The Collected Traveler Northern Spain
I really love this book and wish they had one for every area.They are just so juicy and delightful to savor. We had planned to go to Northern Spain on our first explorations of this journey in 2006, but life happens, so I have had a long time to really take in all the glories of this book. I fell deeply in love with Northern Spain just by reading this book, so glad we are finally going  the summer of 2008. If you like to get a deep sense of an area before going, these books are for you.

Traveler's Guide to European Camping
We find this the best book for camping in Europe.
We use many of this type, but this one is the most
clear and easiest to read. They have good campsites
and give a lot more information than most books.
They also have GPS coordinates for all camping sites.
Don't leave home without it!

Storybook Travels
Great ideas for family travel by making itineraries
based on great children's Literature! Over 30
itineraries in North America and Europe for amazing
adventures for parents and children to share. We have
done many out of the book and have taken the idea
and made some of our own. Love it....wonderful
way to help a child identify with a place and learn
while having fun.

One Year Off
This is one of the first books we read about a traveling
family going around the world and it got us excited
about the possibilities for our own family trip.
They even took a nanny! Later we read a college paper
by one of the children who is now grown,  stating how
much this experience had a profound impact on her life
in many positive ways. If you are considering a family
trip around the world or exotic family travel,
this is a good read!

Material World
I think this is a very important book that every child, every person should see and certainly a traveling family. It visually shows you what a typical family owns around the world. This is particularly important for a first world family and children who have come to think endless materialism is a necessary part of life. Excellent food for thought and motivation to live a less encumbered, freer life.

In English of Course
This is a lovely picture book and funny tale based on a true story about a girl from Naples, Italy who moves to New York City and her fist day in class with other immigrant children & a child's perspective on being bilingual and learning a new language this way. I bought this for Mozart before leaving as a kind of bibliotherapy to prepare her for her life in her new school in her second language. It was valuable on several levels and she still enjoys this book.

Family Travel: The Farther You Go the Closer You Get
I love this title because it is so true  and this series, although I was a little disappointed in this book because it was more about stories when I was looking for specific, practical information. Still, the stories are great as usual and can be inspiring as you plan your own travel.

A Family Year Abroad
There are not that many books about family extended travel ( and there were even less when we prepared in 2005 and took off in 2006), so I used every resource that I could find for been there, done that information. This book was not my favorite as it applied primarily to a family spending a year in the Czech Republic  and attending American school and we were more interested in Spain and local schools to immerse in the culture. Still, I did gather some good information from it and I bought it. Every source has a little different take on things so many sources help in forming a plan.

WorldTrek: A Family Odyssey
This is the story of a family from Texas with two teens  that took a year off for a trip around the world. We think that is much too fast to see the world, but if that is all you have then it is better than most get. I would probably do less in this time as traveling fast can cost a lot more and take away from the experience, but there is benefit in reading many books on this topic. It is exciting as you prepare and helps one form ideas for your own trip.

Six Months Off
Yet another book to help you plan your escape and despite the title, it is applicable for longer periods as well. I think it is worth reading lots of books in this area to start shift your thinking and open to possibilities by learning from others experiences. Or
at least that is how I tend to do it. Then I make it my own. This has lots of practical information to get you and your family on the road to extended travel which is really easier and less expensive than most people imagine.