Travel Books: 12 Reads to Spark Your Wanderlust

Innocents Abroad is one of Twain’s most famous books that has influenced many adventurers after him. Published in 1867, he referred to this trip as the “Great Pleasure Excursion”. Twain, then aged 32, recounts the journey he took with a group of his American friends from New York to Europe and the Holy Land. This is a read with history, comedy and crass observations. It gives the reader an insight into what it was like to be a young American travelling abroad in the 19th century.

What happens when you put yourself out in the world and discover who you are away from the influences of your usual surroundings? In this book, the author describes his own experiences from being out of his comfort zone. He tells of his transformation on his journey through the world.

As more and more girls travel alone, this collection of tales from solo women travelers is the perfect guide to set you on the right path to exploring the world. These fun and varied stories from women of all backgrounds will make you laugh, cry, and provide some surprises. They share experiences that will give you a taste of what to expect when traveling, and inspire you to walk the world with confidence.

In 1890, 2 young Americans set out on a journey across Asia on the then-new invention, the modern bicycle. They covered 15,000 miles through various countries. They give a fascinating account of the conditions, people, and setbacks they faced. Even by today’s standards, these 2 brave innocent travelers were ahead of their time. The book contains some interesting 19th-century history about Turkey and China.

Forget hotels, resorts, and deals! Matt Kepnes has been teaching his followers how to travel on a shoestring through his popular blog for a long time.

When life can’t get any worse then why not quit your job and go and travel the world. That’s exactly what Lauren Juliff did. However, as the title suggests, a lot of things didn’t go to plan on her journey of discovery. This book is about following your dreams no matter what life throws at you. It’s an inspiring read by an innocent young woman that had to endure a huge learning curve as a backpacker. It's also very funny!

This collection of essays by the famous British poet, novelist, and travel writer very accurately describe people and their surroundings. They give great testament to Stevenson’s observation skills and humorous writing style. A real treat for the reader.

No travel book list would be complete without something by Bill Bryson. Bill decided to take one last trip around Britain before leaving his North Yorkshire home, where he’d lived for 20 years, and heading back to the States. His humorous social commentary is a pleasure to read as he takes in people from North Scotland right down to the South of Britain. He does enjoy a few beers along the way as well. Cheers Bill!

This controversial Beat Generation novel was published in 1957 and caused a stir in the literary world. It is based on trips across the States by Kerouac and his friend Neal Cassady. Set between 1947 and 1950, the book depicts 5 different trips taken by the carefree Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty. This is a read that definitely feels more like fact than fiction, and would’ve been the perfect companion for a post-WWII American youth looking for escapism. On the Road and other Beat Generation books shaped and influenced American youth culture for decades.

During the French colonial period, Edith Wharton traveled to Morocco. Wharton has an extremely descriptive writing style that gives an accurate portrayal of Morocco during the early days of WWI. Even though this book was written over 100 years ago, a lot of Wharton’s observations and descriptions of the country still hold true today.

This is not your typical travel book, but a story of an amazing man’s journey back to his birthplace. At the age of 5, Saroo became lost on a train and ended up on the streets of Kolkata where he was taken to an orphanage. Not knowing the name of his family or where he lived, he was eventually adopted an Australian family. Years later, and with the help of Google Earth, he found his long-lost hometown in India. This emotional read was turned into an Oscar-winning movie, Lion, in 2016.

In 1992, after giving all his savings to charity and leaving most of his possessions, Christopher Johnson McCandless hitchhiked to Alaska and walked into the wild on his own. 4 months later his body was found by a hunter. Jon Krakauer created this international bestseller by retracing the steps of McCandless. The young adventurer survived for over 100 days in the wild and kept a journal of his adventure up until his demise. Sean Penn directed the film adaptation in 2017.