Customer Reviews

Tough Times, Great Travels: The Travel Detective's Guide to Hidden Deals, Unadvertised Bargains, and Great Experiences

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

 

 

I find it a little ironic that a book about saving money in an economic downturn was such a waste of money. I would say that 99% of the information in this book was practical and could be found for free on the internet. Senior citizens get discounts? Say what?? Travel in off peak times?? Get out!

The only good thing I got from this book was a couple of websites I hadn't heard of, only one that I still use a month after reading the book and it hasn't really helped my travel planning.

I am planning a year long trip right now (leaving in 4 months!) and this was probably the worst travel book I have purchased in all my time planning. And I have bought a lot!!

We thought we could find some great ideas for travel deals, but this is just mediocre. Anyone with knowledge of searching the internet will get much better value by looking on-line. I'm glad the book was only $10 so I didn't feel that I wasted too much money.

As someone who has cut back spending in several areas of my life during this economic downturn, I still can't seem to cut back on travel. Perhaps it's because my family still lives on the other coast. But I also believe it's because the thought of not being able to travel seems like a punishment for circumstances out of my control. So, if nothing else, I'm continuing, because I refuse to be a victim of this slump! And that is why this particular travel book is so timely and a hugely important book to come out right now.

Pros
Tough Times, Great Travels is brimming with travel budget tips for getting the most out of travel these days. Instead of building up his book by telling you the economy is in a slump, he assumes we're smart enough to know that and cuts right to the chase.

Great Tips
The book addresses little-known travel discount tips, the best travel deals, ins and outs of renting a car, train and bus travel, shoulder and off-season travel, dining on a budget, places where your currency can stretch the farthest and the best credit cards to take with you on a trip. There is valuable information on passports and luggage, including a tip on luggage you can actually wear!

There's a chapter on family travel too--a sweet spot for me. Who knew Club Med sometimes offers travel deals with free airfare? I'll have to look into that one. Greenberg shares city-by-city tourist discount cards and devotes a chapter to free activities, which includes information on cities with self-service bike rentals--the best one being in Paris, according to the author.

Cons?

None. At least none that I could find.

Sue Douglass Fliess

http://www.travelmuse.com/reviews/book-review/peter-greenberg-budget-travel-guide

Tough Times, Great Travels: The Travel Detective's Guide to Hidden Deals, Unadvertised Bargains, and Great Experiences

Peter Greenberg's book gives secrets to the best way to travel in this economy. It covers everything from affordable accommodations to secret travel discounts. It's all about knowing where and when the best time to travel is and this book really guides you. My favorite section is the "One Tank Trips" which is a great guide to mini road trips around the country. Some of my other favorite tips were the free activities in cities, best day to book a hotel room and airline tickets, and best of all avoiding those dreaded luggage check fees. This book is great for solo travel, families, young couples and students, so pretty much everyone. Staying local may be what's most affordable in this economy and "Tough Times, Great Travels" is the key to finding those close but new and exciting spots.

It gives out some good ideas, but not all that i was looking for! It doesn't go in depth as much as i wanted it to. It shows you basic things, some are good, and some i already knew.

This is a good book to read if you travel frequently. It has alot of useful information that can enhance your future travel experiences.

I am a travel professional and for the last 10 years I have been working for [...], as a professional I picked this book to see the validity. I can tell you the author has no idea about international airline tickets.
There is no such thing as a last minute international airline ticket.
There is no stand by international airline tickets.
The truth is that there are publish and negotiated fares and you can truly can find those by experienced travel agent.

If you watch Peter Greenberg when he's on the morning shows you may not find anything earth shattering in this book for you. But on the other hand, it does put all in one place. Everyone will find a few hints here that they might not have known. The less experienced traveler will find definitely find it very helpful.

So between having a quick reference and at least a tip or two, it is definitely worth the price.