Book review: Budget Travel’s The Smart Traveler’s Passport

Budget Travel is a fine magazine; it’s always good for solid travel advice, even runs the occasional travel narrative. But its 20 Tips section – travel tips from BT’s readers – has always seemed to me a little weak. There are always a few good ones, but the rest are just kind of, “gee whiz”. Usually I skip them.

Turns out, a little distillation works wonders. Budget Travel’s new book, The Smart Traveler’s Passport, compiles 399 of its best reader tips into nine chapters organized by aspects of a trip: planning, lodging, transportation, etc. Thus framed, even tips I’d overlooked in the magazine seemed smart and helpful, and the standouts even better.

As ad copy would have it, following even one of Passport’s money-saving tips would save you more than the cost of the book. But you can find those and more online for free (many of them archived on Budget Travel’s Web site); and, given how quickly things change in the world of Web 2.0, the trip-booking ones especially are soon-to-be yesterday’s news. So, why buy it?

Judging by the tips, Budget Travel has a diverse readership, and that’s nice. Vagabonders and business travelers travel differently, though, and the utility of Passport’s tips varies by travel style. Still, Passport reminds that travelers of all stripes have a lot in common just for being on the move, and it’s in the overlap that the book really shines.

The Smart Traveler’s Passport is at its best in the second chapter, “Before You Go: Packing Carefully and Preparing to Leave”. You can always pack better, and there’s plenty here to help you travel neat and light. (Especially cool are the many ideas for reusing common household throwaways to keep your stuff safe, clean and organized.) Flipping through it, I started taking notes, noticed I was marking nearly everything, then realized happily I didn’t need to; I could pull the book off my shelf anytime.

The Smart Traveler’s Passport lists for about $10 on Amazon.com.