Customer Reviews

Gutsy Women: More Travel Tips and Wisdom for the Road (Travelers' Tales Guides) (No.2)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The author has written a book packed so full of valuable information and wisdom that every woman who travels anywhere should read it over and over again. Many of the tips are just as valid when applied to domestic travel as to travel in foreign lands.

Some of the topics are safety and security (TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS is her mantra), women traveling together, health and hygiene, keeping in touch, bargaining, tipping, packing.

I especially appreciated these tips:when to purchase plane tickets (Wednesdays) and when not to do so (Saturdays); to carry a combination lock -- you never know when it might come in handy; always carry enough money in your shoe to get you out of a tight spot----these are things I probably could have thought of but hadn't.

Bond leads the traveler-to-be through all she should do to adequately prepare: reading guidebooks, making an itinerary (and leaving a copy of it at home with family and friends), getting information from other travelers, doing research, learning a few words in the language of the countries you are visiting, and making checklists.

This book is wonderfully organized and is a MUST for every woman who wants to travel and feel both safe and well-prepared.

Marybeth Bond has packed a tremendous amount of relevant and heart-felt information in this short book. Not only is this book practical and informative, but it is also sensitive to women's particular concerns and needs while traveling. As a young, single, aspiring traveler, I am concerned about possible obstacles and risks that I may encounter while traveling alone. This book addressed every aspect I had thought of and more - from the all important safety issues, to health and hygeiene to romance on the road and tips for staying in touch with loved ones while gone. I also appreciated the new chapters on volunteering abroad, special interest programs and traveling with other women (be they your friends, mother, or children).

This book inspired me, gave me courage, and set my worried mind more at ease. She gives straightforward, womanly advice on virtually everything that may come up for the solo woman traveler and, through her own experiences and the experiences she conveys of other women travelers, proves that women can and should travel safely, confidently, and joyfully.

Gutsy Women is a book not just about travel; it's about how to live. From the introduction, in which Ms. Bond invites the reader to decide whether her life will be "a treadmill, saga or pilgrimage," she shows a woman how she can depart from the familiar, her sphere of control, and journey beyond what she knows to embrace the exotic, wherein she will discover the depth of her own resources.

From her wisdom garnered over many years of travel, much of it solo or with her daughters, and from quotations of others who have "been there," this little volume (packs easily in a purse) prepares a woman to approach the unknown with equanimity. Its primary focus is practical. Ms. Bond thoroughly covers the "how to's" and "what if's," of travel, imparting advice that is both sensible and ambitious, emphasizing how to get the most from the travel experience without sacrificing a sense of well being.

Gutsy Women contains hints for anyone and everyone, e.g. how to protect one's self from bad air in planes, but is particularly valuable for young women, older women, mothers and grandmothers. Its only failing in my mind is that it was not available to me 30 years ago.

Marybeth Bond is one of my favorite travel writers. Whether she is compiling stories about women's travel: "A Woman's Passion for Travel," "A Woman's World" or "A Mother's World" or providing us with sound travel advise through the Gutsy Women's series, Marybeth is a source of sound advice, untempered passion for adventure and an umitigated belief in the strength of women. Read her books and you will be inspired, touched and ready for adventure.

I sometimes fear I may lose the desire to travel. It's so much easier to stay in my own little home. It's so much easier on my husband and family when I am content to be at home.

But...ooops!!! I read one of Marybeth's books and off I go again, dreaming about my next trip.

Marybeth and I are old friends and travel buddies. We met in Nepal many years ago and established a wonderful friendship based on many things, but the bottom line was our love of travel.

"Gutsy Women" is an important book for all of us to read. Marybeth has garnered all the important information we need for safe adventures. She left out only a couple of tips which I think should be passed on to all her readers: 1. Don't hang your coat on the light fixtures in your small hotel rooms. (Yes, your coat will start a fire when you turn on the light switch and leave it on for awhile. This happened to Marybeth and me in our small hotel on the Left Bank of Paris.) 2. Watch your luggage. Do not leave it unattended. (Yes, this happened to us at the airport in Paris. It was my suitcase which was blown up. We were so excited to be in Paris, we forgot to pay attention.) 3. Ask the rental car agent how to put your car in reverse. (Yes, this too happened to Marybeth and me. While one person handled the steering wheel, the rest of us pushed the car to where we needed it to be to go forward.)

Travel will change your life. Read Marybeth's book and you will change it safely, but you will never give up a chance for another adventure! All of us can be Gusty Women!

This book is a nice place for women travelers to start, but the book Travel Tips for the Sophisticated Woman by Lara Vestanen has far more depth and really useful tips.

While this book contains plenty of travel advice that I already know, it is quite handy for acting as a reminder to things I may forget along the way. The bulleted lists are helpful. I don't have to search paragraph after paragraph to find something I want to know. Armed with this book, I shall fearlessly begin my pan-Pacific adventure!

I am a U.S. native and am not exactly a frequent traveler (although I'd love to be). I am a young (-25), female who has only ever really traveled to a few big U.S. cities. I am considering taking some time off to do some world traveling (solo or with friends not sure) and I found this book IMMENSELY helpful for novice travelers such as myself. GEARED TOWARDS WOMEN AND TRAVEL ISSUES SPECIFIC TO US, Bond outlines some really good points that she has actually experienced that can save you a lot of time and grief. Things such as "bring your own sterile syringes if traveling to an under developed country" or "pack a door stopper for any place you visit and register under a first initial and last name only" may seem like strange things (or even scary) to take with you on a trip or to do while there, however she outlines very real-world scenarios and purposes for them. She also points out things geared towards women that one may consider "common sense" i.e how to research a country thoroughly so you're well informed and not lose the spontaneity, be sure to pack a lot of tampons and account for how birth control may factor into flying due to time changes, but are good reminders; while she brings another point of view to the table: bring your own tampons because many foreign countries may not carry them or are difficult to find (especially based on the culture). She emphasizes that your instincts are your best friends and to use them not just when abroad but in your own home town too (if you don't already). She is up front and honest about certain places that may not take to women as "friendly" or "respectfully" as Americans may be used to, but she also explains cultural reasonings so that you are INFORMED BUT NOT DISCOURAGED from visiting such beautiful places. There are also anecdotes from other travelers that she incorporates into the book. She goes over everything from "Safety, Health and Hygiene on the road" to "Romance on the Road", and "Tipping and Bargaining". She also gives tips for traveling women with children, 60+ travel, women traveling for business and safe solo travel. This book is a great little starter for domestic and international travelers, new and seasoned travelers alike. The chapters are outlined well and she provides a lot of help and tips for things you may not think of no matter how many lists you may make (oh and yes, she even provides a sample travel list). I would recommend this little book to ANY female I know who is thinking of traveling.

A book of advice on everything from why to go to how to do it. Gutsy Women starts talking about risk taking and ends up telling you everything you need to know to reduce risk, or at least about choosing whether you want to take chances with unfamiliar foods and how serendipitous you really want to be.
So, there's stretches to do in your seat on the airplane. (These days, I guess we have to make sure that raising our arms above our heads, rolling our heads, or twisting our backs aren't seen as acts of terrorism).
Here's a sampling of the info: how to pack and what to pack--the most important thing, your sense of humor takes up no space at all; bargaining techniques in various countries; traveling with various companions such as mother-daughter; tipping hints.
It's a book of lists, really, interspersed with comments and experiences from the writer and (presumably) other women travelers. It's easily read and worth reading. At the end, there are resources and references galore. I would say you don't really need to be gutsy to travel, but it does help to be informed and aware. This book is good for that.

This is an indispensable handbook full of information that can save you time, trouble and maybe even your life. Women make up the largest segment of the traveling population and many of them are choosing to travel alone. When I was a student for a summer session in England I walked the streets of London cloaked in a red riding hood cape that covered me from head to toe. This might seem a bit over the top, but I truly did not want to be raped, mugged or noticed by would be Romeos. Marybeth Bond doesn't suggest you go to these lengths but does give practical nuts and bolts tips on how to protect yourself on the road. Not just from predators, but from you own carelessness that can land you into a very uncomfortable place. She says this book is about more than travel. "It is about risk-taking, living, feeling, and learning, and loving." In the "Travelers Tales" tradition, this little book is well worth the price of admission.
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