Tim Leffel's Cheapest Destinations

My World Hum Interview

Rolf Potts interviewed me recently for his “Ask Rolf” column in the great travel webzine World Hum. The title dovetails well with my regular proddings to take advantage of what is one of the best years in recent history to go traveling: Given the dire economy, should I travel overseas this year?

If you’re completely broke and facing foreclosure on your home, maybe not. But if you just got laid off with a severance package, if you’ve lost your health insurance, if you’re renting and your lease is up, then make a clean break. Stop fighting the tide, being one of 3,000 people applying for 20 open jobs. Come back when we’re on the upswing again and meanwhile you’ll travel, you’ll learn, and you’ll spend a fraction of what you would at home—if you go to the right places. For more on that, buy the book or see the interview.

Another book you should buy before the first big trip is Vagabonding, by Rolf Potts. There are plenty of good practical guides out there for planning a long journey, including First Time Around the World and Traveler’s Tool Kit: Mexico and Central America, but Vagabonding is the best at looking at long-term travel from a holistic perspective. It mixes learned advice with philosophy, psychology, and backpacker sociology into an interesting stew. You can find links to these and a lot more on this recommended travel books page.