Best travel books: find the ultimate destination for you

A taste of travel from your living room with these best travel books.

Best travel books: find the ultimate destination for you

Where do you want to visit and explore? Whether you’re looking for ideas or simply want an enthralling, adventurous tale, this pick of the best travel books can take you around the globe. Or, as gifts, they can provide inspiration for your friends and family.

The travel books category is as diverse as the world, and worlds, they reveal to us. Great travel writing opens up the mind to fantastic opportunities, from classic accounts that evokes an epic, dramatic journey, to guidebooks and trivia volumes that provide a better understanding of history and traditions.

If you've read and enjoyed one of these travel books, give it an upvote. You can also leave suggestions books we should add in the future below.

And remember: with the world finally opening up, it might have felt like forever since you have booked a flight to go on an adventure. That's a lot of pent up travelling to do! But, while these travel books will give you inspiration, remember to check what the situation is with each country you are visiting - it's complicated out there right now, but travelling can be done!

Ready to go abroad for real? Check out our list of the best travel suitcases first.

Best travel books

On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey by Paul Theroux
On the Plain of Snakes: A Mexican Journey by Paul Theroux: £15.13 at AmazonMexico and one of the world’s most highly regarded travel writers meet in this captivating road trip account. Don’t expect tips on where to find the best artisan coffee, instead join Theroux on a journey from the border town of Nogales – where a 40ft steel fence runs through its centre, separating the US side from the Mexican side – into the heart of a culturally rich but troubled country.
Royal Geographical Society Puzzle Book
Royal Geographical Society Puzzle Book: £9.22 at AmazonTravel broadens the mind but sometimes you don’t have to leave your living room in order to enjoy an adventure. The Royal Geographical Society’s Puzzle Book for 2019 focuses on 50 great explorers and expeditions and retells their stories through (increasingly difficult) questions. Follow (safely) in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton, Charles Darwin, Amelia Earhart, Ellen MacArthur and others as you battle brainteasers and decipher maps.
Cruickshank's London: A Portrait of a City in 13 Walks by Dan Cruickshank
Cruickshank's London: A Portrait of a City in 13 Walks by Dan Cruickshank: £18.34 at AmazonYour walking boots probably won’t get muddy but you’ll definitely increase the numbers on your step count as historian Dan Cruickshank reveals the capital to you. Each of these walks explores a crucial site in London's history with maps, information and anecdotes. From big-hitters like the Tower of London and St Pancras Station to less-glamorous locales, including Dagenham Civic Centre, Cruickshank finds great stories in the Big Smoke.
Where the Wild Cooks Go: Recipes, Music, Poetry, Cocktails by Cerys Matthews
Where the Wild Cooks Go: Recipes, Music, Poetry, Cocktails by Cerys Matthews: £15.72 at AmazonShe probably had us at ‘Cocktails’ but the musician and 6 Music presenter also serves up a buffet of food, music and poetry with these tales of her travels, including some from her time touring as a member of Catatonia. There’s a Spotify playlist for each of the 15 featured countries and recipe ideas that span vegan haggis, tequila prawns, chocolate-and-Guinness fondants – and thousand-hole pancakes.
Lonely Planet Best in Travel
Lonely Planet Best in Travel: £8.90 at AmazonIf you’re looking for travel inspiration and you like lists (who doesn't), Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel serves up the hottest, must-visit countries, regions, cities and best-value destinations for the year ahead. This year, the book is out in October and certainly going to be an 'interesting' read, given what the world has gone through.
Sovietistan by Erika Fatland
Sovietistan by Erika Fatland: £16.69 at AmazonA stunning evocation of five former Soviet Republics, Erika Fatland’s award-winning travelogue takes you on a journey through Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan – since all became independent in 1991. From venturing incognito in countries closed to journalists to seeing the treasures of Samarkand and being surrounded by eerie-and-captivating Soviet architecture, this is an eye-opening odyssey around some of the world’s lesser-known countries.

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