Mapping Out Gift Ideas

If you are looking for Christmas gift ideas for a student or budget traveler, guidebooks and transportation passes will be a welcome surprise.

Two of the better known guidebook series are researched and written by students: “Let’s Go” guides are produced by Harvard students and “On the Loose” guides are written by Berkeley students in cooperation with the Associated Students of the University of California and Fodor’s Travel Publications. Each series has several new titles or new editions scheduled to be in retail bookstores this month.

The “Let’s Go” series started more than 30 years ago with a pamphlet on Europe. That first slim publication has evolved into a 22-book series. The newest titles available this month are:

The 784-page “Let’s Go: Southeast Asia” ($16.99) includes coverage of Thailand, Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Western Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore and Hong Kong, and has 55 maps.

The 432-page “Let’s Go: Central America” ($16.99) includes coverage of Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama and the Yucatan Peninsula, and has 35 maps.

No new titles are being added to the 13-book “On the Loose” series for 1996, but several new editions of existing guides will be out by Christmas. The 1996 edition of their Europe guide, which was introduced last year to compete with “Let’s Go: Europe” will be available in January for $18.95.

An advantage parents have when purchasing a travel pass as a gift for their son or daughter is that they’ll also be buying themselves some peace of mind, knowing their offspring has safe transportation. There’s another advantage: Rates for Eurailpasses are going up Jan. 1. Passes purchased before then will be honored within six months of the date of purchase.

Eurailpasses are valid for travel on the national railways in 17 European countries, including Ireland. There is a wide variety of passes to choose from, including tickets for first-class travel and less expensive second-class youth versions for travelers under 26.

A Eurail Youthpass, valid for 15 consecutive days of travel, will increase from $398 to $418. For one month of consecutive travel the rate will rise from $578 to $598.

Youth Flexipasses, valid for 10 days of travel within a two-month period, will go from $398 to $438. Any 15 days of travel within a two-month period goes from $540 to $588. The version that offers five days of travel within a two-month period is being discontinued Jan. 1.

Eurail Europasses are valid only for travel in a specific number of adjacent countries, which include France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.