Vagabonding and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more


or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Kindle Edition
Read the Kindle edition on Kindle, iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, PC and Mac.
 
   
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel
 
 
See all product images
See 1 customer image
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.
Start reading Vagabonding on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel [Paperback]

Rolf Potts (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (107 customer reviews) |
List Price: $15.00
Price: $10.20 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $4.80 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it delivered Monday, May 21? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition --   $11.99 --
Paperback $10.20   -- --
Unknown Binding --   -- --

Book Description

Publication Date: December 24, 2002
Vagabonding is about taking time off from your normal life—from six weeks to four months to two years—to discover and experience the world on your own terms. Veteran shoestring traveler Rolf Potts shows how anyone armed with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel. Potts gives the necessary information on:

• financing your travel time
• determining your destination
• adjusting to life on the road
• working and volunteering overseas
• handling travel adversity
• re-assimilating back into ordinary life

Not just a plan of action, vagabonding is an outlook on life that emphasizes creativity, discovery, and the growth of the spirit. Visit the vagabonding community’s hub at www.vagabonding.net.

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Rough Guide First-Time Around The World, 3rd Edition by Doug Lansky Paperback $12.91

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel + The Rough Guide First-Time Around The World, 3rd Edition
Price For Both: $23.11

Show availability and shipping details

  • This item: Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts Paperback

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Rough Guide First-Time Around The World, 3rd Edition by Doug Lansky Paperback

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Veteran vagabond Potts regales readers with his mantra: anyone with an adventurous spirit can achieve the feat of taking extended time off from work to experience the world. In 11 short chapters that follow the same structure, Potts tells how to negotiate time off from work, prepare for travel, and get the most out of your time on the road. Each chapter contains a profile of a famous proponent of vagabonding (e.g., Thoreau, Annie Dillard), quotes from everyday people with extensive travel experience, and a tip sheet of print and online sources for practical travel advice on topics such as airline tickets and accommodations as well as safety concerns. Alternately warning readers about using drugs in foreign countries and entertaining them with anecdotes from exotic ports of call, Potts gives a thorough recounting of his outlook on traveling. This book seems squarely aimed at twenty- and thirtysomethings; anyone with decidedly nonvagabond accoutrements (e.g., children or career ambition) might be more skeptical of Potts' philosophy. For those with a bad case of wanderlust. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Inside Flap

Vagabonding is about taking time off from your normal life?from six weeks to four months to two years?to discover and experience the world on your own terms. Veteran shoestring traveler Rolf Potts shows how anyone armed with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel. Potts gives the necessary information on:

? financing your travel time
? determining your destination
? adjusting to life on the road
? working and volunteering overseas
? handling travel adversity
? re-assimilating back into ordinary life

Not just a plan of action, vagabonding is an outlook on life that emphasizes creativity, discovery, and the growth of the spirit.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Villard Books; 1st edition (December 24, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0812992180
  • ISBN-13: 978-0812992182
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Rolf Potts Page
Rolf Potts
Rolf Potts funded his earliest vagabonding experiences by working as a landscaper and an ESL teacher. He now writes about independent travel for National Geographic Adventure, and his travel essays have appeared in Salon, Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, and Best American Travel Writing 2000, and on National Public Radio.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
129 of 132 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Rolf Potts' tome of vagabonding is an inspirational work rather than a practical guide. While the same practical information is contained in other books, this book shines in the area of travel philosophy. Travel is like a religion, where some people are incredibly fervent about it, while others just don't understand. This book makes you realize that long-term travel is not only possible, but desirable and worthwhile.

I particularly liked the section on working for travel. As a 9-to-5 worker planning a long-term trip, I needed the inspiration to keep going. I liked being told that working will actually make me appreciate travel more. After all, to afford travel, I have to be here anyway.

Throughout the book, there are great little excerpts from famous travellers, philosophers, and explorers, as well as anecdotes from ordinary travellers. Rolf has a particular liking for Walt Whitman, and I may just have to go pick up some Walt poetry now. The literary references in this book let you know that world travel and a simple life aren't new concepts.

The only problem I see with this book is that it may soon become dated with its references to specific websites.

The book is of a small and convenient size to take on the road.

Was this review helpful to you?
71 of 72 people found the following review helpful
Inspiring June 23, 2003
Format:Paperback
The hardest part of world travel is acquiring the mindset that nothing else matters as much as the journey. Getting to a place where you reduce your consumption of unnecessary stuff, commit your time, and leave your daily routine behind takes a fair amount of work, and it also takes a major shift in priorities. Vagabonding serves as the kick-start that gets you to that mental place --the "I can do it, and I can do it soon" reply to the siren call of world travel.

This book is inspiring, clear, and helpful. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to roam, but thinks they don't have enough money or time. I also recommend it for those, like me, who have gone vagabonding before, know what it takes, and just need a nudge of renewal in order to get back out there again. Great book!

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Philosophy Class Meets the Road September 18, 2003
Format:Paperback
This book is essentially about the thought process behind taking time off from your regular life to discover and experience the world on your own terms. If you've been around the world a few times, you'll find it puts many of your fuzzy warm thoughts and ideals into words. If you haven't, it'll probably make you wonder why you haven't taken off already.

People who like to plan and be prepared should treat this as a companion to more nuts-and-bolts guides. Others may find this plenty since travel is all an adventure anyway. It depends on your personality and comfort with the unknown. The rarely expressed aspect of Potts' book, however, is the acknowledgement that both work and travel are admirable and that one complements the other. To travel, you must also be productive sometimes. But to be productive, you also have to continually learn and see other points of view. Traveling abroad on more than a one-week vacation makes this possible. An entertaining and inspiring read.

Tim Leffel, author of THE WORLD'S CHEAPEST DESTINATIONS

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not just a travel book
This is just not a travel or vacation book. This book is something you can something you can apply to your everyday lifestyle. Read more
Published 1 hour ago by Bruce Jay Wallace
A go-to book for travel inspiration
Great book and philosophy about travel. Potts hits on many excellent points. My two favorite:
- There are a shrinking number of places in the world to truly escape and find... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Backscheider
Not A Good book
This book is not worth the read. He basically repeats his self for a 150 pages. The main points are - go to places you like, stay there for a couple month and mingle with the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nice guy
Contrarian philosophical thinking in a beautiful book
This is an amazing book that dives deep into the philosophy of long-term travel and life in general. Read more
Published 2 months ago by taipan
Informative book from a veteran long term traveler
What can be said about Ralph Potts the other reviewers haven't covered? He's a great speaker and writer with more long-term travel experience under his belt than most. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Power Kites
#1 book to take on the road
A short book, but full of so much wisdom that only come from the deep introspection of longterm solo traveling. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Antenucci
Wonderful and Enlightening
I received this little gem as a birthday present, and I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful it is. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Cid
Nothing Too Surprising..
The book is fairly common sense.. the general idea is be open to things and not rush the experience. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Bill Fair
Disappointing
I wanted to like this book. I really did. But the unfortunate fact is that it's not very good. There's a lot of wishy-washy "follow your dreams" inspirational stuff, but very... Read more
Published 7 months ago by tom_r
Awesome
This book is inspirational and exactly what i need in order to begin planning my own vagabonding adventures. The delivery was spot on too.
Published 8 months ago by salley11
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(34)
(15)
(11)
(11)
(10)
(6)
(4)
(4)
(3)
(2)
Agree with these tags?
See all 43 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Look for Similar Items by Category

Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:









i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...