Rediscovering Travel: A Guide for the Globally Curious

by Seth Kugel

Overview

A revolutionary philosophy for rookie and veteran travelers alike, Rediscovering Travel “gets to the heart of why we travel” (Matt Kepnes, “Nomadic Matt”).

Having captivated millions during his tenure as the New York Times’s “Frugal Traveler,” Seth Kugel is one of our most internationally beloved travel writers. With the initial publication of Rediscovering Travel, he took the corporate modern travel industry to task, determined to reignite an age- old sense of adventure that has virtually been vanquished by the spontaneity- obliterating likes of Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and Starwood points. Now in travel- friendly paperback, this “funny, inspiring and well- crafted” companion (Associated Press) reveals how to make the most of new apps and other digital technologies without being shackled to them. Writing for the tight- belted tourists and the fi rst- class fl yer, the eager student and the comfort- seeking retiree, Kugel shows all readers “not only where to look, but how” (Samantha Brown), and promises that we too can rediscover the joy of discovery.

“Travel is not about the destination but the experience. . . . That’s what makes [it] so appealing, so addictive, and that’s what makes Rediscovering Travel so necessary.” — Peter Greenberg

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631496318
Publisher:	Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication date:	11/12/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,015,208
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Seth Kugel, the New York Times’s “Frugal Traveler” from 2010 to 2016, has appeared on CBS This Morning, NPR, and BBC Travel. He hosts the hit YouTube channel “Amigo Gringo,” which has been profiled in The New Yorker, and lives in New York.

Editorial Reviews

08/13/2018
In his insightful and fun book, Kugel, former New York Times “Frugal Traveler” columnist, takes on the increasingly commercial and technological aspects of 21st-century travel. His advice will stimulate travelers’ curiosity while rescuing a sense of adventure that has been eclipsed by technology and corporate tourism. Kugel bemoans the spawning of neighborhoods that have become “cultural amusement parks” brought on by the exploding business of apartment rental services in cities around the globe. Kugel stresses the benefits of traveling inexpensively: more trips can be taken, and travelers will be closer to the everyday life and will have more opportunities for discovering intriguing people, tasty food, and exhilarating sites. He admits that technology and travel media have made traveling “easier, faster, and cheaper” but cautions against overuse of online resources such as hotel and restaurant reviews, Google Maps, and GPS (“Studies show that drivers using GPS to get somewhere don’t pay attention to their surroundings and thus have more trouble finding their way back”). Although Kugel acknowledges that the travel industry will always be necessary “to transport people to their destinations,” he believes that adventurous souls will have more luck finding inspiration, personalization, and self-discovery with “just a tiny push toward less-planned travel experiences.” Kugel’s advice for discovery-filled travel is thought-provoking and surprisingly simple. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Covering topics including the reasons why we travel, safety and risks, effective technology use, and the ethics of travel, he writes for both families with one week of vacation per year and solo travelers with months to spend abroad. Kugel’s sense of humor and varied experiences make the book an enjoyable, informative read. Whether their ideal vacation is a week on a Caribbean beach or two months motorbiking around Vietnam, readers will feel encouraged to reconsider how they approach their next trip away from home."

Booklist

★ 2018-09-11

The former "Frugal Traveler" columnist for the New York Times encourages anxious tourists toward more adventurous travel in this helpful, humorous, and opinionated guide.

Using anecdotes from his plentiful experience to illustrate his points, but without indulging in personal history for its own sake, Kugel makes the case that low-budget, minimally planned travel can be more rewarding than a journey insulated from risk and serendipity. As he writes, "people who inhabit the still-plentiful tourist-free swaths of the planet tend to be not only just nicer, but also more curious." The author isn't afraid to complain about what he sees as problems in the tourist industry, such as the tendency of travel writers to be funded by the places about which they are writing, resulting in unnaturally positive reviews, and the use of points programs to choose a place to stay. He advocates for gradually upping one's tolerance for adventure. "Talk to three strangers a day," he writes. "Smile and ask a question." Or try the "microadventure" of "ordering a menu item you've never heard of. If you hate it, you still have a story to tell." Though Kugel offers a few pieces of advice from female travelers, he writes primarily of his experience as a straight white American male. While recognizing the value of travel apps, he recommends that travelers use them sparingly. Instead of using TripAdvisor to find a predictably pleasant restaurant, for example, he recommends wandering around looking into windows or asking a stranger for advice. Appendices get down to the nitty-gritty of preparing for a trip, including detailed recommendations for assessing and reducing risk at every stage of travel, from "preliminary thinking" ("realize you're not perfectly safe back home, either") to "prior to departure" ("consider evacuation insurance") to "during the trip" ("Dare to ask taxi drivers to drive more slowly").

Travelers both timid and daring will find plenty of useful advice in this perceptive and provocative volume.

Kirkus Reviews