10 Best Travel Books to Read

Best travel books

“Rich in piquant wrinkled things'', is how Morris describes the city of canals. The writer had visited Venice during World War ii when she was quite young. So, the introduction as written, in the book, is what a pair of young eyes have seen. Don’t make the mistake of thinking this a mere travel guide or history book. This is a beautiful painting of Venice that shows the waterways, the canals, the people, the tourists, with a sprinkle of Morris’s sense of humour.

As the name indicates, this one is centred around an amazing train journey, along the perimeter of the United States. Two things enlist this creation of Jenny Diski among the best travel books to read. One being the mesmeric details of the places the writer is passing through, another being the exquisite description of the characters she is meeting. Stranger on a Train simply shows America from the eyes of a stranger. Give it a read to remember your train journeys.

Santiago, a shepherd boy from Andalusian, desires to travel and find adventure in the worldly treasure. Little did he know that he would end up finding his inner self and teaching us a thing or two about listening to our hearts. This story is what made Alchemist become a modern classic and one of the must-read travel books. The world-famous book, by an even more loved writer, Paulo Coelho, will take you through some charming stories and a life-changing journey.

This is one of the best travel books that is written from the ‘stranger in a strange land’ viewpoint. Traveller and writer Guy de Lisle’s Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City, is a road map of contemporary Jerusalem’s people, religion and culture. Jerusalem is the land of three different cultures. The writer has seamlessly shown the conflict that lies among the different faiths. You will get a glimpse of the holidays, the traffic jams as well, as the checkpoints. The first-hand experience of a strange land along with the simplicity of writing makes this book an exceptional one.

The food reflects a lot of the people and the culture of any place. Needless to say, wherever we go, food becomes one of the key attractions. So, how anyone can say no to a book that has both travel and food stories! A Moveable Feast is a feast on the move. What makes this book interesting is the author credit. As stated, this is edited, not written by Don George. The author credit goes to some famous chefs around the world. It contains 38 food tales written by a group of people connected by the love of food.

The so-called tourist spots crowded with people and providing a somewhat pseudo experience are overrated. Kate Harris takes you away from the places that a million people have already seen, to the lands that have never been explored and to the lands of the lost borders. She often set off with her bicycle on the Silk Road to explore the remotest place and to break the boundaries.

Travelling is not always a road filled with roses to the mysterious land. Sometimes, it's a challenging bumpy ride and Dervla Murphy’s Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle is proof. What was a dream for a 10-year-old with a bicycle became a life-altering experience for a 31-year-old traveller. From Persia to Afghanistan, crossing the Himalayas, landing in Pakistan and then to India, the planning was great. Dervla was searching for adventure, but what she got was alarming snow and hungry wolves beside the unwanted attention as a lone women traveller, wherever she went.

The name alone is captivating enough for this book to get a special mention. It may sound cliche, but the book speaks of the harsh truth. The writer takes a philosophical road in stating our real reasons behind travelling. He doesn’t shy away from pointing at the reality behind the glorious adventures and experiences. He doesn’t stick to the good parts only; he brings out the whole experience.

A book that tells the adventure of a reporter and his dog. Filled with graphics, the comic books of TinTin is a memory down the lane for many and tops the list of best travel books to give as gifts to every young, aspiring traveller. TinTin is a character loved by all and he takes us on some amazing adventures via political events and social happenings.

The name gives it all. Love stories, amazing food, amazing places and a heartwarming story of finding the meaning of life, this masterpiece by Elizabeth Gilbert has it all. From leaving the mundane life to having a blast time in Italy, then travelling through India and finding peace in Bali, it can’t get any better. It surely is one of the best travel novels of all time.

This was a list of selected ones from the list of best books for travel. There are so many more out there. So what if you can’t go on a trip with your friends or on a solo trip, every time you want. Pick up any book from the list or give any of the best books as travel gifts to friends.