If you are going traveling (and not 1st class) get this book!
I have not yet applied what I learned from this book, but it has inspired me to get going. Anyone can explore the world, and it doesn't take a lot of money.

Travel Light
Great travel book that underscores the need to travel light, both in terms of physical and mental baggage, in order to truly explore the world. The author shares lots of anectdotes that illustrate the value in straying from the beaten path, while explaining how to do so safely. I can't wait to put the lessons learned from this book into practice!

Highly recommended book
and as an inverterate traveller and writer myself Rolf Potts gives lots of both common sense and inspiring tips. I quote him in the chapter on how to follow your intuition and have an amazing journey (and life) in my book Travelling Magically: How to Turn Your Journey into a Life-Changing Experience.

Prepare to Catch the Travel Bug
This is an excellent short read that every aspiring adventure seeker should add to their collection. Potts' puts the overwhelming concept of World travel into a perspective that nearly anyone with a level head can grasp. The book is not a step-by-step guide but will inspire you to travel on your own terms. Potts will make you want to get up explore the nooks and crannies of the Earth. I have passed this book onto two close friends already and they can agree. The bottom line is that if you are not the type of person that wants to spend years sitting in the same cube day in and day out and want to get out and experience other cultures, read this book, you will not regret it!

Motivational, Informative, and Insightful
After travelling through South America for seven weeks I was inspired to plan a larger-scale open ended world trip. I read this book a couple of years ago as I was working to save up the necessary travel funds and I have read many other travel books like it. Now a month away from starting my journey I must say that this was the best of all those travel books.

There is the practical advice which is common and overlapping with most other travel books, but the main things that cause this book to stand out are Potts' excellent writing style which helps one to glide through the pages with enjoyment and a yearning to return to the open road. Also, Potts has a prevailing wisdom obviously aquired from his years of travel and this is exhibited in various insightful commentaries that elevate this to a philosophical read on life as well as travel.

For those planning to "vagabond" I would recommend reading as many of the travel books you have the time for as each one will surely offer something new for the reader to take away (other great books are "The World Awaits" by Paul Otteson, "World Stompers" by Brad Olsen, and "Escape from the Happy Cannibal" by Ron Miller). This book should be at the top of that list.