Included in the book are chapters on how to travel, when to travel, why to travel and where to travel, in general and in North America in particular. There are also introductions to all cities with hostels, with historical and geographical background information and personal vignettes from the author's experience. Mostly, though, there are comprehensive listings of all the quality hostels in North America, with complete specs and contact info. Now, when advance booking isn't possible, you can book right up to the last minute. Or maybe you've never stayed in a hostel. Then you really need this book. Hostels aren't just for youth any more, nor for budget travel. They're for all ages and budgets. Have you been to Europe before, staying in hostels all over, and wondered why there were so few in the US, and so hard to find? Well, you've come to the right place, and I'm happy to report that American hostels are alive and well, and on the verge of breaking big any day now. Already the two coasts have quite a few and the interior is gradually filling up in places like Chicago and New Orleans. The surprising thing is that the quality is actually quite good, up to modern 'flashpacker' standards, so it's just a matter of time before any place worth its name will have a good hostel or two, or ten or a hundred. Canada's got a head-start, with European-like hostel numbers and quality already in places like Montreal and Vancouver, and some wilderness-based hostels that remind you just where the term 'backpacker' came from in the first place. Very few countries have the nature to compete with that. So what about good ol' Mexico? Well, I've saved the best for last. Greece has got nothing on Mexico's Caribbean coast, and Mexico City has more hostels than any other city in North America, followed closely by Oaxaca and long-time backpack fave San Cristobal de las Casas. You heard it here first. Now not only will you have WiFi and kitchens and fellow travelers where you stay, but you'll have a safe haven and a home-away-from-home and a language you understand. Vamos a la playa.