As a frequent traveler who always requests a window seat, an airline pilot, and a travel writer, he presents this fun and enjoyable book in a very conversational manner. From turbulence to terrorism, and even airport architecture, Smith covers every commercial flying topic you could think of.

This book is sure to rekindle your fire of wanderlust as he gives great insight into the people and small town cultures of the rural United States.įor the airplane lovers, the airplane haters, and everyone in between, Patrick Smith’s bestseller separates fact from fallacy in this tell-all about air travel. William Least Heat-Moon set out on a three-month, 13,000-mile journey in his van and intentionally avoided cities, interstates, and fast food. This masterpiece documents the ultimate road trip through the backroads of the United States. Read More Blue Highways: A Journey into America Trapped by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and evacuated back home, Lee shows strength and endurance throughout his journey and presents an informative and entertaining description of his experiences. He arrives in Vigo in July of 1935 and tramps around Spain for a year. He walks from his tiny village of Cotswold in Gloucestershire, settles in London for a while, then makes his way to Spain on a boat. Laurie Lee’s memoir tells of his first sojourn away from home in 1934. Read More As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning Being absorbed by the traditional lives of the Bedu people, Thesiger greatly illuminates our understanding of Bedu culture. Disgusted by the Western lifestyle, he traveled some 10,000 miles by camel during his time there from 1945-1950.

This classic records the remarkable journey of Wilfred Thesiger’s travels across the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula. In a tempo governed by seasons, not days, renovation work, visits to delectable restaurants, and local customs are features of this book that is sure to give you some good laughs. Following his dreams, he moved into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the Luberon with his wife and two dogs. Reading Peter Mayle’s best-selling memoir is almost like vacationing in the South of France. Out of those conversations and his own observations, he compiled an insightful look into the magical and the mundane that creates the life of an airport and the people in it. He spoke with everyone from travelers to senior executives to the airport chaplain to airline staff. Given unprecedented access, de Botton took a hard look at the place where many of us spend hours, but never really take the time to see. In the summer of 2009, Alain de Botton was appointed as Heathrow’s Writer-in-Residence. One of the best travel books for nature lovers, Bryson introduces us to some of the ecology, sociology, and history of the trail, as well as some of the quirky folks he meets along his route. With sparkling lakes, picturesque mountains, and majestic forests, the Appalachian Trail boasts some of America’s greatest terrain throughout its 2,200-mile stretch from Maine to Georgia. This humorous autobiography tells the tale of Bill Bryson’s unsuccessful attempt to walk the Appalachian Trail.

In this humorous and touching story, Chesshyre was excited by the energy of the people and their willingness to take time and talk with him. With no political agenda, he journeyed to Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt to explore and to see popular tourist attractions. While everyone else was pressing their way out, Tom Chesshyre was booking his ticket in to experience the Arab Spring revolutions as a tourist. Their hardships are described comically as they find themselves in unique situations that begin to take their toll physically and mentally. Enlisting friend Hugh Carless for the trek, they make a brief stop for mountaineer training in North Wales, make another quick stop in Istanbul, and endure a treacherous drive across Turkey and Persia before beginning their walk in the Panjshir Valley.

Encouraged by an adventurous Australian, she continues to discover more about herself as she takes a year-long journey that spans three continents.įeeling restless with his London fashion career, 36-year-old Eric Newby impulsively heads to a remote corner of northeast Afghanistan to tackle the Hindu Kush and Mir Samir. In an effort to prolong “adulting”, the straight-laced good girl surprises everyone when she books a trip to Ireland on a whim. Rachel Friedman’s coming-of-age memoir reminds us to live for the moment. The books below are sorted in alphabetical order and the ones marked with a star (★) are our favorite travel books. Reading can really take you anywhere, and there’s nothing better than a good book to pass the time on a long flight, road trip, or train ride. So we have compiled a list of some of the best travel books that will keep you company on your journey around the world.

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