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How to Be a Travel Writer: Become a Generous Teacher of Travel, Not a Travel Agent

I’m on the train to the Rhine. The burnt marshmallow-colored spires of Köln’s cathedral loom in the window of my solitary compartment. A few minutes later, the train pulls into Beethoven’s Bonn.

A spunky American tourist with a too-big bag shops her way down the train car in search of just the right compartment for viewing the upcoming castles. Poking her head into my compartment, she says with mock excitement, “Rick Steves? The Rick Steves!”

Saying “may I” without a hint of a question, she hefts my bag onto the luggage rack above my head, takes its place across from me, and pulls a copy of my guidebook from her day bag. As she matches my back cover mug shot to my real-life face, the train pulls out with a jolt.

Without a sentence of small talk, she gets right to the point, “My name’s Colleen. I’d kill for your job. How did you get started?” Without waiting for me to answer, she continues, “You wrote the book I should have written ages ago.”

Intrigued by her energy and realizing we were stuck together on the train, I gave her a more-complete-than-usual answer to this tired topic.

“You can’t just want to be a travel writer,” I said. “You have to be a traveler first. I traveled for six summers purely for kicks. My travel skills handbook, Europe Through the Back Door, was born from Europe Through the Gutter. The best travel is on a shoestring…not just meeting people, but needing people.

“From the start, I followed one strict rule. Never finish a day without writing it up. Accidentally, by finding scenes I could bottle and sell back home, taking careful notes, and teaching my love of travel, I became a writer.”

“I’m taking a travel writing class,” Colleen said, looking at me as if I had a rucksack packed full of extra credits.

“I never did. I learned to write by giving talks. I talk and talk and talk to groups about travel and sharpen my message. Then I talk the same way to the page,” I said, feeling curiously threatened. “I read one book: On Writing Well by William Zinsser. When I feel like I should read another book to fine-tune my writing, I read Zinsser again. And I travel. Travel writing means going great places and taking your reader with you. You need to really be there.”

“Sense of place,” she said, as if on Jeopardy!.

“Right.” Borrowing her copy of my guidebook, I flipped through the pages and said, “Read this out loud. See it like a tour guide in wonderland as you do.”

She read: “You’re walking along a ridge high in the Alps. On one side of you spreads the greatest Alpine panorama: the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. On the other, lakes stretch all the way to Germany. And ahead of you, the long legato tones of an alp horn announce that just around the corner there’s a helicopter-stocked hut…and the coffee schnapps is on.”

She slipped a bottle of wine out of her day bag. “But,” she persisted, pouring me a plastic glass, “how do you make money at travel?”

I hadn’t really thought of the formula before. The wine was good and she was bubbly, so I took a long sip and, sounding both professorial and fatherly, I traced the evolution of my business.

“First you travel. Then you give talks with a slideshow. Be generous with your information. There’s a huge demand for entertaining and practical talks — libraries, schools, businesses, clubs.

“After lots of lecturing, a book evolves in your mind. Write your book like you’re giving your talk to the paper. Self-publish it. That takes only time and money. I typed the first edition of Europe Through the Back Door on a rented IBM Selectric. I pasted in sketches my college roommate drew of my favorite slides. The first cover of Europe Through the Back Door was so basic that people in the media mistook it for a pre-publication edition. Holding my finished product, they’d ask, ‘And when will this be out? ’

“When you write a book, people think you’re an expert — even if you’re not. That respect gives you the momentum to become an expert. Get your teaching out there any way you can. Keep giving free talks. Let newspapers use your writing for free. Teach first. Sell second. But don’t quit your day job. You’re still not making much money.

“Actually, to make any serious money,” I said, finding myself progressively more interested in putting my peculiar business formula into words, “you need to organize a minibus tour that you promote through your lectures. Think of it as a nonprofit communal adventure. Charge only enough to cover your trip costs. Limit the group to eight. Be selective. Assemble a gang of friends. Take lots of photos showing you and the group having a blast.

“I did minibus tours for years. We were a gang of adventurers. We had no reservations and no firm itinerary. We’d blitz into town, park on the main square and I’d say, ‘Okay, fan out and find rooms. We’ll meet back here in 20 minutes to compare our hotel options.’

“Repeat your tour over and over. Crank up the profitability through the marketing help of happy customers and promotional images slipped into your lectures. Develop an expertise on a certain country or region and keep that focus.”

As Colleen pondered allying herself with a travel agency, I interrupted, “Don’t become a travel agent and don’t expect help from the travel industry. Any way you cut it, you will be considered dangerous competition. You are a teacher of travel. Not a travel agent. Continue being generous with your information. Be passionate about the beauty of travel — a Johnny Appleseed of travel dreams. If you doggedly keep teaching and let your love of travel shine, eventually you might make some money.”

By now my enthusiasm was raging, but her once-eager eyes looked weary as she slowly deflated. Squeezing the last of her wine into her glass, she said, “Or I could just come and work for you.”

Then, from a bridge over the Mosel River, we saw the statue of Kaiser Wilhelm on a prancing horse gracing that piece of Koblenz real estate called the Deutsches Eck, where the Rhine and Mosel meet.

“Koblenz” comes from the Latin for “confluence.” But for Colleen and me, it meant exactly the opposite. I thanked her for the wine, invited her to send me her resume, and bundled and tumbled.

The trackside schedule listed a train to my Rhine target in two minutes, then not another for two hours. I had been planning to catch the boat instead, but didn’t know if and when it went. The conductor looked at me as if to ask, “Well, are you with us or not?” Quickly reviewing my options, I follow that marvelous old travelers’ axiom: a train at hand is worth jumping on.

Moments later, I’m rolling along the riverside track, the wind in my face and the Rhine in my viewfinder. ____

For an entire book of insights like these, buy a copy of Postcards from Europe , my worst-selling book (with the most avid following).

3 Replies to “How to Be a Travel Writer: Become a Generous Teacher of Travel, Not a Travel Agent”

It’s a good thing to remind people that you are a travel writer and not a travel agent! I have been on the Forum a lot lately because we are going to Italy for the forth time in May and always check and see what new things I can learn. You take a lot of heat for your opinions on packing, hotels, restaurants, transportation. I have to laugh sometimes at peoples expectations of you. We have been traveling like RS for about 15 years now and I am amazed at how travel has changes, and I guess maybe you are to blame for it!

Implied in your description of how to succeed is a great deal of tenacity and hard work. There is no substitute for that, now or then. For those of us who have enjoyed the benefits of all your hard work, thanks!

A Travel writer , not a travel agent. Being passionate about travelling is like an asset and giving honest reviews is a responsibility for any travel writer. Appreciate your effort to write a blog for the travelers, most importantly, Writers.

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Travel Expert Rick Steves' Genius Tip For Planning A Successful Vacation

Travel guru Rick Steves has spent the better part of his career helping travelers worldwide travel smarter (and cheaper) through his bestselling guidebooks. He knows the value of thoroughly  researching a new destination , so an unprepared traveler is often inconvenienced in his eyes. Steves cannot overstate how crucial proper preparation is for a hassle-free vacation, especially if you want to sidestep common bothers like adhering to tight schedules and perhaps the number one enemy of travelers everywhere: long queues.

"I always like to say that there are two IQs of European travelers: those who wait in lines and those who don't wait in line," Steves told WABE . To save yourself the frustration of queueing, the "Rick Steves' Europe" host advises extensive research to discover which destinations require prior reservations and which do not. "What the smart traveler these days knows is, if you're going to any big city you should do your reading in advance and figure out which sites need to be booked," he shared with The Seattle Times . "If you're going to Florence, you really gotta book the Accademia to see Michelangelo's David and the Uffizi Gallery in advance. You've gotta book the Duomo [di Milano] cathedral in advance."

However, Steves also insists that the goal of research extends beyond merely avoiding lines. He firmly believes it's also key to feeling more fulfilled in your adventures. "Remember that the more understanding and context you bring to a place, the more you'll enjoy it," he told The Seattle Times.

Read more: Unsettling Reasons You May Want To Avoid Taking A Cruise

Avoid Being Too Caught Up In Shrinking Your Budget

While  Rick Steves is a huge proponent of thrift, offering a wealth of tips for staying within budget , he's also the first to tell you not to worry too much about cost-cutting, as it will only take away the joy of travel. His advice? Keep in mind that time is money, too. For Steves, splurging a bit for convenience is always worth it.

"People sometimes focus on saving money while forgetting that their time is equally valuable, and limited," Steves advised  Business Insider . "If it will save you a half hour, hop in a taxi. Considering the value of your time, even if taking a taxi costs you and your travel partner $5 more than bus tickets, it's a good investment."

If you want the best bang for your buck, consider using a travel agent, too. Travel agents sometimes get a bad rap for unnecessary upselling, but if you find a reputable one, they can help you secure the best deals. "For international trips, I pay the extra fee to have a professional travel agent find me the best value (which isn't necessarily the cheapest) ticket," Steves told Forbes . He also noted on his  website that travel agents can assist you with securing "consolidator" or "discount" air tickets. While these tickets have certain limitations, like excluding frequent flyer miles accrual, they offer considerable savings.

Squeeze In 'A Vacation From Your Vacation'

Whenever you go to new places, Rick Steves advises against cramming as many sights and activities as possible into your visit. "You can't see it all, especially in one trip, and that's a blessing," he told Business Insider. "Enjoy seeing what you can and be thankful you have important experiences left over to enjoy on your next adventure." In other words, pacing is crucial because overloading your itinerary leads to unnecessary stress. You don't want to look back on your trip and only remember a blur of flights and train rides. And besides, it's not like you can't plan another trip in the future anyway.

Instead of forcing a tightly packed schedule, give yourself some leeway to rest easy and slow down mid-trip, especially during extended travels. Steves calls this a "vacation from your vacation," according to  Rick Steves' Europe , and with this strategy, you allow room for unplanned activities and spur-of-the-moment decisions. Sure, a successful vacation involves a ton of planning, but embracing spontaneity can enhance your overall experience.

"Consider building in a few slack days ... two days on the beach midway through the trip; that'll be very nice ... Travel is freedom. It's rich with choices and exciting decisions. That's part of the appeal," he said in one of his YouTube videos . "I like to keep some flexibility in my itinerary — perhaps I'll fall in love with Siena and stay an extra day."

Read the original article on Islands .