Vagabonding

An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

By: Rolf Potts

Narrated by: Rolf Potts

Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's Summary

Vagabonding is about taking time off from your normal life - from six weeks to four months to two years - to discover and experience the world on your own terms. Veteran shoestring traveler Rolf Potts shows how anyone armed with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel. Potts gives the necessary information on:

• Financing your travel time
• Determining your destination
• Adjusting to life on the road
• Working and volunteering overseas
• Handling travel adversity
• Re-assimilating back into ordinary life

Not just a plan of action, vagabonding is an outlook on life that emphasizes creativity, discovery, and the growth of the spirit. Visit the vagabonding community's hub at www.vagabonding.net.

©2002 Rolf Potts (P)2013 Tim Ferriss

I wanted to love this book...

But in the end I'm not really sure who it's for. For an experienced traveler this book is very much a sermon to the choir. Ideas like "eat the local cuisine instead of pizza" and "don't just hang out where all the tourists are" seem so obvious as to almost feel condescending (though I know that wasn't the authors intent). I suspect that "the beaten path" has never really appealed to anyone who would be interested in this book so again much of the advice seems like common sense (at least for the books audience) Also travel style is a very personal thing and the author can come across like there's one right way to do it. That said I love the idea of this book and there are definitely some interesting sections, I guess I was just hoping for more.

Meh

I was quite excited for this book based on the recommendation of Tim Ferris. However, short of some entertaining anecdotes, I did not find that it offered much of value.

Loved it! - Great resource

Very interesting book with applicable details related to traveling from prepping before to getting back home.

Great listen!

Has definitely affected the way I think about consuming products (Will this hold me down in the future? Could I put this money toward a great meal in Japan someday? If I lose this object traveling, can I easily afford to replace it, or will it be a huge loss?).

Short enough that it's a relatively quick listen, and well worth it. Long enough to still provoke lots of thinking.

Not impressed..

I expected to learn a lot about how to travel asks live fairly comfortably on a REALLY tight budget (Vagabond) and it turned out to be more of an empowering lecture that encouraged you to realize that Y.O.L.O. and that you should drop your life and take off, essentially... Ugh..

my advice: pass on to the next book

this was the most obsolete audio I've ever listened to. hearing Tim Ferris literally drooling over this book in his recommendation by calling it a game changer and a 'must read' made me want to know what it was all about, obviously I was disappointed. spare yourselves the money and go travel

good philosophy

A good read even if you dont want to backpack across Asia give it a try. Travel and exploration can be achieved closer to home too. Open your eyes and heart and enjoy all the moments of your life.

Excellent book for anyone who travels regularly.

If you enjoy traveling off the beaten path this is a must read. Perfect for those who care more about experiencing life rather than buying happiness.

review of a well seasoned traveler.

I like to read books where I come out with something. I've been thinking about reading this book for a long time, since Tim Ferris was a fierce supporter. But I struggled to see what pointers I could take on this book.

Many of the "conclusions" are opinionated, posing a right and wrong way of traveling. Myself, I travel rather similar to how the author of the book has done, but I find that most of his advice is common sense, the rest is just his opinion, which sometimes coincides with mine, and sometimes not.

For someone that has never traveled outside of package tours, this book my pose a different way of traveling, something that many people can enjoy and learn from if they try. I was expecting to find something creative and different from what I saw, instead I just saw criticism of those that do package tours, drugs or alcohol.

I'm not saying the way he travels is not interesting, I'm saying that if this is what you like, this is what you will do. If someone rather go to a club med, well, there can be something in that too, different tastes make up for different traveling ways.

My self, I like to mix up a bit of everything.

Eh. Not really a guide.

I'm disappointed. it's not really a guide so much as an appeal to people to go traveling. I guess it's fine as a book about experiencing experiences, but it is being sold as a guide with advice on so many things that it doesn't deliver.

A great listen.

The narration was great with bought an easy listing vibe to the book. Full of light hearted theory which really gets you thinking about what travel is really about.

More about why&how we travel than how to payforit

I didn't learn anything new about financing travel or cutting costs during travel, but part about why we travel and how to approach it was realy good!

Excellent insight into backpacking

Excellent book written in a friendly understandable manner with great insight into travelling.

A must for anyone considering going backpacking for any length of time.

Mostly mundane, common sense.

Any additional comments?

Very dull overall. I expected a lot more from a book that was so highly touted by Tim Ferriss. Nothing to take away I'm afraid, and presented in a tone and style that made listening a struggle.

Interesting

What made the experience of listening to Vagabonding the most enjoyable?

Worth a listen. One area I would have liked a lot more depth on is finances. A lot of the excerpts he puts in from vagabonders all over the world seem to be freelance writers - what about the rest of us? That said it is still inspiration to just set off and follow your feet.

very good listen

very good listen but so point contradict others still one of the best travel books about and highly recommend

Loved this book.

Great escapism during lockdown. Gave some great practical advice and ideas. Would recommend to anyone.

Great advice for the long term traveller

Apart from the really useful insights into long term travel, there is much in the mindset and attitudes required, that can be translated to other areas of life and living.

A go to you can pick up again and again

Strongly reccomend to anyone looking for down to earth perspective on real long term travel.

Two years ago, at the start of my clueless stumble for travel advice, I listened to this while planning to travel, when I was feeling confused about what I needed or how I was really going to pull off such a long term trip. This helped to put into perspective that my travels begin now, not when I get on the plane. I listened for the second time while on my travels, on a long motorbike ride. It helped again to remind me why I was doing the stressful drive: to earn that time in the city when I arrived. I've listened a good few more times since then, for various different reasons and taken different things each time, even now after 2 years of being a seasoned traveller, it still gives me something new. I'm now planning to go away again, and find myself here, taking notes and reminding myself of advice I'd forgotten.

Makes me want to go on an adventure

This book is inspiring, just makes me want to travel more. It confirms some of my understanding of other cultures but also made me realise how I have previously made mistakes. I also enjoy how the authors understanding of vagabonding is confirmed by other vangabonders