Travel Books Make Great Gifts

"Caribbean Ports of Call: A Guide for Today's Cruise Passengers" is written in plain language and caters primarily to people who want maximum value when they travel. There are guidebooks to help you select a cruise and guidebooks designed to help you spend a week or more in a single destination. But there are few volumes that help you plan for the brief stopovers cruise passengers make on a typical trip. Author Kay Showker gears this book for those who have only hours to see a given island or city. She helps them decide how to spend that precious time and get the best value for their investments of time and money.
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In "Unbelievably good deals and great adventures that you absolutely can't get unless you're over 50," author Joan Rattner Heilman provides detailed information for senior travelers who don't mind disclosing their ages in exchange for some great discounts. From airfares to volunteer experiences on the road, Heilman gives her readers the information they need to explore and seize these age-based opportunities.
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With more than 1200 illustrations, Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guides are a feast for the eyes. Beyond the pretty face, these guides bring home valuable information that helps a budget traveler decide where to expend resources of time and money on a major trip. This review focuses on the Portugal volume, but the company publishes guides to many world destinations and smaller pocket guides called Top 10 Travel Guides for major cities and attractions.
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This is billed as "the most comprehensive coffee table book on Europe." It's patterned after the award-winning "The Travel Book" and features no less than 37 individual authors who are well traveled within the 52 countries profiled. This is not one of those travel books you'll be able to carry with you, and you probably wouldn't want to do so anyway. It is the kind of publication that whets the traveler's appetite for more investigation. The value to budget travelers: a look at some lesser-known pleasures within each destination that could make your trip special without requiring large sums of money.
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In "How to Travel Practically Anywhere," author Susan Stellin urges readers to do more than "wish" or "hope" for a good travel experience. She advocates doing your homework and knowing your rights, whether you travel on an expense account or for pleasure. She carefully outlines dozens of possible travel situations and gives practical advice aimed at the best choices.
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Lonely Planet has relaunched its splendid National Parks series with some new offerings in 2008. Among the first to be released are "Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks," as well as "Yosemite, Sequoia & King's Canyon National Parks" and "Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks" and "Grand Canyon National Park." If you plan to explore the outdoors in depth, Lonely Planet guides can help you save time and money on your trip.
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In "Make your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune," author Tim Leffel identifies the common mistakes travelers make--mistakes that cost them future travel opportunities and enjoyment. He suggests a "contrarian" viewpoint that allows travelers to move away from the pack and find better values.
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The difference between a good trip and a great one usually is in the details. Night+Day, a series from Pulse Guides, strives to show you exactly what to expect in the world's most exciting cities. Readers are directed to the best experiences their investments of time and money can buy. Finding that direction is made easier by the careful and creative organization of each volume. Be warned: these books are heavy on trendy bar and restaurant coverage, and they are not always budget travel oriented. But those who have little time to plan a short urban visit will find the advice and candor very helpful.
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This classic Readers Digest travel book gives readers an off the beaten path look at America. Newly updated and carefully edited, it's an attractive coffee table book and highly detailed guidebook resource rolled into one finished product. Each of the more than 1,000 profiled sites attracts relatively few visitors, so don't buy this book as a standard travel guide. It's a collection of stories about the quiet, charming and rewarding stops you make on the road to discovery that is budget travel.
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