well as the customary travel information on accommodations, restaurants, health and safety tips and cultural must-sees.

Rick Steves' specialty is Europe. For over 25 years he has traveled and led tours around the continent, discovering all the ins, outs, less traveled roads and original experiences. If you are going to Europe, check out his series of books on individual countries, phrase books and dictionaries.

Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door 2002: The Travel Skills Handbook for Independent Travelers, by Rick Steves.

Rick gives independent travelers to Europe all the insider information on finding that "authentic" travel experience. Traveling economically and off the beaten path, mingling with the local folk, eating and sleeping at locally-owned and operated establishments are part of his "back door" philosophy of soaking up the genuine flavor of each European country you visit. In his book he reveals over 30 secret European "finds" that most other travelers miss, but that make for a most interesting and authentic travel experience.

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