Europe Travel

As the 18th century approached its midpoint, commercial and military competition between the European states became fierce. And whoever obtained accurate information about distant lands would hold an advantage. Were there continental landmasses in the Pacific? Was there a Northwest Passage to Japan and China? What lay in the interior of Africa? Was it possible to cross the Sahara? Where did the rivers Nile and Congo originate?

This collection of 42 first-person accounts about backpacking in Europe will awaken a taste for adventure in those who have yet to travel, and bring back memories for those who have. Romance, surprise, discovery, and wisdom all bubble through these authors’ riveting pieces.

Donna Leon’s wildly popular novels starring Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti have often been praised for their insight into culture, politics, family life, and the history of Venice, one of the world’s most treasured cities and her home for over thirty years. My Venice and Other Essays collects over fifty of Leon’s funny, charming, and passionate essays on subjects that range from battles over garbage in the canals to troubles with rehabbing Venetian real estate.

In large parts of France where they don't speak English, the reception you get in the restaurant if you say "Bonsoir, avez vous une table pour quatre s'il vous plait?" instead of mumbling in English, is night and day.

In 1967, veteran travel writer Eric Newby and his heroic wife, Wanda, fulfilled their dream of a return to life in the Italian hills where they first met during World War II. But this fulfillment would not come easy. The dream materialised in the form of I Castagni ('The Chestnuts'), a small, decrepit farmhouse with no roof, an abandoned septic tank and its own indigenous wildlife reluctant to give up their home. But in the foothills of the Apuan Alps on the border of Liguria and Northern Tuscany, this ramshackle house would soon become a hub of love, friendship and activity.

Greater Than a Tourist - Athens Greece, by Eleni Panagiotopoulou, gives you the inside scoop on Athens. This audiobook will give you travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination.

Two years ago, Graham Robb moved to a lonely house on the very edge of England, near the banks of a river that once marked the southern boundary of the legendary Debatable Land. The oldest detectable territorial division in Great Britain, the Debatable Land served as a buffer between Scotland and England. It was once the bloodiest region in the country, fought over by Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and James V. After most of its population was slaughtered or deported, it became the last part of Great Britain to be brought under the control of the state.

With the help of some of our more disreputable friends, each an argumentative and unreliable expert in his or her own dodgy field, we'll explain why some streets have genders, why only two Londoners got to meet Dracula, how a department store and a prison played tricks on your mind, when a theatre got stranded in the past, how a building vanished in plain sight, what excited Charlotte Brontë about the city and where the devils hide in London.

Embarquez pour l'aventure de votre vie avec Solo Journeys, le guide essentiel pour toute femme prête à explorer l'Europe avec confiance, curiosité et esprit d'aventure ! Conçu pour responsabiliser les voyageurs solo débutants et les explorateurs chevronnés, ce livre offre une approche conviviale et dirigée par des experts pour naviguer dans les destinations les plus captivantes d'Europe, des villes emblématiques aux trésors cachés.

Leaving a highly visible job took some courage, but Tracy Pawelski knew it was time. As she looked out on her horizon, her next step crystallized. She would join her 21-year-old daughter on a once-in-a-lifetime walk across Spain called El Camino de Santiago. While Tracy’s trek along the 500 miles of this ancient Catholic pilgrimage began as a mother-daughter adventure, Tracy soon realized this was her Camino, a journey of profoundly personal insight and spiritual growth.

Having three generations of her family living under the same roof was once part of the Italian dream for Rosie. But when her party-loving, whiskey-drinking, poker-playing 85-year-old mother moves over from Ireland to Italy, Rosie’s longed for dolce vita in Umbria is anything but sweet.

Greater Than a Tourist - Gothenburg Sweden, by Christina De Paris, offers the inside scoop on Gothenburg. This audiobook will give you travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination.

Every year upon arriving in Plobien, the small Breton town where he spends his summers, American writer Mark Greenside picks back up where he left off with his faux-pas-filled Francophile life. Mellowed and humbled, but not daunted (OK, slightly daunted), he faces imminent concerns: What does he cook for a French person? Who has the right-of-way when entering or exiting a roundabout? Where does he pay for a parking ticket? And most dauntingly of all, when can he touch the tomatoes?

Most guidebooks on Ireland will tell you where to stay and what to see. Ireland—Culture Smart! is written for people who want to know more and go deeper. Here you will find the beliefs and attitudes of the Irish, their rich musical and literary culture, their ancient language and mythology, the values they live by, how they do business, how they enjoy themselves, and the ways they have been molded by their tumultuous history and indeed their geography.

If you ever wondered what it would be like to move abroad and just how to go about it, look no further than this book. Rediscover places you have always loved and discover some you may never have dreamed of. The one thing they all have in common is that you can live and thrive there for way less money than you can in the United States. Imagine living in paradise on your social security income.

50 Travel Tips from a Local Greece, by Irena Nieslony, offers first-hand and personal insight into the best ways to visit the Hellenic hotspot of the Mediterranean. Most travel books tell you how to travel like a tourist. Although there is nothing wrong with that, as part of the ‘Greater Than a Tourist’ series, this book will give you candid travel tips from someone who has lived at your next travel destination.

Have you dreamed about backpacking through Europe but feel like you don't have the money? In this book, you will learn tips and tricks about how to backpack in Europe without breaking the bank. From hostels to restaurants to packing your bag, there are ways to save money and experience all the wonders of a continent that has a deep and rich history. Don't put off your dream. Make it a reality by doing some research and being responsible with your money.

Drink Like a Local - London by Claire Farrell offers the inside scoop on the best places to find food and drink in the city, also some added extras to help your trip become that bit more special. Culinary tourism is an important aspect of any travel experience. Regional drinks have the ability to tell you a story of a destination, its landscapes, and culture. Most food and drink guides tell you where to go like a tourist.

Drawing on testimony from a great range of witnesses - from Balzac and Hugo to assorted boulevardiers, rabble-rousers, and tramps - Sante, whose thorough research is matched only by the vividness of his narration, takes the listener on a whirlwind tour.

In Polish: Jacek Hugo-Bader once again embarks on a trip around Poland. He returns to matters, events, and places from 20-30 years ago. He meets with the people from the front pages of Gazeta Wyborcza: bandits, bums, converted, rednecks, and chosen - this is the face of modern Poland which is so easy to turn one's back to. The reporter discovers that his previous writings about these people were dwarfed by the stories which life wrote for them.