We're excited to announce a new travel guide by our friend, and ESL and New Zealand Editor, Craig Martin of the Indie Travel Podcast. Craig and Linda's podcasts are legendary in the world of travel, and well-worth the weekly listen! When Craig said that they were expanding into travel guides, I was very excited. They have a new book, entitled Travelling Europe - and a special discount for Wandering Educators!

Travelling Europe was written BY travelers, FOR travelers and includes a great variety of information, including researching the trip, affording the trip, visa and work requirements, accommodations and transportation, language, special sections on family travel, solo female travel, and couples travel, and more. Because it is an e-book and audio-book, there is a secure payment system and immediate download. Purchasing Traveling Europe also guarantees free updates for life!

I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with Craig - here's what he had to say...

WE:  Please tell us about your new ebook, Travelling Europe...

CM: Travelling Europe is the first title for our micro-publishing project Indie
Travel Guides. It's available as an ebook and audiobook and is aimed at
people heading to Europe for the first time. It would be most helpful for a
mid- or long-term trip, but also has plenty of useful information for
people going for a short time too. Rather than focus on specific places, we aim to give general information on research methods, transport options, visas, work options, and things like that. We're not out to compete with Frommers, but rather give you a framework to help approach your trip.

It weighs in at 16 chapters spread over 38 pages, plus another 12 pages of
appendices and further information or, to put it another way, just over an
hour of audio plus the appendices. As someone who is constantly travelling
I know how important it is to have light, easily available information so an
ebook and audiobook just made sense as a distribution model.

WE:  What led you to write this book?

CM: As a full-time traveller and podcast host, I get several emails each week
asking for advice on certain topics. Many of these need individual
attention and many others get covered in the Indie Travel Podcast, but there we several questions that kept getting asked time and again. I wanted to put
together a FAQ for people who have never travelled in Europe and especially
people who have never travelled independently.

As I listed common questions and got feedback from other authors and
travellers, it all got out of control. I ended up with a small book!

WE:  Who is this book intended for?

CM: The primary audience is people heading to Europe for the first time. It
doesn't really matter whether you're going to be eating bread and cheese or
staying in five-star hotels, there's something helpful for every independent
traveller.

I discuss different types of research, both online and real life, as well
as practical considerations like how to travel between places, booking
discount airfare and whether you're better off getting a Eurail Pass or individual tickets.

There's also information on visas and work permits, health considerations
and specialist sections on family, solo female and couples' travel. Not to
mention a couple of appendices with information on Schengen member states, places to explore, and how to use RSS technology to find work abroad and to easily stay in touch with what's important to you.

WE:  You've been traveling around the world for years. Is this guide what
you'd been looking for, when you first traveled in Europe?

CM: In many ways, yes it is. Travelling Europe is what to buy before you buy a
location-specific guidebook. It isn't a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide,
rather it's strategic and general. It allows you to get a feel for how to plan, to
budget, to travel, before you even think about where you are going.

When Linda and I were planning on leaving New Zealand in November 2005, we didn't even have a guidebook! My colleagues got together and bought one for me as a going away present. I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of
information...and I still didn't know what to do. After reading Travelling
Europe, one should have a better idea of how to...travel in Europe.

WE:  How does your book tie into your site, IndieTravelPodcast?

CM: The Indie Travel Podcast has been around for almost two years. We've had hundreds of thousands of audio downloads and spent far too long talking
about independent travel.

Now that we've come to the end of our time in Europe it was time to put
everything we've learnt into one place, to boil it down and simmer until
ready. I don't think there's much in Travelling Europe that hasn't been
discussed on the Indie Travel Podcast, but this brings everything together
into one place and lays it out in a logical format.

WE:  What's next for the Indie Travel Guides?

CM: Research is under way for the next "Travelling..." guide. Travelling
Australia and New Zealand will come out late in 2009. We're also in talks
with other authors about writing Travelling South East Asia and Travelling
Central America.

In the short-term, we're going to be releasing some shorter, cheaper
titles.

There's already drafts being written with specific information on
hostelling, Eurail Passes and budgeting. People on our mailing list will be
kept up to date with developments as well as being offered exclusive
discounts when we release each new title.

WE:  Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

CM: I'd just like to say thanks for having us on Wandering Educators. I'd like
to invite people to subscribe to the Indie Travel Podcast and get a feeling
for what we do and join in the community there.

Indie Travel Guides is something completely new for us. It's exciting and
we really appreciate people's warm comments and support. As we grow, we look forward to being able to serve more people and help them realise their
travel dreams. For now, if you're a beginner traveller heading to Europe
we've got something for you.

You can buy Travelling Europe and sign up for the mailing list by
Clicking here to visit Indie Travel Guides website!

You can buy the ebook for $14.95, the Audiobook for $19.95, or both for only $24.95.

Use the coupon code "WanderingE" to get a 10% discount.

WE: Thanks so much, Craig! I've enjoyed reading your new book and highly recommend it to first-time travelers to Europe, as well as parents looking for great suggestions!

Again, You can buy Travelling Europe and sign up for the mailing list by
Clicking here to visit Indie Travel Guides website!

Use the coupon code "WanderingE" to get a 10% discount.