How to Be the World's Smartest Traveler Author: Visit Amazon's Christopher Elliott Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1426212739 | Format: EPUB
How to Be the World's Smartest Traveler Description
Review
"The USA Today columnist draws on his 20 years as a travel advocate to give the inside scoop on how to navigate the world of travel, with detailed advice." --
Publishers Weekly
"An indispensable road map....even seasoned travelers can learn something from this wide-ranging guide that hits on everything from finding the ideal suitcase to snagging a great airfare." --
USA Today"For less than $20 you can save yourself a thousand travel tears." --
Detroit Free Press
"Whether you’re planning a once-in-a-lifetime vacation or you travel regularly for business, this is a book you can use."
--Library JournalAbout the Author
CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT is a nationally acclaimed consumer advocate who is
National Geographic Traveler's Editor-at-Large and resident ombudsman. He writes their "Problem Solved" column, a nationally syndicated weekly travel column, a regular
USA Today column, and a daily blog focused on solving consumer travel problems. Elliott writes a weekly column for
The Washington Post and is a personal finance blogger at Mint.com. He's hosted a cable TV show and a nationally syndicated radio show, and was an independent producer for NPR and a commentator for both NPR and
Marketplace. As a pioneer in digital journalism, he founded the Internet's first business travel website in 1994 and began blogging in 1996, before it was called blogging. He became ABCNews.com's first travel columnist in 1997, and his work has since appeared in a variety of major news outlets, including CBS Interactive, CNN.com, MSNBC.com and USAToday.com. As an early adopter, he was one of the first journalists with a presence on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. Currently, his family is on an open-ended journey around the world, covering the adventure for nationalgeographic.com and the
Huffington Post.
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: National Geographic (March 4, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1426212739
- ISBN-13: 978-1426212734
- Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
This is a good book to pick up if you are planning a big trip or just want to save some money on a shorter weekend get-away-- or anything in between. It is full of up-to-date tips on traveling which are useful to a wide range of travelers, from budget do-it-yourselfers, to cruises, to package tours, and even gives you tips for surviving a timeshare sales event.
Christopher Elliot includes many useful Do's and Don'ts sidebars that he calls "SMART" and "NOT SMART" and many examples of what to do if your plans change or something goes wrong. In his "PROBLEM SOLVED" sections, he gives real examples of people who have written to him with problems with their travel and he has helped them with a solution.
How you read this book will depend if you're a glass half full or half empty person. There are so many problems (and solutions) detailed that I felt a little overwhelmed but in the end I think it's good to know what might go wrong so you can anticipate and be flexible when things happen.
The book is broken into three main sections and 22 chapters.
I - Before You Go
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1. Find the Most Reliable Travel Advice
2. Book Your Next Trip
3. Make Sure Your Papers are in Order
4. Stay Healthy and Safe
5. Find the Best Travel Insurance Policy
6. Buy the Right Luggage
7. Manage your Travel Loyalty Program
II - Getting There
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8. Rent a Car
9. Take a Road Trip
10. Make Sense of the World of Air Travel
11. Make the Most of a Terminal Visit
12. Plan a Cruise
13. Handle TSA and Travel Security
III - On the Ground
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14.
Being the world’s smartest traveler means, well, reading the fine print. In this unusual travel guide, Christopher Elliott (Ombudsmen for “National Geographic Traveler” magazine) helps readers navigate the tricky business of traveling. While people love to travel, it’s not always an easy business, and travel companies seem to design the rules to capitalize on every traveler’s mistakes, crafting “rights” for the travelers they serve that don’t really seem to serve anyone but the companies providing the travel service.
Divided into helpful sections on topics such as air travel, rental cars, cruises, and more, Elliott shares not only the wisdom he has learned over years of helping people solve their travel dilemmas, but pointing out how to make the most of your travel experiences. He even helps readers write the perfect complaint letter (hint: it’s not a laundry list of all the things a hotel or cruise line has done wrong).
He’s ruthlessly honest about topics like frequent flier programs and what you can really expect as compensation from a company that has done a traveler wrong. If you happen to read the book straight through (and I recommend it), you come away shaking your head at just how much can go wrong and the extensive lengths sometimes needed to correct a bad situation (yes, take photos or videos of that rental car before you drive it off the lot).
His advice is relevant and modern (with plenty of outstanding references to helpful websites and contact information for major travel companies listed at the back). You can dip in at any point and get some sage advice about whatever aspect of travel most concerns you: from avoiding time share hassles to realizing you do need a passport for that Caribbean cruise, despite what you’re often told.
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