Jet Set

Although temperatures are cooling here at home, the weather in other parts of the world varies drastically. So if you've scheduled an upcoming trip to Hong Kong, Paris or Sydney, Australia, consider picking up a copy of Pleasant Weather Ratings (Consumer Travel Publications) before you pack your bags.

The book, which offers year-round weather profiles for more than 600 cities worldwide, can help even the most infrequent business traveler decide whether to bring along that raincoat. It also gives you the knowledge to plan your trips during the times of the year that best suit your weather preferences. Key criteria noted includes rainy seasons, average temperatures and humidity.

Author Thomas Whitmore, a weather researcher for more than 10 years, also provides a ranking of international cities with "pleasant" climates. The top three? Las Palmas, Spain; San Diego; and Casablanca, Morocco. The least pleasant: Reykjavik, Iceland, and Nome, Alaska.

You can order the quick-reference guide for $10.95 plus $2.50 shipping and handling by calling (617) 862-7495.

This article was originally published in the September 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Jet Set.