Choosing the Right Guidebook

A guidebook is an inexpensive tool that will help you make the most of your traveling experience.  Often times the cheapest book is not the best value, even for money conscious travelers.

All to often do I see tourists wandering about looking for a restaurant or hotel that no longer exists because their out of date guidebook told them where to go.

Lonely Planet offers a wide array of
guidebooks for anywhere you want to go

Buying the cheapest guidebook often means buying the most out of date guidebook which results in wasted time (the most valuable thing you have).

Take the time to thoroughly read through the book before you purchase it.  Checking the publication date and writing style of the author.

Many guidebooks republish with new and up-to-date information every two years.  So it might be worth it to wait for the next edition to come out before you purchase.

There are many different companies who publish guidebooks, each with their own personality and style.

For example Lonely Planet and Rough Guides travel books are aimed toward a younger budget traveler.  They are practical and have in depth features about more obscure destinations.

However if you are looking for more cultural and historical information, then Frommer's and Fodor's would be the choice for you.  Both of these are aimed at a slightly older crowd and provide detailed information on walking paths as well as hotels and restaurants.

No matter which guidebook you choose make sure to thoroughly read it and make sure it suits your needs while being up-to-date with current information.  You do not want to wind up wasting your time while traveling, your time is all ready short enough.

Shoes Make all the Difference

Have you ever gotten to your hotel room late at night and your feet are just killing you?  Having the right shoes when traveling makes all the difference.

You are going to be doing a lot of walking when traveling, so make sure you get something that is comfortable.  You also want it to be durable, they will get dirty and need to be able to take a beating.  

Wearing the right shoes for your feet will
make your travel experience a whole lot better

I recommend a durable and comfortable hiking shoe.  Not a boot that will be bulky and weigh you down, but a shoe.  

A hiking shoe will give you the comfort you desire with the stability you need.  It is perfect for long walks in the city and hikes in the wilderness.  You can also wear them to more formal events and not have to pack an extra pair of shoes.  

Most importantly you need to try the pair of shoes on before you buy them.  While you are at the store do not be afraid to thoroughly test out the shoes, run around the store and jump on things. 

You can even bring some mud in a bucket to throw on the shoes to see how they hold up against dirt and water.  

There are lots of great places to buy shoes whether that be online or a brick and mortar store.  Listed below are some websites that can help you decide exactly what it is that you need.  

Check out this website for women's shoe choices http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/best-shoes-for-travel-ask-a-flight-attendant.html?_r=0.  

Check out this website for men's shoe choices http://gouk.about.com/od/uktoppicks/tp/mens_shoes.htm.

Ready at a Moments notice

A friend offers you an all expenses paid trip to Europe and all you have to do is be ready to go in 20 minutes.  Are you capable of being ready to go that fast?

Don't be like this woman, know what
it is that you need to pack

If you aren't then you are like most people so don't feel too bad. There are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for a situation just like this.

The first step, and this is the hardest, is to declutter your life of all non essential items.  Think to yourself "can I live without this and would I care if it was gone?"

Decluttering your life is easier said than done.  But if you are honest with yourself and are determined to declutter your life then you will succeed.

If you are still having some trouble decluttering then try reading this article http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/decor/articles/2009/08/05/20090805bigpurge.html.  It will help you on difficult decluttering decisions such as children's artwork and souvenirs.

The second and last step is to have all your clothes and toiletries all ready packed in a bag. So all you have to do is grab it and go.

If you don't want to stash a bag with everything you need then you can quickly get ready if you know what you are looking for.

If you are having trouble deciding what exactly it is that you need, check out this website http://www.travelindependent.info/whattopack.htm.

Just remember that the less stuff you have the easier it will be to make decisions on what to take and what to leave behind.

The video above shows how I would get ready real fast