Books for Traveling

Traveling can be done with one's feet but also through the eyes: isn't there a more epic journey than one experienced through imagination? There are countless books to travel vicariously! Here's a quick list by genre to inspire you.

For >, many of you have asked me about it. What to say? There are so many! All the ones I have read, all the ones I still have to read and discover... And there are so many different genres: novels, essays, accounts... But that's fine, I love to read! And the books I enjoy the most are those that allow me to escape: to travel as a navigator, to live in the Middle Ages or the Renaissance, to transport myself to a parallel universe: so many virtual journeys!

In this article, I will provide a quick ranking by genre, with some reading suggestions that I will develop further in dedicated articles for each genre, taking the time to present each book and why it appealed to me (yes, I will only tell you about the books that enchanted me, so this will definitely not be objective!).

But what > are we talking about? Briefly, there will be novels, (auto)biographical accounts, essays and books that provoke reflections on travel and books (often novels) that combine travel and personal development. Let's go!

I will try to discuss the >, but also and especially lesser-known novels that deserve more attention, keeping as a guiding principle, simply, my personal tastes!

Of course, everyone quickly thinks of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho... but there are so many others that invite travel in the broadest sense of the term.

My favorite novels are those that make me travel, both in space and time. The undisputed master of style is undoubtedly Jules Verne, but considering his works as well-known classics, I will instead share my readings from the past few weeks, months, and years...

Here are my recommendations for novels that let you travel, which I will elaborate on in this article.

Almost all of his books! Around the World in 80 Days, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth...

I love this author; several of her books, if not all, take me on journeys through space and time, but if I had to recommend just two, they would be The House of the Spirits and Daughter of Fortune.

Another author whose writing transports me, particularly in his multi-volume books, such as The Pillars of the Earth and The Century (the first volume is: The Century, Volume 1: Fall of Giants).

A magnificent novel that I completely fell in love with: One Hundred Years of Solitude.

Continuing with my favorite Latin American authors! I love this author's style: it's the kind of writing I savor and reread several times certain passages, as if to absorb them. Often known for The Old Man Who Read Love Stories, he has written many other beautiful novels and collections of short stories, such as The Shadow of What We Were, The Nephew of America, The Roses of Atacama.

I discovered this author in school, with the very beautiful Silk; and I also recommend Novecento: Pianist.

In a completely different style, I discovered this author while looking for a breath of fresh air, and it had exactly that effect on me! A lot of lightness and humor in his novels, such as in The Fabulous Destiny of a Cow That Didn't Want to End Up as Ground Beef.

An author who has the gift of touching me with intensity and gentleness at the same time. Recently, I read Ulysses from Baghdad, which I recommend. I think the very first novel by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt that fell into my hands was Oscar and the Lady in Pink, and since then, I regularly dive back into his books. Also to read: Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran and many others!

An author, particularly known for The Ants, with whom I have a strange relationship: at times I connect with his stories, at others not at all! To travel alongside him (if you can hang on!), try The Book of Travel.

An author I discovered a few years ago who introduced me to the world of fantasy. I devoured The Royal Assassin (the first volume being The Royal Assassin, Volume 1: The Assassin's Apprentice) and The Liveship Traders (first volume: The Liveship Traders, Volume 1: The Ship of Magic); and recently I discovered the writing of her other pseudonym (Megan Lindholm) with the collection The Inheritance and Other Stories, which I also recommend.

Suddenly, Alone is the first novel I discovered from this traveling navigator writer, and probably not the last... (I am currently tempted by The Sea Will Remember and The Lover of Patagonia).

A great classic, The Alchemist, to discover if you haven't read it yet. Paulo Coelho has written many novels along this same line of thought, such as The Zahir, The Pilgrim of Compostela, The Manual of the Warrior of Light, The Fifth Mountain...

The Little Prince to end on a poetic note!

And on my list, I noted many novels that I did not have time to read, such as:

If you've read them, don't hesitate to share your thoughts on these books in the comments! And if you have other novels in mind, I'm curious to discover them!

Imagined stories are fine... but true stories lived by real travelers are better! I say this with a sense of humor because, in the end, I love both styles equally. However, I find that travel accounts have the advantage of presenting a real story, but not necessarily easily believable: which reconnects us with the world of possibilities! Many of these travelers have lived incredible adventures that everyone predicted to be impossible... and yet they did it!

Here are some travel accounts in which I found joy immersing myself... And there are so many! Because no, there's not only On the Road by Kerouac!

Africa Trek is the first adventure by Alexandre Poussin that came my way... And what an adventure! A 3-year walk, as a couple, across Africa, brilliantly recounted in two hefty volumes (Africa Trek - Volume 1: From Cape to Kilimanjaro, Africa Trek - Volume 2: From Kilimanjaro to the Sea of Galilee). This author is primarily a great traveler, who lived his first great adventures with Sylvain Tesson, with whom he co-authored two books: Walking in the Sky and We Rolled on Earth.

How can we talk about one without talking about the other? After introducing you to Alexandre Poussin, it's Sylvain Tesson's turn, whose writing I also greatly appreciate along with his travel philosophy. I fell under the charm of his book In the Forests of Siberia (which has nothing to do, or almost, with the movie): some passages are so poignant, so powerful... Once you discover this author, it's hard to let go! Other reading ideas: The Wolf's Axis, Berezina, Geography of the Instant, Surrender to Living.

Let's make room for women! Because no, travel and adventure are not exclusively masculine. Sarah Marquis is a woman who impresses with the challenges she undertakes wholeheartedly, like the one recounted in Wild by Nature: From Siberia to Australia, 3 years of extreme walking in solitude. Another inspiring read is High-Altitude Deserts, where Sarah sets out on foot to conquer the Andes, from Chile to Peru.

We shift completely in style with this book, How to Travel Alone When You Are Short, Blonde, and Adventurous: a title and cover that caught my attention without fully convincing me... And yet, it was a pleasant surprise! The first pages quickly reassured me: with humor and energy, Katia describes her (my) adventures around the world, wanting to demonstrate (if it is still necessary) that yes, women can travel alone!

Is it still necessary to introduce this modern-day adventurer? Not being a fan of reality television, I discovered him through an account of one of his wild adventures: a trip around the world on an Equator, Latitude Zero. Also read from the same author: Conqueror of the Impossible and Extreme Adventurer.

Ludo, a traveler I had the pleasure of meeting several times... and yet it took me years before I dove into his book The World in Hitchhiking: Five Years at the School of Life. The saddest part? Reaching the end of the last page: you come away as if from a great journey, filled with gratitude and nostalgia, with the impression of saying goodbye to a friend.

I have already spoken to you about other travel accounts in the article > with stories from travelers, as a couple or a family, traveling on foot, by boat, or by bike to explore the world.

And many other tales call to me, some of which are already comfortably settled on my bedside table or in my e-reader for some time now!

Here are some additional ideas:

What to call this category? Some of these books start with a travel narrative, an experience, and then diverge to share reflections on the world, life... and travel.

In this style, travelers often quote A Small Treatise on the Immensity of the World by Sylvain Tesson or The Use of the World by Nicolas Bouvier, so these are other books I would like to discuss!

Walk Forward, I recommend it to all travelers: a condensed volume of common sense, practical advice, and also lovely thoughts stemming from walking and traveling.

Murderous Identities is a book that should be in every hand, one that should be among reference books in school... And in my e-reader awaits Samarcande that I can't wait to start, perhaps during my next trip.

I discovered this author thanks to a TED video on the therapeutic effect of travel and immediately connected with this character! He plays with labels and categories, skillfully managing language and ideas while promoting travel as a tool for personal knowledge and understanding of the world, tolerance, and encounters. What more could one ask for? Since then, I have read one of his books: In Praise of Travel for Autistic People and Those Who Are Not Autistic Enough. Discover more from this author: Travels in Autistan: Chronicles from the Notebooks of the World and I Am to the East!.

You must be able to appreciate the biting tone and pointed humor of the author, but the Unusual Variations on Travel offers some amusing and interesting reflections.

Can one travel while staying at home? A question that drives these traveling writers to seek the essence of travel in this book, The Invention of Travel. A fine array of travelers including Sylvain Tesson, Gilles Lapouge, Bernard Ollivier, Isabelle Autissier, Pierre Rabhi, Christian Bobin, Alexis Jenni, Marie-Édith Laval, Olivier Bleys, Kenneth White, Paolo Rumiz, Cédric Gras, David Le Breton, Tristan Savin, Bernard Hermann, Bruno Doucey, Blaise Hofmann, and Gaële de La Brosse.

One of my most beautiful discoveries in recent months! Adventure: What for? is a collective work written by Sylvain Tesson alongside Tristan Savin, Olivier Frébourg, Laurent Joffrin, Olivier Archambeau, Jean-Christophe Rufin, Bruno Corty, Martin Hirsch, Gérard Chaliand, and Patrice Franceschi: passionate men of travel and adventure in all its forms who gathered to answer this big question: what is the purpose of adventure?

On my list, I noted many titles that I haven't had the time to read, such as:

Is this a current trend? Since the famous Eat, Pray, Love, books of this genre have been multiplying. They usually present a character (often a woman) who thought she had it all and then loses everything or realizes that the life she leads is not the one she dreams of... and sets off on a quest for self-discovery, often an initiatory journey that is as much internal as external.

I've read very few because I find we often fall into the same patterns, and at times, some of these books are disguised self-help manuals that rehash the same theories behind sometimes awkward dialogues with the > of the book.

But this theme of travel and psychology or personal development greatly interests me, so I decided to share some reading ideas with you.

The Man Who Wanted to Be Happy takes us to Bali to meet an old healer... and himself. Discover more from the same author: The Day I Learned to Live, The Gods Always Travel Incognito, The Philosopher Who Wasn't Wise.

This psychiatrist author of several books invites us to follow Hector, a Parisian psychiatrist, through the twists and turns of his life across multiple volumes. The very first one caught my attention a lot: Hector's Journey or the Search for Happiness (from which a film is based). Also read: The New Journey of Hector: In Pursuit of Time that Passes, Hector Wants to Change His Life.

This author and coach invites us to follow, in her book Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One, Camille, her heroine, guided by a strange specialist: a routinesologist!

My opinion on the book Tomorrow is Another Day is quite mixed (I will elaborate further in the article reserved for travel and personal development books), but it's a beautiful figure of style for this category.

Replay is a novel quite different from the previous ones, which almost justifies its place in this section! One follows a man caught in an endless loop forcing him to relive his life over and over again. A bit of science fiction that changes up from the typical romantic novels.

Thanks to you, this list continues to grow! Here are your suggestions received for travel books, proposed in the comments: still beautiful adventures on the horizon through the pages... Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments, they will contribute to this list!

Books for escapism come in all tastes, styles, and moods... And what I love most is moving from one world to another, from one author to another, and from one journey to another. The world is vast and varied, and travel literature is a reflection of that!

So happy travels to all!

And, above all, don't hesitate to contribute to this list of travel books in the comments, whether it's with your thoughts on a particular book or new reading ideas! Thank you for your help!