I must confess: I'm a magazine fanatic. Nothing makes a good afternoon or evening great than a cozy chair, a tall glass of liquid refreshment (choose your own!) and a great mag for some nice, relaxing reading. Well, National Geographic Traveler is large enough (100 pages plus) and intelligent enough (I like a periodical that respects the fact that I've got a brain) to appeal to the most literate would-be traveler. In an age where (almost) all periodicals (both rags and mags) are most noteworthy for their shrinking size and growing advertisement content, the Traveler is a welcome breath of fresh air, free of overt bias (why do so many publications these days seem to be lecturing me?) and absolutely crammed with fabulous photos, wonderful articles, and fantastic where-to-go-and-what-to-see-when-you-get-there resources. The mix is approximately 60-40 domestic/foreign destinations, and they have a very appealing approach to take you to cities and places that they believe are the TRUE heart of the state/country they visit. Examples: In the current issue (July/August 2004: Yes, there are only eight issues a year, but trust me, the quality is worth the wait!), foreign points of interest include Thessaloniki, Greece, instead of Athens, and Ghent, Belgium, instead of Brussels. (Don't worry: they don't always bypass the largest cities. The cover story is a first-rate piece on Sydney, Australia.) All this, plus a five-part, five-issue travelogue which covers America's midsection, and a beautifully-written ode to Maryland's Eastern Shore, will have you scurrying to your computer eager to book flights! Subscribe to National Geographic Traveler today. It will truly want to make you go THERE (off the beaten path) as well as HERE (the touristy places.)

This is a wonderful magazine, and I look forward to the next one just as soon as I am done with the one I am reading. I like this magazine because it is about going to unique and beautiful places and seeing special sights. There are no articles like 'Where to Find the Best Martinis in West Palm Beach', or fluff like that. This magazine deals with the substance of truly unique domestic and international travel experiences.

Before a trip to Iceland last summer, I studied a couple of issues with information on Iceland, and found the advice to be amazingly useful, practical, and accurate. That is just the latest of many times that I have used the information in this wonderful magazine to plan and execute vacations.

Of course not everything or every destination appeals to me, but I can say, without reservation, that every single volume has something of great interest to me. I end up keeping most of these (which is very unusual for me), but only after reading and re-reading them several times!

If you are interested in unique travels, this magazine is a must read!

i once read several issues at my doctor's office. i was drawn to its high quality photos. does anyone know why there are only 8 issues in a year? thanks.

This is a great magazine. Informative, insightful, and all the rest. My parents have subscribed for years. When I was last home I read a few issues. I must admit, I'm hooked. I plan to start a subscription very soon. However...

Much of the content of the issues I read is devoted to cities in the United States. I don't mind this (as a non-American) since I love travelling to the U.S.; however, this magazine is wholeheartedly written BY Americans FOR Americans. I love travelling to the U.S., don't get me wrong, but there is an unequivocal bias amongst the pages of this Mag. The articles (all of them) are GREAT! Not to mention the photography! Wow! But if you want a travel magazine that devotes equal content to many countries, this isn't the one for you. I asked my family what they thought, having subscribed for many years: we all agree, if required to guess, 60% of the articles are about American cities, the remaining 40% to global destinations. Just what we feel. Again, a great mag.
~Andrew

My husband and I look forward to receiving this magazine
every month. The travel reviews are excellent and there
are so many good tips that I never would have thought of on
my own. This is a great magazine for those of you that love
to travel, or who would love to travel more.