“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Dreaming of distant places or searching for adventure? Whether you’re planning your next trip or exploring from the comfort of your sofa, books about travelling the world offer the perfect escape. These top travel books whisk you away to remote villages, bustling cities, and breathtaking landscapes, with no passport required. From inspiring travel memoirs to fiction set across the globe, the stories on this list are all brimming with cultural insights, personal journeys, and unforgettable destinations. They’re ideal for armchair travellers, wanderlust-filled readers, and anyone looking to discover the world through a fresh lens. Some books inspire you to pack your bags, while others make you feel like you’ve already been there. So, whether you’re into globe-trotting adventure, solo backpacking stories, or soul-searching road trips, join us at What We Reading for the best books to inspire your next journey! Here are the best travel books that belong on every explorer’s TBR pile.
Vagabonding – Rolf Potts
First stop on our list of books about travelling the world comes from Rolf Potts with Vagabonding. This inspiring guide presents practical advice and philosophical insights into the life-changing practice of long-term travel. Utilising years of first-hand experience, Potts breaks down the logistics of budgeting, time management, and travel preparation, whilst encouraging readers to embrace a slower, more meaningful way of viewing the world.
Whether you’re planning a solo backpacking trip, a career break, or simply fantasising about escaping the daily grind, Vagabonding provides the tools and motivation needed to make it a reality. It’s the perfect go-to for anyone looking for books that inspire travel, or who wants to understand the deeper value of leaving behind the mundane and ordinary in search of new cultures and perspectives.
The Art Of Travel – Alain De Botton
Mixing personal reflections with insights from great thinkers ranging from Baudelaire, Wordsworth, and Van Gogh, Alain de Botton immerses readers into the psychology of travel, examining everything from anticipation and curiosity to disappointment and nostalgia in his acclaimed work, The Art of Travel.
Rather than presenting a long list of destinations, this unique travel book invites readers to meditate on how we experience the world, both overseas and back at home. With wit, warmth, and philosophical depths, The Art of Travel is perfect for armchair travellers, thinkers, and anyone else keen to see beyond the surface of the journey. It is one of the most insightful books about travelling the world, not just in distance, but also in thought and perspective.
The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
Blending magic, mysticism, wisdom, and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, no list of books about travelling the world would be complete without mentioning The Alchemist, a modern classic that has been transforming the lives of millions of readers across generations.
Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece tells the story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of worldly treasure. His quest leads him to riches far different, and far more satisfying, than he ever imagined. Santiago’s journey teaches readers about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, recognising opportunities, learning the omens laid along life’s path, and, most crucially, about following our dreams.
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The Geography Of Bliss – Eric Weiner
Eric Weiner spent a decade as a foreign correspondent reporting from such discontented locales from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Indonesia. Unhappy people living in profoundly unstable states, he notes, inspire pathos, and make for good copy, but not for good karma. So Weiner, a self-confessed grump and self-help book aficionado, embarked on a year’s research to travel the world, searching for “unheralded happy places.” The result is this book, The Geography of Bliss, a laugh-out-loud, philosophical journey into both the definition and destination of true contentment.
From the youthful drunkenness of Iceland to the despondency of Slough, a sad but resilient town in Heathrow’s flight path, Weiner produces wry yet profound observations about the way people relate to circumstances and fate. Revealing and inspirational, perhaps the best part about this travel book is the revelation that the “geography of bliss” for readers is wherever they happen to find themselves reading it.
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Around The World In 80 Trains – Monisha Rajesh
When Monisha Rajesh announced her plans to circumnavigate the globe in eighty train journeys, she was met with astonishment. Yet it wasn’t long before she was plotting a route that would cover 45,000 miles, coasting along the world’s most incredible railways. Packing up her rucksack and her fiancé for the ride, Monisha embarks on an unforgettable journey that takes her from London to Mongolia, North Korea, Canada, Kazakhstan, Tibet, and beyond.
The journey is one of constant movement and mayhem, as the pair strike up friendships and swap stories with hilarious, irksome, and ultimately endearing travellers they meet on board, whilst taking in some of the most astonishing views on Earth. Around the World in 80 Trains is a wonderfully vivid account of life, history, and culture in a travel book that promises to make you laugh and reflect on what it means to be a global citizen.
The Beach – Alex Garland
Alex Garland’s The Beach is a gripping and atmospheric novel that captures the dark side of wanderlust and the seductive lure of paradise. Set in Thailand, this cult favourite follows Richard, a young British backpacker on the hunt for an unspoiled, secret beach rumoured to be untouched by tourists. When he discovers it, tucked away on a remote island, it appears to be the ultimate backpacker’s dream: turquoise waters, golden sands, and a tight-knit community of fellow travellers.
However, paradise soon begins to unravel. Richard is forced to confront the illusions and consequences of escape. A powerful mix of adventure, suspense, and social commentary, The Beach is one of the most iconic fiction books about travelling the world. It tackles the extremes of youth, freedom, and the idealism of exotic settings, helping to make it a go-to for anyone drawn to backpacking travel books or stories that challenge the romanticised view of global travel.
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert
Around the time she turned thirty, Elizabeth Gilbert ran into an early-onset midlife crisis. To recover from this, she got rid of all of her belongings, quit her job, and set out on a year-long journey around the world, all on her own. Eat, Pray, Love is the absorbing chronicle of that very year.
From Rome to Bali, Eat, Pray, Love is an intensely articulate and moving memoir of self-discovery. Through Gilbert’s irresistible, candid, and eloquent account of her pursuit of worldly pleasure, spiritual devotion, and self-discovery, we travel lovers are treated to a poignant lesson in the consequences of claiming our own contentment and abandoning the pursuit of societal ideals. If you’ve ever woken up feeling like you need to change everything, Eat, Pray, Love is one of the best travel books to turn to.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
