Customer Reviews

How To Go Almost Anywhere For Almost Nothing

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

 

 

This book has a number of serious problems that lead me to rate it as very poor.

First, it is unbelievable that a publisher would allow a book to be released that contains dozens of grammatical errors. It is an English teacher's dream book. There are a number of run-on and awkward sentences, a couple of fragments and a perpetual confusion of when to use "its" and "it's".

Second, the book is completely unorganized. One minute, she is talking about University housing and then, starts a travelogue on Portland, OR. There is no transition or a page break. The book could have been much stonger had the author taken the time to organize it in a logical way.

Third, the formatting of the text of bizarre. For example, on page 57, she is talking about moderate accommodations in San Francisco and the next paragraph deals with Los Angeles. There are no headings or transactions whatsoever. In Appendix A, there is a chart of air couriers where the text and numbers all run together.

Fourth, a number of the references that she quotes at the end have been out of publication for almost eight years like the Budget Lodging Guide. Their website clearly states that the book ceased publication in 1996 and would not be reissued.

Fifth, there is far too much "third party" data which indicates that the author has not been to a place that she is recommending. In numerous cases, she uses "I have been told that ...". I would rather that she stick to places that she has personal knowledge of.

Sixth, she directs the reader to places in some fairly rough neighborhoods without a mention that the area is crime-ridden. For example, she recommends a hostel in Harlem without a mention of the crime. While I am reluctant to steer folks away from certain parts of various cities, crine issues should be disclosed.

There are a lot of great budget travel books that are well written. I recommend the Moon Guides and the Lonely Planet guides as books that are far better than this one.

This is a wonderful book for folks who want to travel and think they can't afford it. How to Go Almost Anywhere for Almost Nothing is about seriously low-budget travel. It's packed with information about courier flights, alternative housing (college dormitories and monasteries), driveaway cars, and tips on the best way to get "bumped" from over-booked flights in order to score free tickets on future flights. As the author notes, this book is not for everyone. Folks who need control over their itinerary, who don't like surprises, and who are unaccustomed to roughing it, may not find this useful. On the other hand, for students and seniors on fixed income (the author is sixty-five) this book could provide a magic carpet. The second half of the book details the specifics of low-budget touristing in places the author has visited, including London, New York, San Francisco, Rome, Singapore, Bangkok, and other major cities around the world. The appendix lists contact information for courier countries and budget travel guides. A unique and spirited travel guide for the serendipitously-inclined.

A travel book for the rest of us, How to Go Almost Anywhere for Almost Nothing is a genuine "how to" guide to travel the world--yes, you. Better yet, it shows how to see the soul of places, not the tourist traps. (If you want glitz, ALSO buy one of those destination-specific travel guides.) The book is divided into three sections. The first part is the best. Memorize it. That's where you'll find the real tricks of travel, such as how to fly as low as. . .well, free. Room and board can be as low as $10 a night, and also free, sometimes. What can I say, this book delivers! There are also hints to avoid scams. The second part of the book is written letter-style, in which you "accompany" the author as you read, with anticipation for each succeeding adventure. The third part gives great advice on packing, monetary matters, security, and even what to do if you get sick mid-trip. Packed with specifics, but written with a warm and light touch, this book made this guy who has hardly ever left the city limits want to go Almost Everywhere, Almost Now-and believe that I can. Now, that's really saying something.

This book is a sample of European destinations and what appear to be hostels for travelers in their twenties. Its spread very thin because it covers traveling in alot of countries. I found it to be like a sampler plate in a restaurant, a little bit of lots of things. If you are looking for a book that tells you how to travel cheaply, reduce airfare, rental car costs, as well as where and how to look for lodging, don't buy this book.

I found this book to be very disorganized and jumpy. The author doesn't stick to one idea for more than a couple pages which leads to a lack of full information on what could be very good travel advice.
Also, the book's main focus and most of the information is for traveling to Asia and a few cities in the US.
I think the tips in this book have saved me enough money to cover its price, but there are probably better books out there.

This is one of the most valuable travel buys I have ever made. I learned more ways to save on travel in this book than I imagined possible. The author shared little-known tips and humorous experiences on the road that I will treasure as I try to emulate her. By all means, buy this book. It will enrich your life.