Travel Books to Read When You Can’t Travel

The best travel books to read when you can’t travel are those that transport you to your virtual destination.

Reading about travel may not be as satisfying an experience as the actual travel, but when you can’t travel, this is your next best option.

Read about the places that move you.

Allow yourself to be virtually transported to the villages of Southern Italy, the streets of New York City with its eclectic neighborhoods or Australia’s dynamic cities.

A travel book can take you anywhere you want to go.

If you’re looking for the best travel books to read when you can’t travel, you came to the right place.

We asked frequent travelers which books inspired wanderlust. Their answers are interesting and intriguing.

I love travel books. If you do too, you’ll appreciate these literary travel companions.

Some are fiction books about travel, some are travel guides offering valuable travel tips and advice, but all are good books to read when you can’t travel.

There’s something here for everyone.

Listening vs. Reading

There are times when you can’t pick up a book and read because it is inconvenient like driving (obviously), exercising, cleaning the house or falling asleep in the dark.

Enter audible.com to the rescue! I banish boredom and restlessness by listening to a good travel book, or any kind of book.

I used to think that I wouldn’t appreciate listening to a book as much as actually reading. That I would miss the feel of a book in my hands. That I would somehow be betraying a precious, lifelong friend…a book.

Actually the opposite happened. I started listening to books on audible.com and never looked back.

I also saved a ton of money because audio books don’t cost as much as the real thing.

I recommend audible.com and for a limited time, Audible.com is offering a free membership.

They know if you try them you will be hooked as I am. Use this link to get the promotion and tell me if I’m not right.

Eight of the Best Travel Books to Read When you Can’t Travel

Ali and Nino

One of my picks for this list of the best travel books to read when you can’t travel is Ali and Nino.

When I was a teenager in high school, I used to stop at a candy store that also sold paperbacks on my way to and from school.

One day I found a book called Ali and Nino by Kurban Said. It was a Romeo and Juliet themed love story about a Muslim boy and a Christian girl.

The story took place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. What impressed me the most about the book were the descriptions of Baku. 

I felt I was inhaling the aromas of the jasmine tea that I was reading about, and feeling the sun on my face in the plazas the author described.

I fell in love with the place and determined to see it someday.

Years later I became a fan of Paul Theroux’s travel writing. His books on train travel fascinated me; The Great Railway Bazaar, Riding The Iron Rooster, The Old Patagonian Express and his most recent, Dark Star Safari.

Reading a small bio on Theroux I learned about one of his favorite books, Ali and Nino.

He said that as a young man he discovered this book that made him fall in love with Baku, Azerbaijan and influenced his life-long passion for travel.

I was amazed, delighted and intrigued that someone like Paul Theroux had the identical reaction to the same book as I did!…and around the same time too! It’s worth a read.

Maybe you too will develop a passion for travel and fall in love with Baku.

We recommend The Merchant Baku for your stay.

The Art of Travel

Popular sociologist, Alain de Botton tells us how and why to travel.

With intelligence and wit, de Botton considers the pleasures of anticipation; the allure of the exotic, and the value of noticing everything from a seascape in exotic settings as well as takeoffs at Heathrow airport.

De Botton takes the reader along on his own peregrinations.

He also cites such distinguished fellow-travelers as Baudelaire, Wordsworth, Van Gogh, the biologist Alexander von Humboldt, for whom a national park in Cuba is named.

Also notable is the 18th-century eccentric Xavier de Maistre, who catalogued the wonders of his bedroom.

The Art of Travel is a wise and utterly original book.

*****

A History of the World in 500 Walks

“I enjoyed reading it because it gives the reader so many great ideas of places to visit!

My family and I enjoy hiking and this book has inspired me to learn about the history and culture of a destination by walking and hiking!

It also includes great maps and important information to consider on each hike.”

Credit: Jacki Dyrholm

Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle

This is the diary of the author, Dervla Muphey’s bicycle trek from France, across Europe, through the countries of Iran and Afghanistan, over the Himalayas to Pakistan and finally ending in India.

She ventures alone accompanied only by her bicycle, which she names Roz.

Murphy not only survives daunting physical rigors but truly gets to know the people.

She carried a pistol, suffered the usual stomach disorders and endured bad accommodations but reaped much local hospitality, too.

This is a journey you won’t soon forget and the ideal book to read when you can’t travel.

*****

The Worst Journey in the World

This is the story of Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated expedition to the South Pole.

The author – who survived the notorious Winter Journey—draws on his firsthand experiences to create a stirring account of Scott’s legendary expedition.

He himself would be among the search party that discovered the corpses of Scott and his men, who had long since perished from starvation and brutal cold.

It is through the author’s insightful narrative and keen descriptions that Scott and the other members of the expedition are memorialized.

West with the Night

Beryl Markham was one of the first bush pilots.

A British-born Kenyan aviator, adventurer, and author, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west.

West with the Night is her memoir, a unique adventure of a remarkable woman.

*****

The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux

I love traveling by trains; as the author quotes “…I have seldom heard a train go by and not wished I were on it”.

His odd experiences and acquaintances reminded me of some of my own that I will never forget. This travel book really made me want to travel.

Ten Years a Nomad

Written by Matt Kepnes, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day who also runs the award-winning travel site, Nomadic Matt.

This book isn’t just for frequent travelers, it’s for everyone who wants pro tips on how to explore the world.

The author explains just why he’s been exploring the world for 10 years.

The book helps you realize how important travel is and how getting out there can make the world a better place.

If you liked this post, you may also like my interview with travel expert, Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt. You should also check out Best travel apps for worldwide travel.

Travel the Americas through books

A Walk in the Woods – The Appalachian Trail, USA

When I started reading A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson, I immediately felt like I had to walk in the footsteps of its main characters.

The book encourages you to go out and explore the great outdoors. Luckily, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, featured in the book, was located only 8-hour car drive away from our home.

Visiting the Park while reading the book was an amazing experience. It felt as if 4D features were added to the story with all the accompanying sights, smells and sounds.

There is also a tour company located in Gatlinburg, Tennessee called “Walk in the Woods” which organizes various guided walking tours of the National Park.

We took a 2-hour tour designed for families with kids and we learned a lot about the nature and history of the area.

In the end, we all had a feeling that we did travel the Americas through a book.

Tatiana blogs at Family Road Trip Guru

Over the Edge of the World – Straits of Magellan, South America

I had read, Over the Edge of the World, Magellan’s terrifying circumnavigation of the globe several years before I traveled to Tierra Del Fuego in Patagonia on South America’s southern cone.

The book stuck in my mind. It nagged me like an annoying horsefly, demanding attention. At the oddest times, my mind would turn to the book and the harrowing journey.

I imagined everything Magellan and his crew suffered; the fierce weather, savage natives, near starvation. I knew I had a major case of wanderlust travel.

I finally traveled to Patagonia on the cruise ship Australis and navigated the Straits of Magellan just as the intrepid captain had. Of course, I took the book with me and read it on the trip.

The ship had all the modern facilities and navigation devices. I compared that to what Magellan had; a rudimentary compass and basic navigation skills.

What he did have was superhuman determination and drive.

It was fascinating to see the places and things described in the book; soaring glaciers, penguins, dolphins and finally, Cape Horn.

I was seeing the same things Magellan saw 5 centuries earlier.

Wanderlust travel books are a uniquely rewarding experience. This one helped me travel the Americas in a unique way.

Talek blogs at Travels with Talek.

The Call of the Wild – Denali National Park, United States

Growing up in a lower-middle-class family in urban Atlanta, we rarely had the money to travel (outside of the odd camping trip here and there).

So instead I satiated my worldly curiosity and thirst for adventure through books.

When my career as a journalist allowed me an opportunity to travel in my late 20s, is it any wonder I wanted to be “jerked from the heart of civilization and flung into the heart of things primordial” (to quote Jack London)?

I took The Call of the Wild with me on an epic 10-day vacation in Alaska in 1999, which was just my third trip outside the southeastern United States.

As we explored the back country of Denali National Park, London’s story of a dog named Buck (who is stolen from his home and sold to become a sled dog in Alaska) truly came to life.

We visited many of the same sorts of small mining towns London describes in his influential adventure classic.

We even spent a half-day with a team of sled dogs that were used in the Iditarod race.

In the end, I came away with a much deeper appreciation for “America’s last frontier,” much of which remains just as wild as it was more than a century ago, during London’s heyday.

Bret Love and Mary Gabbett blog at Green Global Travel.

I, Rigoberta Menchú – Guatemala, Central America

Published in 1983, the book, I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala is a biography of Rigoberta Menchú Tum an indigenous Kʼicheʼ woman who is one of the leading human rights activists and feminists in Guatemala.

The book chronicles her testimony of the kidnapping, torture, and murders of her brother and mother.

It also mentiones the death of her father in the burning of the Spanish Embassy by Guatemalan forces during the height of Guatemala’s armed conflict in the 1980s and early 1990s.

I found that reading her personal account of the Guatemalan genocide of the Maya people to be especially moving and powerful.

While I was in the highlands of Guatemala I saw many Mayan communities such as Rabinal, Uspantan, and Nebaj, sites of great devastation during the 36-year civil war.

However, the violence wasn’t confined to remote areas of Guatemala. One of the top things to do in Panajachel on Lake Atitlan near Solola is to visit the village of Santiago Atitlan.

It is there where you can see peace memorials to the victims of a 1990 massacre and to Catholic priest Father Rother, the first U.S. born martyr of the Catholic faith, who was killed in 1981.

Rigoberta Menchú Tum was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and the book I, Rigoberto Menchú is important reading for anyone planning to travel to Guatemala.

Michele Peterson blogs at A Taste for Travel.

Golden Gate Morning – San Francisco, California USA

Visiting the golden city of San Francisco, California, became my dream after reading a cool novel called Golden Gate Morning by Mary Vaughn Armstrong.

The story is weaved into the history of the golden city and highlights many landmarks and secret food spots to visit.

Out of all of them, my favorite is, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge.

The twin towers of this iconic bridge are on the cover of the book, and many beautiful romance moments are pictured here.

I made plans to visit here back when I read the book but finally got to visit this vibrant city four years ago.

Since then I have visited the Golden Gate countless times more as I currently stay close to the city.

Take a walking tour starting at the Strauss statue to the end of the bridge to enjoy gorgeous views from the vista point there.

A bike ride over this suspension bridge is also cool!

Priyadarshini Rajendran blogs at Glorious Sunrise.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu – Peru, South America

Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams was the perfect companion for my long-awaited visit to the Inca citadel.

Adams weaves together the stories of three different time periods – the clashes between the Incas and Spaniards, the early 1900s when Hiram Bingham was rediscovering the lost ruins, and the author’s own experience hiking through the Andes to see Machu Picchu and other ruins.

It’s a great introduction to the history of the site and though you’ll find it in the non-fiction section, it reads more like a novel than a history textbook.

There were many moments in Cusco and Machu Picchu when I found myself connecting with parts of the book I’d recently read and coming to a deeper understanding.

The ruins at Machu Picchu don’t have much in the way of signage or historical explanations, so having read about them beforehand made my visit much more meaningful.

I’d highly recommend picking up a copy before you visit Machu Picchu. The book will go a long way to satisfying your wanderlust travel.

Kris blogs at Nomad by Trade.

The Wild Inside – Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

Inherent in hiking and camping in Glacier National Park, Montana, is the danger of facing a grizzly bear.

During our Glacier visit, it was difficult to shake my own fear that we would meet a grizzly around the next bend.

At the same time, I’m enamored with the life of grizzlies and their encounters with people. So when I discovered The Wild Inside by Christine Carbo I was completely drawn into the story.

The Wild Inside, set in Glacier National Park, is the story of a man who dies as a result of a bear mauling.

In true murder mystery style, the story unfolds to reveal that a murder has actually taken place. The poor bear, who is facing euthanasia, is as much of a victim in this crime as the human victim.

Beautifully woven into the story is how the investigator faces his own fear of the mighty grizzly to become the advocate for this bear.

Christine Carbo’s location descriptions were so clear that I felt a small delight each time I recognized a scene.

Although my grizzly phobia is still powerful, after reading The Wild Inside I felt empathy for these wild creatures that are trying to survive in a human world.

The book provided me with a great opportunity to travel the Americas with my imagination.

Ladona Stork blogs at Walking the Parks.

A Beautiful Place to Die – Cape Cod, Massachusetts USA

A Beautiful Place to Die by Philip R. Craig is the first of series of murder mysteries set on the island of Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Everyone thinks of Martha’s Vineyard as this glamorous vacation destination for celebrities. On the other hand, the island is also home to year-round residents who have anything but glamorous lives.

They work hard during the summer when the population booms 10-fold with summer residents.

This first book by Philip Craig tells of how someone dies during a drug operation gone wrong. You don’t think of Martha’s Vineyard as a smuggling route.

Its close proximity to the mainland and miles of seashore can mean work to a canny smuggler’s benefit.

For example, the road called Tea Lane that cuts through the middle of the island got its name because pre-revolutionary smugglers would bring tea through here to avoid the hated British tax on tea.

I really enjoyed this book for showing a different perspective of an island which is part of the establishment and yet not.

Shobha George blogs at Martha’s Vineyard Tourist.

Galapagos at the Crossroads – Galapagos Islands, South America

While traveling through the Galapagos Islands, I was amazed at the surrounding natural beauty, but couldn’t help but wonder about the long term impact of tourism on the islands.

At a hostel in San Cristobal, I picked up a copy of Carol Anne Bassett’s Galapagos at a Crossroads, which ended up being the perfect book to accompany my trip.

It helped grow my understanding of the issues that the Galapagos faces when it comes to sustainable tourism.

Each chapter in this book focuses on a specific person or group with a stake in the Galapagos’ natural resources, with info on tour companies whose activities are often illegal and not always green.

Reading this book helped me pick my day tours in the Galapagos, ensuring I was choosing a company that was helping the islands, rather than harming them.

I’m so happy to have found this travel wanderlust book while visiting the Galapagos’ Islands, as it allowed me to gain a deeper appreciation for these remarkable islands and it helps me travel the Americas with my imagination.

Lora Pope blogs at Explore with Lora.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold – Columbia, South America

Chronicle of a Death Foretold  by Gabriel Garcia Marquez details the murder of Santiago Nasar in the Magdalena region of Colombia. And seriously, the book is about nothing else.

Every chapter is the same story told from a different angle, so the reader becomes super familiar with the repeated imagery – false information, a mortal vow, kitchen knives hidden in a newspaper.

Walking alone to a beach I’d been told I had to visit in Magdalena, I passed a point that was just out of view of the town and not quite in view of the beach.

A young man was coming down the path, back toward the town, and my brain was slow to realize he was paying close attention to me.

When he came close enough to engage me, he dropped a single fold of newspaper off the blade of a chef’s knife – that image I was all too familiar with from the book, Chronicle.

Shocked, I put my hands out, feeling the prick of the filed edge. With images of Santiago Nasar’s murder rushing through my head, yes, I gave him everything he asked for.

The robbery happened quickly. He made demands and I complied quite agreeably, not least because I felt like I was in the pages of Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and I knew how that turned out for Santiago Nasar.

Stories like mine usually come with a warning at the end, so here’s what I have to say: Colombia is incredibly multifaceted, as shown in Marquez’s novels.

It’s not an altogether dangerous place, but I made the mistake of following the recommendation of people who had been to this beach a few years ago rather than following my own gut because yeah, I could tell it was sketchy.

Just use your sense and bring another buddy along if you don’t feel secure.

Art blogs at The Broke Backpacker.

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