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It's no coincidence I road-tripped Route 66 during Spring Break of my senior year in college; my American Lit class had just covered Jack Kerouac's On the Road.
There's a reason I hopped on the Trans-Siberian Railway this summer, and its name is War and Peace. (If you have the patience to plow through that behemoth, you deserve a vacation-reward of some kind!)
For me, nothing inspires wanderlust more than a well-crafted travel book. Sometimes, that may come in the form of a novel that really captures the essence of a place, like War and Peace. Other times, it may be a non-fiction travel narrative, like the wonderful works of Bill Bryson, a personal favorite.
Last month, we recognized the most travel-inspiring movies of the year by doling out our first-ever round of Budget Travel Oscar awards, and I'll be the first to admit that films can do wonders to put destinations on the tourist map. (If the stunning vistas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy didn't at least make you consider a Kiwi tour, well, then, you might be dead.)
But I'd argue that the experience of reading a book sells a place even more. (Not a surprising perspective, I suppose, coming from an editor…) To really get acquainted with a destination, it's not enough to just look at pretty landscapes (my apologies to the LOTR cinematographers); you need to absorb the details of its history, get a sense of its layout and landscape, learn about the food its residents eat, the music they dance to, the smells in the air. Books have the home-court advantage here—they have more time and space to describe such details.
Here, then, we've decided to spearhead an effort to come up with a definitive list of the 25 greatest travel books of all time. (Consider it a bookworm-friendly compliment to our BT Oscars!) We plan to pick the brains of top travel writers and editors for nominations, but first, we wanted to go to our favorite experts—yes, that's you—our readers!
Please tell us your favorite travel book and why it holds your top spot. (I need a few new titles to add to my summer reading list, so I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say!)
And keep your eyes out for our article on the 25 greatest travel books of all time. It'll grace the pages of this very website soon!
MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL:
BT Bookshelf: 3 specialized summer guides
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i don't need a travel book - i just call andrea minarcek!!
Posted By chris on March 31, 2011, 6:21 PM
Every time I travel, for no specific or explainable reason, I also pack "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott . The struggle of the feminine found in one New England family lead by it's Matriarch, the stubborness and independent Joe March combined with Colonial Civil War battered Concord, MA society desperately attempting to hold onto to it's once elustrious scene keeps me both at home and warm while I'm away. Alcott's literary genius shines through in her heronine, and all female cast of characters, as they anchor themselves into their beliefs and traditions. I just can't leave home without it!
Posted By Sarah Dyer on March 31, 2011, 6:31 PM
I love amusing travel narrative. Bill Bryson (any), Will Ferguson (Beauty Tips from Moosejaw), Terry Darlington (Narrow Dog to Carcassonne), Tony Hawks (Round Ireland with a Fridge), Pete McCarthy (McCarthy's Bar) and Evan McHugh (Pint Sized Ireland) are all good.
Posted By Becky on March 31, 2011, 6:58 PM
Neil Peart's books have been pretty good....
Posted By Brian Wohlgemuth on March 31, 2011, 11:17 PM
I always use hedonist guides. www.hg2.com. just the basic cultural/artsy/tourist stuff and then on to the really important things like going out, eating and drinking.
Posted By Jay on April 1, 2011, 9:01 AM
This Historian by Elizabeth Kostova because it takes you all over Europe with a mainstay in France, Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria. It inspires wanderlust and does a great job of mixing together culture, folklore and make-believe.
Posted By Tori on April 1, 2011, 10:11 AM
I really enjoyed "The Sun Also Rises." It may not be a true travel book, but it has inspired me to run with the bulls in Spain this summer. We'll see how that goes.
Posted By Sean on April 1, 2011, 10:48 AM
Into Thin Air, or any Jon Krakauer (not that I plan on scaling Everest, but sometimes less-attainable travel subjects make for more exciting reads) Three Cups of Tea makes northern Pakistan surprisingly alluring. & there's something about Ethan Frome that brings about the urge to be in New England in the winter.
Posted By JBH on April 1, 2011, 11:03 AM
I also love On the Road!
Posted By Laurisa on April 1, 2011, 12:23 PM
"Undaunted Courage" by Stephen Ambrose. It's about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and is a great story about persistence, resourcefulness and, uhhh, undaunted courage.
Posted By EB on April 1, 2011, 12:37 PM
A Year in Provence
Under the Tuscan Sun (the book, not the movie which was awful)
Posted By LKQ on April 1, 2011, 2:09 PM
Life of Pi and anything by Gabrielle Garcia Lopez
Posted By Artie on April 1, 2011, 2:21 PM
"Black Lamb and Grey Falcon," Rebecca West's travels through Yugoslavia on the eve of WWII. It inspired me to visit the region. So much if still holds true today even though the same area is now many countries.
Posted By Tarissa on April 1, 2011, 10:15 PM
I have a penchant for less serious travelogues. Bill Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country" is probably my favorite of his books. I also loved J. Maarten Troost's "The Sex Lives of Cannibals."
Posted By Kate on April 2, 2011, 1:09 AM
Non-fiction -- James Michener's Iberia is a great view of his personal travels in Spain and Portugal. Fiction -- Louis L'Amour's The Walking Drum is a great view of Europe in an earlier age. Both are well done, enlightening, and long enough to fill time on a long flight or train ride!
Posted By Jim on April 2, 2011, 7:56 AM
The Namesake by Jumpa Lahari makes me want to travel through India and see all the vibrant life that is described through flashbacks of the parents and a child struggling to find identity as a first generation American. I was transfixed......
Posted By Clem-enade on April 4, 2011, 10:48 AM
Just about anything - book or otherwise - makes me want to travel. But to name specific books and authors, Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" always make me want to take off for Paris, and several Japanese authors (for example, Kawabata and Soseki) stir my "yen" (pardon the pun) for Japan.
Posted By Beth on April 4, 2011, 8:11 PM
I have two travel books & I couldn't choose just one! The two books are by Susan Allen Toth:
"My Love Affair with England" and
"England As You Like It."
Posted By Linda on April 6, 2011, 12:43 AM
A Year in the World, by Frances Mayes. Makes me want to take off for at least a year and just travel!
Posted By Margaret on April 6, 2011, 12:01 PM
Not really a travel book per se, but more a philosophy of travel book -- I love Rick Steves' Travel as a Political Act. My own views exactly, but much better written than I could myself! I would summarize the message as "If we all opened up to other views and lifestyles through travel, the world wouldn't be in the mess it is now".
Posted By Ann on April 7, 2011, 4:48 PM
For some fun, light reading, I recently enjoyed Please Hug Me - I've Been Delayed: The Only Guide You'll Ever Need to Survive the Not-So-Friendly Skies by Jeff Michaels.
Posted By Kim Sanders on April 7, 2011, 9:23 PM
I have 3!
The first two I read while living in the cities they take place in and they describe the places perfectly!
1. "The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam" by Chris Ewan. Really fun and well-written witty mystery. And I just found out it became a series and there are 3 more in Paris, Vegas and Venice.
2. "Four Seasons in Rome" by Anthony Doerr. When I was studying in Rome, our whole class read this and loved how well it described the city we were all falling in love with. Our professor emailed Doerr telling him we were reading it for class and sent him a picture of all of us at the American Academy, where he lived and he was nice enough to email us.
The third book makes me want to go somewhere I've never been.
3. "Blood Sisters" by Barbara and Stephanie Keating. This desperately makes me want to go on safari in Kenya. It also has two sequels.
Posted By Jessica J on April 11, 2011, 2:39 AM
The Motorcycle Diaries by, Ernesto "Che" Guevara...I read it in Fiji while on my way to Australia for a year. Now I'm hell-bent on getting to South America next!
I also recommend Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. As a backpacker, he's the one we worship.
Posted By Kimberly on April 14, 2011, 2:49 AM
Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes about Liguria, Italian Riviera: hilariously funny & very insightful re local culture. Also, On Mexican Time by Tony Cohan, a mesmerizing book about people & San Miguel, Mexico, a magical place--definitely entered into our decision to spend almost a month there a couple of years ago.
Posted By Lee on April 14, 2011, 1:34 PM
I try to match my reading to the trip I am taking. For example: on a recent trip to Andalusian Spain, I listened to the audio of TALES OF THE ALHAMBRA by Washington Irving and read QUEEN OF THE SOUTH by Perez-Reverte. In advance of a trip to Italy, I read a novel dealing with Pompeii by Robert Harris.
I always consult the series of books, 1000 PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU DIE (U.S. and world-wide editions) before I travel. There is frequently something in the area to which I am travelling that I may not have known about. And of course, the various travel guides, specifically Rick Steves of the DK/Eyewitness series.
If you like to drive the back roads of America, you should read BLUE HIGHWAYS by William Least-Heat Moon.
Posted By sara on April 15, 2011, 7:18 AM
Married to a Bedouin - Marguerite van Geldermalsen
I read this as I travelled around Jordan - a great insight into the Bedouin culture and the difference between middle-east and European living.
Posted By Emma on April 15, 2011, 12:35 PM
What?! No mention of Paul Theroux? He is THE definitive travel writer.
Posted By Sharon on April 15, 2011, 1:02 PM
The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson. Actually, ALL his books. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakuer. All the "Under the Tuscan Sun" books by Frances Mayes. "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" by Maarten Troost. Actually, ALL the books written by Troost. And "A Moveable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway. All the "Provence" books by Peter Mayle. Clearly, I just adore travel books...
Posted By Kim on April 15, 2011, 11:14 PM
I love travel memoirs, but my favorites are The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost, McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy, and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. I see these are the favorites of some other posters here, too.
Posted By Bree on April 19, 2011, 12:20 PM
My wife and I got the travel bug a number of years ago on a road trip from Kansas City to Las Vegas via Colorado, Utah and Arizona. Since then, I've read dozens of travel books of all kinds. Far and away my all-time favorite travel book is "Live Your Road Trip Dream" by Phil & Carol White. The first half of this book explains in detail how you can finance a long road trip (or sailboat or backpack!) complete with spreadsheets for budgets and checklists that can be downloaded to your computer. I’ve read every version available including the new e-book versions. It explains ALL of the things to keep in mind that you may never think of without their help. It gives an actual timetable of what to do and when to do it in preparation for the journey. The second half of the book is a description of the trip. It not only describes the sightseeing highlights but also the things they encountered that no one could plan for and how they handled them. If you're wanting to know how to plan an extended road trip or just want to dream (as in my case), this is your book. There are tons of resources offered as well with references to other web sites and books for you to extend your dream. It's a terrific and easy read. It can be a complete planning guide or a delightful adventure with two new friends across this great country. This is MY nomination for the greatest travel book available today. It's terrific!
Posted By Terry Swensen on April 22, 2011, 5:09 PM
Jupiters Travels by Ted Simon about a motorcycle trip round much of the world. I am not a fan of motorcycles, good tho they are, but of his fascinating perspectives on some amazing people and places. I remember his tales of the Sudan (friendly people!) and of arriving at the US border despite having read it eons ago.
Posted By Michael on April 28, 2011, 4:18 PM
Viking provided us with a top 10 list of reading materials while cruising! http://bit.ly/hXLMt8
Posted By Martha on May 9, 2011, 7:36 PM
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Posted By Michal Elletson on March 18, 2012, 8:36 AM