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How to Travel Full Time

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#1 Amazon Bestseller!

How to Travel Full-Time is a collection of practical tips and stories by full-time traveler and author, Colin Wright.

Rewritten from the ground up, the second edition of How to Travel Full-Time simplifies some topics while expanding on others, taking into account the feedback received and lessons learned from selling over 100,000 copies of the first edition.

Topics covered in this

The idea of travel, compared to the reality.
Types of travel you might consider.
The impact of long-term or full-time travel on your life.
Travel as a project.
Cultural relativism (a very important concept).
The ethics of traveling.
Punches, and rolling with them (vital for someone who makes travel a part of their life).
Money, and how it plays into this kind of lifestyle.
The platforms you can build to help you travel better, and sustain your lifestyle.
How to approach possessions as a traveler.
A core packing list to start with and build upon.
Buying tickets and how to do it better.
Legalities, debt, and other considerations (especially those involving paperwork).
The process of moving regularly.
Different methods of packing (and the pros and cons involved).
What to do when you first arrive in a new city.
How to explore most efficiently and effectively.
How to network in a new city where you don't know anyone.
How to document your travels, for your own use, and so that others might follow along with you.
Staying safe on the road.
And a bit about Colin's story, and how he built his travel-focused lifestyle.

125 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2011

92 people are currently reading
506 people want to read

About the author

Colin Wright

73 books331 followers

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5 stars
108 (20%)
4 stars
175 (33%)
3 stars
176 (33%)
2 stars
49 (9%)
1 star
12 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Byron.
Author 9 books109 followers
June 8, 2012
The natural tendency is to want to hate on a book like this. Wright can't be spending much more time writing these pamphlet-length books than it takes me to read them. And he must be making decent money from them, if he can afford to travel full time. Hence the title of the book. He's traveling the world on the $.99 per book he makes from suckers like me. Why did I need to read this? I can barely afford to travel back and forth to work. It's getting to the point where I'm gonna have to pretend to be sick on the days leading up to the first and fifteenth, like a GD crackhead.

But How to Travel Full Time is pretty well put together, for what it is. The guy seems to have genuine expertise when it comes to this topic. (He moves to a different country every four months, based on the whim of people who vote in a poll on his blog.) He's not just picking topics and coming up with titles for books based on popular keywords and SERPs. If I ever do travel anywhere, I'm gonna flip through this for a few pointers, lest I somehow end up like Billy in Midnight Express. No girl's gonna come to visiting hours in prison to flash me.

The worst part about it is, reading this book gives you that itch. It makes you want to go out and see the world. Spending your every waking hour, when you're not out flipping burgers, sitting around the house in your underwear is not where it's at.
Profile Image for Jared Hanstra.
35 reviews
June 17, 2016
I'm surprised by all the negative to 'meh' reviews on this book. I thought it was pretty well written (or at least the first half was well written - then it got somewhat sloppy and in the weeds). Many of the critiques proclaim that he travels simply to be able to write about traveling and make money - but unlike the many full-time travelers, this isn't the case at all for Wright. He says right in the book that he made a lot of money before traveling, which allowed him to travel. And most of the books he writes are not about travel at all.

I think this book is a great introduction to the travel lifestyle, and offers good advice and warning for those anxious to pursue it.
Profile Image for Sarah.
6 reviews8 followers
November 9, 2015
Even though this book is titled for someone who travels full time I would highly recommend it to anyone who travels anywhere. Colin's conversational style and connection with his readers combined with his organization and excellent references makes this the ultimate handbook that feels like a conversation with a friend. Get it in electronic form to make use of his web links to anything from the best place to reserve a flight to what kind of pen to use. It has a permanent place on the homepage of my nook to use as reference on my journeys.
Profile Image for Todd Waldorf.
11 reviews
May 24, 2014
If you are a traveler already, you might not find this book as useful as someone who has never set foot on the "global footpath". I would recommend this book to someone who has never experienced serious traveling but is considering it.
9 reviews
August 26, 2016
Don't bother. Poorly written egotistical ride across the world. Nothing any on with a tablet and an internet connection couldn't do themselves. Oh, be sure to make a lot of money as a programmer n Silicon Valley first.
Profile Image for Alceste.
378 reviews
July 3, 2022
Published 7 years ago, How To Travel Full Time by Colin Wright still relevant today. It is not a complete how-to book but rather more of Colin's philosophy on what makes him want to travel the world and earn to cover costs of travel or save money. Colin started traveling full time in 2009. Along with that, he was blogging and has already published a few ebooks but the main motivation that was that on his blog, he would ask his readers to vote for the country which they'd like him to move to. Sounds crazy, right?

The type of person who excels at long-term travel embraces these situations and sees them as opportunities. They’ll do what needs to be done, whether that means pulling new plans from thin air, hopping on another train, or finding someone with a car heading in the direction they need to go. Finding a solution to the problem that’s arisen, no matter what.

How To Travel Full Time is a pragmatic approach to kickstart your own journey. It is straightforward. The book clearly targets a mindset. Colin Wright has clearly stated in the book that traveling full time is not about reaching out to tourist places but is about getting lost intentionally. Learn about the new cultures, language or food, and provide a value wherever you go. The author of this book talks about common sense that I see few full-time travelers over YouTube and on their blogs still do not get, even in 2018 when there is so much content, advice, suggestion and resources to become one while you work your ass off.

To a person lacking dreams and causes and imagination, money is just another expensive bottle of liquor or VIP seat at the club; borrowed dreams from generations of advertising.

Colin is one of the first few digital nomads I would say. He has written a lot of books and is an advocate for minimalism. He offers how most people think traveling will turn in to a journey of nirvana and they will find a new self. If that is the mindset you want to set off, you are completely wrong. You will face problems with no conscious confidence and boldness. It is going to be uncomfortable. That is why I said, the main ideology behind this book is to observe and understand a mindset that you can merge along with your current one.

Interesting read, the context is still relevant. It is inspiring because it makes me want pursue a similar journey. The writing style is simple but there are some glimpses that Colin Wright can be a good storyteller.

4 out of 5
Profile Image for Nina.
672 reviews17 followers
October 21, 2018
Handy little thing, read in an hour, though I probably shouldn't have waited so long to get round to it as some of the links are now outdated.
37 reviews
April 30, 2019
Everything is said on the good and bad aspects of a life made of travel. Honest story. I love it.
2 reviews
December 27, 2021
Got what I paid for.

Don't know what I expected in 100 pgs for $0.99. Not badly written but there was nothing educational or entertaining.
Profile Image for Allan van der Heiden.
297 reviews1 follower
August 21, 2017
Since I do travel pretty much full time this book was an interesting read to see that the quirks and issues I have are also experienced by others.

Much of the advice in here is the same advice I give when someone new joins the career I'm in or starts travelling with us.

Interesting read to go through before you start taking up international contract work etc.
Profile Image for Aman Mittal.
Author 1 book74 followers
September 10, 2018
Published 7 years ago, How To Travel Full Time by Colin Wright still relevant today. It is not a complete how-to book but rather more of Colin's philosophy on what makes him want to travel the world and earn to cover costs of travel or save money. Colin started traveling full time in 2009. Along with that, he was blogging and has already published a few ebooks but the main motivation that was that on his blog, he would ask his readers to vote for the country which they'd like him to move to. Sounds crazy, right?

The type of person who excels at long-term travel embraces these situations and sees them as opportunities. They’ll do what needs to be done, whether that means pulling new plans from thin air, hopping on another train, or finding someone with a car heading in the direction they need to go. Finding a solution to the problem that’s arisen, no matter what.

How To Travel Full Time is a pragmatic approach to kickstart your own journey. It is straightforward. The book clearly targets a mindset. Colin Wright has clearly stated in the book that traveling full time is not about reaching out to tourist places but is about getting lost intentionally. Learn about the new cultures, language or food, and provide a value wherever you go. The author of this book talks about common sense that I see few full-time travelers over YouTube and on their blogs still do not get, even in 2018 when there is so much content, advice, suggestion and resources to become one while you work your ass off.

To a person lacking dreams and causes and imagination, money is just another expensive bottle of liquor or VIP seat at the club; borrowed dreams from generations of advertising.

Colin is one of the first few digital nomads I would say. He has written a lot of books and is an advocate for minimalism. He offers how most people think traveling will turn in to a journey of nirvana and they will find a new self. If that is the mindset you want to set off, you are completely wrong. You will face problems with no conscious confidence and boldness. It is going to be uncomfortable. That is why I said, the main ideology behind this book is to observe and understand a mindset that you can merge along with your current one.

Interesting read, the context is still relevant. It is inspiring because it makes me want pursue a similar journey. The writing style is simple but there are some glimpses that Colin Wright can be a good storyteller.

4 out of 5
Profile Image for Ignas.
126 reviews16 followers
October 20, 2013
I would say I didn't got what I expected from this book. Yes the advices in the book are nice, but they are more like common sense to me and I learned only few new things from the book. Maybe just because I already travelled a bit and have some experience with traveling I didn't found it very interesting and exciting book. If you didn't traveled or you didn't read any books about traveling (even not the full time), then grab it - it is easy and quick read, otherwise - just if you have some free time and have nothing to do more important :)
Profile Image for George.
1,746 reviews8 followers
May 14, 2014
This is a "book" by a 20-something who travels the world writing about traveling--then selling it. It's not about "full timing" in an RV, although some things are transferable. It is about the details of travel, mostly in an airplane, to different cultures. After reading it, I felt like I'd been licked by a pig masquerading as a chicken...don't believe I'll read any more of Colin's stuff.
Profile Image for Grace.
97 reviews6 followers
July 31, 2014
Useful information for anyone contemplating a life outside the USA. I found a good amount of support for the venture I am anticipating. However, this lifestyle is a lot lonelier than the author describes. I think that one has to learn to live with the feeling of aloneness when dedicating to a life of full time travel.
Profile Image for Brian Watson.
5 reviews
January 8, 2016
Inspiring book that makes you want to travel!

Colin writes about some very helpful tips that he uses and does a great job showing the reader how anyone can travel full time if they desire too. The book is a great read and goes over just about everything you would need to travel even for a small amount of time! Thank you Colin!
Profile Image for Stephen Heiner.
Author 3 books114 followers
December 30, 2016
I have no interest in long-term full time travel, but Colin Wright is an expert in this field - and he got to be an expert not by reading, but by doing. The lessons of a full-time traveler are well heeded by the part-time traveler or even the occasional traveler. Whether it's hints and tips about gadgets that will help you, packing methods, or philosophizing about the *why* of travel.
Profile Image for Jan Abraham.
6 reviews1 follower
April 5, 2013
Pragmatic book full of practical hints and tips. Very useful are the links to other resources one can follow and work down to much greater detail. This is sometimes necessary, since the book is often quite high-level and just scratches the surface.
Profile Image for Rosemary Daly.
478 reviews6 followers
March 11, 2014
Thinking about the traveling life? Read this book. It provides the would be traveler with many useful tips and steps to take to become a full-time traveler. Things to think about: financial support; where to live; emergency situations. A great reference for the serious traveler.
Profile Image for Treavor Wagoner.
Author 3 books10 followers
February 19, 2013
I think this is good for a beginner or essentially someone who wants to get started in full time travel. I'm at intermediate level but it was nice to read about Wright's processes and setups.
12 reviews2 followers
September 30, 2013
It was ok, nothing spectacular. It was all mainly common sense stuff or stuff you could find on any decent travel blog. Nevertheless, there were some good gems in there.
Profile Image for Ann.
322 reviews16 followers
April 11, 2014
This is something I have done and want to do again. Colin Wright provides terrific hints and information.
Profile Image for Trevor Algatt.
26 reviews6 followers
June 30, 2017
Great overview of how to prepare for - and what to expect during - extended travel
157 reviews1 follower
February 3, 2016
A book on traveling, where you stay for a period of time in various locations.
Profile Image for Kate.
26 reviews
July 1, 2016
This book is super helpful and has tons of tips which I appreciate being shared with everyone. Will definitely go back to it and use the resources provided.
Profile Image for Shawn P.
104 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2019
A tad too many motherhood statements and platitudes for a supposedly exciting topic. Eg "Approach unknowns with the willingness and curiosity of a scientist".
Profile Image for Tomas Tomka.
14 reviews1 follower
September 16, 2012
Must-read travel full time advisor and mentor in one book. Very thoroughly written.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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