Adventures of a Railway Nomad: How Our Journeys Guide Us Home


Karen McCann - 2015
    We were traveling with no fixed time limit, no reservations, and only a loose idea of our itinerary. Our goal was to see if we could still have the kind of spontaneous adventures we’d enjoyed in our youth. We spent three months on trains, mostly in Eastern Europe, and the results – often hilarious, occasionally harrowing, definitely life-changing – form the basis of my new book, Adventures of a Railway Nomad: How Our Journeys Guide Us Home. "Adventurous and bold . . . full of twists and surprises." – Chris Brady, NY Times bestselling author of A Month of ItalyI traveled 6000 miles on 38 trains through 13 countries: Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia. "Karen's storytelling is, if possible, even more enticing than her astonishing journey." – Alicia Bay Laurel, bestselling author of Living on the Earth

Wayward: Fetching Tales from a Year on the Road


Tom Gates - 2012
    His travel stories have had millions of views online and are collected within for the first time. The content of Wayward was written during a yearlong trip around the world, during which the author lived in twelve countries over twelve months. Gates' writing has been described as “evocative”, “hilarious” and “brilliant.” He has been described as a “wanker”, “kind of a dipshit” and “retarded”.Wayward is a must-read for anyone who needs a shrink and likes to travel.

Restless: Memoir of an Incurable Traveller


Heather Hackett - 2020
    They filled them with a deep longing to see the world and little else.It began in 1983, a time before the Internet, Instagram or Skyscanner. It was a journey of connections with people and situations that stretched the limits of their patience and perseverance. It was often hard and sometimes dangerous. But it was a journey of self-discovery, to places where simple choices led to profound transformation, where anything was possible if you just believed in yourself and the power in your hands and heart.Grab your copy today and follow the path of this young woman who set out to find herself in the world and find answers to the eternal questions who am I and why am I here?

OFF THE MAP: 25 True Stories to Inspire Your Next Adventure


Chelsea Fagan - 2014
    But it’s never too late to write your next story, and to go on your next adventure. In partnership with Cayman Jack, Thought Catalog presents a collection of 25 travel stories to inspire you to leave behind the predictable and take to the open road in search of the unforgettable. Your next great memory is waiting for you, whether you realize it or not. And these exceptional stories will help you find it.

Cycling the Earth: A Life-changing Race Around the World


Sean Conway - 2016
    He was immediately inspired – but it was a huge undertaking and he’d hardly been on a bike in years. Could he really cycle all the way round the world, solo and unsupported?Six months later, after completing a punishing training schedule and packing up everything he owned into boxes, Sean was in Greenwich Park on the start line of the adventure of a lifetime. Soon he was way ahead of schedule, averaging 180 miles per day, and on course to break the round the world cycling record. But then disaster struck, and Sean was forced to confront the possibility that he may not be able to complete the race...In the course of his 16,000-mile journey, Sean travelled the famous pan-American highway across the Atacama Desert, outran tornados, relied on fellow travellers to ferry water across the Australian outback, and inadvertently joined a cycle club in Mumbai. He learnt things about himself he didn’t know and rediscovered a spirit of adventure that changed everything. This is a book about an amazing and sometimes incredibly difficult journey, but it’s also a book about never giving up when there’s an opportunity to follow your dreams.

No Place Like Home, Thank God: A 22,000 Mile Bicycle Ride Around Europe


Steven Primrose-Smith - 2014
    The writing is excellent..." - Julie Rand, CYCLE Magazine After a near fatal brain haemorrhage Steven Primrose-Smith decides that life is too short to hang around. Inspired, he jumps on his bicycle to travel a road that stretches 22,000 miles across the whole of Europe. During his ride through 53 countries, climbing the equivalent of 20 Everests, he dodges forest fires, packs of wild dogs and stray bulls, is twice mistaken for a tramp, meets a man in Bulgaria who lives under a table, discovers if ambassadors really do dish out pyramids of Ferrero Rocher at parties, transforms into a superhero after being savaged by radioactive mosquitoes near Chernobyl and comes close to death in France, Norway, Ukraine and Russia. Such a massive challenge requires calories and Steven gets his from the more unsavoury elements of European savouries: brains, testicles, lung and spleen stew, intestine sandwiches, sausages famous for smelling of poo, a handful of maggots and even a marmot. Nobody eats marmots. But the distance and his culinary adventures are only a part of the mission. His real objective is much more difficult. Will he be able to confirm something he has long suspected or will he, after all his searching, eventually find somewhere in Europe worse than his home town of Blackburn? Recent Amazon review comments: “If you love travel, you will love this book! This is by far the best cycle-based travel book I have read...I could not put it down! It's very well-written, naturally funny without trying too hard and... about the places and people he discovers, not the bike itself...Inspirational and very funny.” “Highly entertaining – you'll laugh out loud. This is the funniest book I've read for a very long time. It's so much more than a story about a bike ride - it's a travelogue, a witty and astute observation about people and life, a candid description of many places you'd never even dream of visiting! Once you start to read it, I guarantee you WON'T put it down. I laughed out loud a dozen times before I'd even covered the first 3 chapters. Highly recommended.” “Very entertaining – never a dull page! What a Journey - once I started it I literally had to keep reading until the end! His descriptions of people and places along the way made me feel like I was right beside him on his epic journey and he kept me laughing all the way along! A definite must read...I can't wait for his next book!” “A travelogue with a difference! BIG laughs, pithy observations on life, the universe and everything else and simply great stories. A great read from start to finish.” “Thought-provoking and funny. This book made me laugh out loud as well as ponder the meaning of life; for anyone who has ever ridden a bike, done a bit of travelling or eaten food. Worth a read.” “A must read. I really enjoyed this book! The author has a witty vision of life and a special sense of humour. Loved it!” “Fab book with wonderful descriptions of his traveling experiences...make this well written book a joy to read and am happy to recommend it.” “Good fun and a great read. Laugh out loud funny...Looking forward to the sequel.

Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris


Sarah Turnbull - 2003
    "This isn't like me. I'm not the sort of girl who crosses continents to meet up with a man she hardly knows. Paris hadn't even been part of my travel plan..."A delightful, fresh twist on the travel memoir, Almost French takes us on a tour that is fraught with culture clashes but rife with deadpan humor. Sarah Turnbull's stint in Paris was only supposed to last a week. Chance had brought Sarah and Frédéric together in Bucharest, and on impulse she decided to take him up on his offer to visit him in the world's most romantic city. Sacrificing Vegemite for vichyssoise, the feisty Sydney journalist does her best to fit in, although her conversation, her laugh, and even her wardrobe advertise her foreigner status. But as she navigates the highs and lows of this strange new world, from life in a bustling quatier and surviving Parisian dinner parties to covering the haute couture fashion shows and discovering the hard way the paradoxes of France today, little by little Sarah falls under its spell: maddening, mysterious, and charged with that French specialty-séduction.An entertaining tale of being a fish out of water, Almost French is an enthralling read as Sarah Turnbull leads us on a magical tour of this seductive place-and culture-that has captured her heart

Iceland 101: Over 50 Tips & Things to Know Before Arriving in Iceland


Rúnar Þór Sigurbjörnsson - 2017
    The dos and don'ts of travelling and staying in Iceland. Five chapters with multiple tips in each one explain what is expected of you as a traveller - as well as some bonus tips on what you can do.

Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2019 (The Unofficial Guides)


Bob Sehlinger - 2018
    With advice that is direct, prescriptive, and detailed, it takes the guesswork out of travel by unambiguously rating and ranking everything from hotels, restaurants, and attractions to rental car companies. With an Unofficial Guide in hand, and authors Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa as guides, find out what’s available in every category, from best to worst, and use step-by-step detailed plans to help make the most of your time at Walt Disney World.

Plays With Cars


Doug DeMuro - 2013
    In “Plays With Cars,” the former Porsche manager covers some of his most ridiculous decisions, like buying an old Land Rover sight unseen, taking a Mercedes AMG station wagon to a rural Georgia dragstrip, and roadtripping across the United States in a Lotus Elise without air conditioning. He’s also reviewed his former cars, which range from a Mercedes G-wagen to a Nissan Cube. Most importantly, he wrote this entire description himself in the third person.

The Fun Mover Chronicles: Biking the Northern Tier


Tim Fahey - 2019
    The sudden loss of both parents provided the author proof positive that life IS unfair. His personal countdown clock began ticking all the louder with both of his parents gone. The author suddenly understood the importance and the urgency of enjoying life all along the way. So what did he do with his new perspective on life? Buy a Ferrari? Run with the bulls? Start doing sit ups and wearing tight shirts in an attempt to look young again?No, he didn't. Your humble author re-prioritized his Bucket List by putting a decades long dream at the top-- riding a bicycle from one side of America to the other.Armed with a burning desire to ride a really long way on a bicycle, he mounted up and pedaled onward across the United States as a newly minted orphan. Along the way he met new people, saw new places, and discovered a hidden strength masked by his grief. He also discovered a nearly endless parade of characters that together underscored how terrific it is to be above ground and riding a bike. There is fun and adventure to be had when you’re cruising across the country, and the daily dose of random was just what the doctor ordered. "Take two wheels and call me in the morning." Since the whole thing—the bike trip, life—is all just a tad absurd in the first place, why not name your bike The Fun Mover and write a book about the stars of the show--the people met along the way?Middle-aged guy gets off couch and rides bike in the face of pending death. Adventure and hilarity ensues.Bike travel can be grueling, physically and mentally. The loss of your parents can be devastating. And getting older ain’t no picnic. But obstacles can be overcome and goals can be reached if you keep trying and just keep pedaling.

Into the Sunrise: Cycling the World, Part Two: Sydney to Mori


Chris Pountney - 2018
    Can he find a way to recover from the setback and complete his mission to return to the little Chinese town of Mori, and in so doing complete a full circumnavigation of the planet using only his bicycle and boats? Join Chris and his girlfriend Dea as they travel across four continents and more than thirty countries in the second part of this epic tale of adventure, romance, and outright silliness. A hell of a lot of things happen as they make their way back towards China, but will there be a happy ending? Will the odd sculpture in Mori be reached without the aid of motor vehicles? You’ll have to read the book and find out, it’s not going to be revealed in the Amazon description.

The Bean Patch: A Memoir


Shirley Painter - 2002
    How school and later university became her escape route from a family filled with secrets and violence. It is also a story of how, as a mature woman and a mother herself, she came to face what had happened to her as a child. How she had to bring long-buried memories into the light in order to move on.

All Gone to Look for America: Riding the Iron Horse Across a Continent (and Back)


Peter Millar - 2009
    With a shoestring budget, a backpack and an open mind, Millar followed the railroad, watching the vast American landscape and listening to the stories and concerns of the people.

Lonely Planet Journeys: Drive Thru America


Sean Condon - 1998
    In his search for American myths and realities - along with comfort, cable TV and good, reasonably priced coffee - Sean Condon paints a hilarious road-portrait of the USA.