Are you looking for a good travel book to get lost in and get transported to another country? Here are 28 of our favorite travel books that we’ve read so far.
We’ve traveled to 19 countries as a couple and traveled full-time around the world for four years together. One of our favorite things to do while we’re preparing for a trip or while we’re in a new place is to find and read a book set in that place. We’ve found you’re gifted a new perspective through the eyes and experiences of the author. It feels like you’re learning secrets about this new place and tiny tidbits about a culture you’d never catch on your own. The books below have been our favorites transporting us to new countries, learning about new cultures, and being totally entertained. I’m always looking for books that are so good I can’t put them down, so I share that about the ones I really couldn’t put down below. I love getting lost in a good story! Enjoy being transported from your armchair in one of these travel books we share below:)
Also, if you don’t see your own favorite travel book below, that means we probably haven’t read it yet! Please share it in the comments at the bottom. We’re always looking for another great travel read!
The 30 Best Travel Books We’ve Read (So Far)
Love with a Chance of Drowning
I share this book first because it is my all-time favorite book. I couldn't put it down. Torre is an incredible writer - she had me laughing out loud often and I was on the edge of my seat the entire book with the thought "What's going to happen?? Come on, come on!" The book is about an Australian woman who comes to the US to work and meets a guy that has a dream to sail around the world. She has to decide if she's going to stay in the US, go home, or go around the world with him and she's terrified of the ocean. It's an incredible adventure and you'll feel like you're right there with her the whole way. I've gifted this book to several friends because I've had to share it. I totally recommend this one!
You can find it on Amazon here.
2. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
This is an awesome story of one man’s journey overcoming a tough childhood - losing his mom at a young age and being abandoned by his dad twice - to go to college, join the rowing team, find belonging, and compete for the gold medal at the Berlin Olympics! I read this right before a trip to Seattle and the story transports you to the Pacific Northwest. I couldn’t put this book down! I recommend this one for a good triumphant story.
You can find it on Amazon here.
3. Zorba the Greek
I recommend this book because it’s a classic! This book was gifted to us by friends from Greece and you learn so much about Greek culture in the story. It’s a story of the unlikely friendship and partnership between the low key narrator and the over-the-top, lover of life character, Zorba.
The book description says, “the story of a Greek working man named Zorba, a passionate lover of life, the unnamed narrator who he accompanies to Crete to work in a lignite mine, and the men and women of the town where they settle. On the other hand it is the story of God and man, The Devil and the Saints; the struggle of men to find their souls and purpose in life and it is about love, courage and faith.”
I totally recommend this one for an entertaining read.
You can find it on Amazon here.
4. The Yellow Envelope
This story is really good! It’s a travel memoir of Kim and her husband’s journey of quitting their jobs and traveling the world together. Written from Kim’s perspective, you go with her on a journey of learning about herself and you learn as she travels she becomes uncertain about her relationship with her husband. At one point, they even decide to take off in different directions for their own trips. As a married couple that has traveled to many countries together, we totally understand that travel strains the relationship. One of the biggest parts of their journey is a yellow envelope of money they were gifted before they left home with rules on how to give the money away to people they meet. Along the journey, Kim gains confidence in who she is, gets clarity on her relationship, and learns about the concept of giving - money, herself, her time. It was a great read - I totally recommend it!
You can find it on Amazon here.
5. The Year of Living Danishly
This was a fascinating read on Danish living - one of the happiest countries in the world! We traveled to Denmark and read the book while we were campervanning around visiting cities and regions my family immigrated from in the 1800’s. It was awesome to read this book and learn interesting bits about Danish culture. The author’s husband gets the opportunity to work for Legos in Denmark for a year. The couple moves to Denmark and the author decides to take a year to study Danish culture and how and why Danes are some of the happiest people in the world. The book description says, “From childcare, education, food and interior design to SAD, taxes, sexism and an unfortunate predilection for burning witches, The Year of Living Danishly is a funny, poignant record of a journey that shows us where the Danes get it right, where they get it wrong, and how we might just benefit from living a little more Danishly ourselves.” It was an entertaining read and I totally recommend it!
You can find it on Amazon here.
6. Fragrant Rice: My Continuing Love Affair with Bali
This book is a great read to learn about two cultures coming together. The author is an Australian woman who’s moved to Bali and has started a restaurant. It’s her story of falling in love with a Balinese man and learning to do life together. She also includes recipes throughout the book. When I read the book, we were in Bali and my favorite parts of the story were about their wedding ceremonies and the different traditions practiced. I love reading books about a different culture while you’re in it, because you learn tiny nuances you’d never notice without reading. For example, in the Balinese culture, couples don’t share public displays of affection. So, when the author and her husband had their wedding ceremony in Australia, the pastor said, “You may now kiss the bride,” the author saw her husband freaking out and instead of kissing him, she reached out and shook his hand like a business deal. I laughed out loud because it’s crazy how two cultures collide. It was a fun read to be invited in to a couple’s world coming from two different cultures. I felt I was on the journey with her. It’s a great read!
You can find it on Amazon here.
7. 501 Questions: A Travel Game
Get ready for fun, laughter and good conversation with this game 501 Questions: A Travel Game! This is a must have game to keep on your coffee table, in your luggage, and your car’s glove box. We created this game full of entertaining travel related questions and trivia to stop scrolling our phones and have a fun way to connect with each other. Now, we take it on date nights, to restaurants while we’re waiting, on road trips, around the campfire, when we’re meeting up with friends, and hanging out with family on zoom- they are great for anytime and anywhere!
Camping World’s given it a two thumbs up:
“…highly recommend for your next trip (and all trips!). It’s a fantastic way to start conversations while you’re driving, out on a hike, or hanging around the campground!” -CAMPING WORLD
You can find it on Amazon in paperback and Kindle here.
8. The Little Book of Hygge
I have to include this one, because it sets the stage for getting cozy in winter and reading more. This book teaches you the Danish culture of hygge (pronounced hoo-guh and is the culture of getting cozy inside). Adam and I traveled to Denmark to check out where my family immigrated from and learned about hygge. Now, we call Sundays our "Hygge Days." We try to keep it clear of any plans and stay home, relax, and read. I got this book for Adam last Christmas and read it front to back - I guess it was really my gift:) - and we've implemented a lot of things in here to be intentional about creating a habit and environment that is relaxing and cozy, especially in winter. We've learned to embrace lighting candles, snuggling with a blanket, and sipping on something yummy and warm to drink. Also, Adam is trying to implement baking every weekend too (an idea from another of our favorite books Bringing Up BeBe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting) and our favorite is this scone recipe so we can enjoy them for several days. This book makes for a great coffee table book when you’re done reading it to invite friends and family to flip through it when they’re visiting you. I totally recommend this book.
You can find it on Amazon here.
9. At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe
I love this book and have read it twice (that's rare for me) because it's so inspiring to me. Tsh shares her story of traveling the world with her husband and three kids. She works through the emotions, the overwhelm, the small joyful moments, and how she figures out how to fit in the world as someone who loves to be home in her comfy chair reading but also out in the world on crazy adventures. It’s okay to have both sides to us. The book's description says, "Tsh grapples with the concept of home, as she learns what it means to be lost—yet at home—in the world." I really connect with Tsh and that feeling and I totally recommend this book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
10. A Rumor of War
Wow - Lieutenant Caputo takes you into Vietnam and you’re there experiencing the Vietnam War with him. His experience is terrifying and heart wrenching. I read his story in one day while we were traveling in Vietnam. I couldn’t put it down. You go with him into the jungle, into remote villages, and onto the base. Reading his story while being in Vietnam myself, surrounded by the steep terrain he describes made me realize how difficult it was to make any progress during the war.
It was tough to read, but I’m grateful for Lieutenant Caputo sharing his story. I recommend this book.
You can find it on Amazon here.
11. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
We’ve both read Hillbilly Elegy and have shared it with a lot of friends and family. The story leaves you thinking, pondering, and we find ourselves still having conversations about the ideas JD Vance presents in his memoir. It’s a tough story to get through, but I’m grateful to have read it.
This is J.D. Vance’s memoir growing up in Ohio in a tough family where you took care of your own issues with other people including using chains saws. This part of the story sticks with me. J.D. Vance shares his story growing up and in the end shares how we can empower people to reach new opportunities for themselves in life.
It’s a tough and eye-opening read. I recommend it.
You can find it on Amazon here.
12. Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found in the Mississippi Delta
This book gave me culture shock just reading it - because the Mississippi Delta culture Grant describes is so different from what I know. It's a story of a man from New York who decides to leave the city and move to a plantation in the Mississippi Delta with his girlfriend. They're confronted with a crazy new landscape overtaking the house and the yard and a new culture with the neighbors and their lifestyle. The description of the book says, "… their journey of discovery into this strange and wonderful American place. Imagine A Year In Provence with alligators and assassins, or Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil with hunting scenes and swamp-to-table dining." That's totally how I felt! It's fascinating! I remember my jaw dropping reading the first chapter and I was hooked to know more!
You can find it on Amazon here.
13. The Lonely Planet Travel Anthology
Adam found this book because we loved Torre DeRoach’s Love with a Chance of Drowning that I shared earlier. This book is full of short stories from travelers and their experiences around the world. The stories touched my full range of emotions from laughter to crying. Torre’s is the first story and was a hilarious journey from her middle school days. Yes, you get transported back in time and feel the middle school awkwardness! This is a great read if you don’t have a lot of time to sit for awhile. You get good inspiring stories in short bursts.
You can find it on Amazon here.
14. Together Tea
I heard about the author Marjan from a small bookstore in Crested Butte, Colorado and was fascinated by her book Together Tea set in the US and Iran. It’s a story of a mom and daughter who are from Iran but fled to the US because of the war. The story shares the mother and the daughter’s current perspectives and memories from Iran parallel to one another as they figure out their current place in life - the mother trying to arrange her daughter with a suitable husband, something she thought she’d never do - and the daughter - going to business school when she’d rather be pursuing her art.
Both decide to take a trip back to Iran - the daughter to visit where she came from and better understand herself and the mother to revisit home and family. The daughter is surprised with what she finds in Iran- love! It’s a fascinating read of learning how to find belonging, love, self-discovery, family bonds, and Iranian culture. I totally recommend this book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
15. The Giver of Stars
I couldn't put this book down! I read the almost 400 page book in 4 days on one of our camping trips this summer - it's so good and has you on the edge of your seat the whole time! It's a story of an English woman falling in love with a man from Kentucky. She moves across the Atlantic only to be disappointed by what she finds in her new relationship but is saved by becoming part of the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. These women delivered library books into the Kentucky mountains rain, snow, or shine to families who rarely came into town. There are crazy adventures in here and you learn about the culture in the Kentucky mountains. I totally recommend it! The first chapter hooked me and I couldn't put it down!
You can find it on Amazon here.
16. Bringing Up Bebe
This is Adam’s parenting bible. It’s an entertaining and fun read as we prepared to become parents. As Weston’s gotten older, Adam’s returned to the book to remember certain stories and lessons learned. It’s about an American woman who moves to France and has a little girl. She finds herself comparing her young daughter to other French kiddos when her daughter is throwing a tantrum at a restaurant and they want to get out of there and leave right away. The author looks around at the other tables and sees all the other French kids surrounding them were chill and patient at the their tables. This sent her on a curiosity journey of the differences between American parenting and French parenting. What she finds is so interesting and subtle, but seems to make a big difference. Our biggest takeaways from the book were about French parenting practices with sleeping through the night and the small decisions French parents do to grow the skill of patience in their kids. It’s a fun read to learn about French parenting styles and Pamela is a super entertaining writer, too! I totally recommend this book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
17. Finding My Voice - Nadiya Hussain
I am a huge fan of Nadiya’s - her recipes, her Netflix show Time to Eat, and her story! I watched Nadiya’s show on Netflix first, Time to Eat. The way she presented her cooking style for people who want more time with family and uses a can of baked beans to make falafels - so good! - she won me over. I was so curious to know more about her, so I watched the whole season of her show. I tried a ton of her recipes (they’re all yummy!) and they’ve become staples for us. Then, I watched her Great British Bake Show season and saw her grow and gain confidence in her baking. She is awesome and I had to read her book and learn more!
She shares her story in chapters based on all the roles she has in life - daughter, sister, wife, mother, social media handle, etc. I learned a ton about her culture growing up in Britain but being the daughter to parents from Bangladesh. She’s vulnerable with stories of growing up, family life, being in an arranged marriage, her role in her family, and gaining confidence in her baking and cooking. She shares her courage to write a book came from wanting to share a different perspective from an author- a perspective of someone she didn’t have when she was growing up. Go Nadiya, go! You’ve inspired me and I totally recommend this read, and her Netflix show Time to Eat, and her recipes, and her Great British Bake Off season win! You can see I’m a big fan!
You can find Nadiya’s book on Amazon here.
18. Just a Little Run Around the World: 5 Years, 3 Packs of Wolves and 53 Pairs of Shoes
Adam met the author Rosie on the side of the road on her journey. Literally! She was resting on the side of the road on her daily walk with her pull behind trailer. Crazy! She had a few copies of her book and shared a copy with Adam. Her book did not disappoint!
The first chapter was terrifying- she’s out in the middle of the Arctic and a wolf pops his head through her tent! What?! She keeps going and makes her away around the world! It’s her journey of taking on the big challenge of running around the world raising money for her husband she had just lost from cancer. The book description says, “Followed by wolves, knocked down by a bus, confronted by bears, chased by a naked man with a gun and stranded with severe frostbite, Rosie's breathtaking 20,000-mile solo journey is as gripping as it is inspiring.” I totally agree and I totally recommend this read!
You can find it on Amazon here.
19. Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure
This is a fascinating read about the power of India! I haven’t traveled to India yet, but Adam has. I’ve heard visitors either come away either loving their experience or hating it. This woman’s story with the country is an entertaining read! It’s about a woman who travels India when she’s young and is overwhelmed by what she encounters. She’s eager to leave and as she’s leaving, a man prophesies that she’ll be back. She replies with, “Never!” Well, never say never.
She finds herself years later returning to India and the book description says, “Macdonald’s often hilarious chronicle of her adventures in a land of chaos and contradiction, of encounters with Hinduism, Islam and Jainism, Sufis, Sikhs, Parsis and Christians and a kaleidoscope of yogis, swamis and Bollywood stars. From spiritual retreats and crumbling nirvanas to war zones and New Delhi nightclubs, it is a journey that only a woman on a mission to save her soul, her love life—and her sanity—can survive.” It’s an entertaining read!
You can find it on Amazon here.
20. The Island
This was a fascinating read! I read it while we were in Greece. The story is the journey of several generations of women in a family and their stories being connected to a Greek island where lepers were sent. One of the women in the family was sent there in WWII. It was a fascinating read to learn the historical aspect of leper colonies, what it was like for German soldiers to occupy your town during the war, what it was like to be isolated from your family at any age because you had leprosy, and learning more about Greek culture.
You can find it on Amazon here.
21. Greek Expectations: The Last Moussaka Standing
We were living in Athens, Greece for several months and I was looking for fun reads to learn more about the Greek culture, especially a woman’s role in the family. I had noticed the women we were meeting seemed to carry a lot of responsibilities - cooking, cleaning, working, the finances. I wanted to learn more. I found this story of Ekaterina who grew up swearing she would never be stuck in the kitchen like the women before her seemed to be. Then she found herself married to a man from a traditional Greek family with expectations of her to take on traditional roles as a wife. The book description says, she found herself, “battling against the stale old laws of Greek tradition. Part memoir, part rant, part survival guide, this book is a God-send for all those tormented by guilt-inducing mother-in-laws, pandofla-wielding grandfathers, and oppressively hairy husbands.” Ekaterina is a super entertaining writer! I totally recommend this book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
22. Hard Country: A Golden Bay Life
I randomly met the author Robin outside a library in New Zealand before she was about to have an event about her book Hard Country: A Golden Bay Life. I decided to listen in and heard her share stories from the book. She had us all rolling with the crazy adventures her, her husband, and her kids had on their sheep farm in Golden Bay in New Zealand and her later travels around the world that her writing led her on. Her story giving up everything with her husband to start a sheep farm in Golden Bay was inspirational and I came away with great respect for all farmers trying to tame the land. It takes grit and determination to farm in New Zealand and it’s an amazing story of resiliency, creativity, and perseverance. I truly recommend this story to be transported to life on a farm in New Zealand.
You can find it on Amazon here.
PS. Did you know theirs estimated to be more sheep in New Zealand than people? It’s believed to be six sheep to every person in the country. You can find more fun trivia like this in our game 501 Questions: A Travel Game to have fun on all of your upcoming adventures! You can get it on Amazon here.
23. A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants
When we were traveling in Thailand, a friend suggested we read this book. One of our favorite things to do when we travel somewhere new is to read a book set in that country. By observing your new surroundings and then reading a story from someone else’s point of view, you learn so much about the culture! While we were in Thailand, we saw a lot of monks in their orange robes. I remember one time seeing ten young monks at a coffee shop all with their smart phones out. This was super surprising to me - monks with smart phones - and I wanted to learn more about this practice. This story is about a young college kid from the US who’s mom was from Thailand. He decides to travel to Thailand and become a Buddhist monk. You’re taken by the hand right alongside him into the experience of becoming a monk. The process of becoming a monk and duration of your practice was surprising to me. If you’re curious about this, I totally recommend this read!
You can find it on Amazon here.
24. Mekong: A Fantastic Adventure About the Search for MIAs and Lost Treasure in Laos
This book was suggested to us by a friend in Thailand while we were traveling there. It was a fascinating read to get sucked into the story and learn about superstitions, beliefs, myths, and culture around the Mekong River and it’s guardian, the naga (the big scary serpents you see everywhere including the architecture at temples.) If you want a good read and you’re curious about Thailand, Laos, and the superstitions around nagas, I totally recommend this book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
25. Around the World in 80 Trains
Monisha is awesome! Before she gets married, she decides to travel around the world by train and her fiance, Jem, decides to go along with her. We took this book on a camping trip and Adam read it so fast and then I followed suite. This book is a memoir of Monisha and her fiance’s travels by train - as the self proclaimed “rare young people” on the trains. She reminded me of the charm and unique adventure of traveling my train. You go slower. You have the time and mental space to relax, read, watch the countryside go by, and dream. You get stuck (for good or for worse) in carriages with interesting characters and you learn fascinating life stories of all kinds because you have the time to slow down and talk. Monisha has inspired me to add the cross-country Canadian train journey on my bucket list. She also shares her experience touring North Korea by train. I totally recommend this book for a different type of travel book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
26. Life From Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness
This story is incredible. Sasha Martin is a food blogger and she shares about her adventure taking on the challenge of trying to cook one meal from every country. Throughout her journey, she shares the pressures from her growing blog following, the challenge of finding ingredients, getting sick from foreign ingredients and trying to keep up with normal life and this journey she set out on. She also shares how her cooking journey brings up tough parts of her childhood and past that she works through. It was a good story! If you like cooking and trying food from other cultures, I recommend this book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
27. The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane
I found this gem in a Little Free Library and it was an awesome read! It's another long one I couldn't put down. It's the story of a Chinese mother and daughter's individual journeys trying to find one another after the mother gave her daughter up for adoption and the hard situation she was in. As she gave her daughter away, she included a symbol of where she was from. It's a compelling story that keeps you wondering, "Will they find each other?" Along their journeys, you learn a ton about Chinese and tea culture and traditions. I highly recommend this book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
28. On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through the Land of the Nomads
Adam read this story and it’s still one of his favorites. We traveled full-time as nomads for four years and I’m sure we have some years ahead of us we’ll take off and do the same type of travel in the future. I asked Adam why this book is one of his favorites and he said it’s because the story affirmed, validated, and encouraged his desire to be nomadic - it’s been part of the human experience for thousands of years. People have been nomadic to survive the changing seasons to find food for themselves and their animals. Since we found ourselves traveling to warmer weather while we traveled out of our backpacks and campervanned full-time, Adam felt he could relate.
The book description shares the story is a memoir of Tim Cope’s, “travel on horseback across the entire length of the Eurasian steppe, from Karakorum, the ancient capital of Mongolia, through Kazakhstan, Russia, Crimea and the Ukraine to the Danube River in Hungary. From horse-riding novice to spending months in the saddle, he learnt to fend off wolves and would-be horse-thieves, and grapple with the haunting extremes of the steppe as he crossed sub-zero plateaux, the scorching deserts of Kazakhstan and the high-mountain passes of the Carpathians.” The story shares about the nomadic way of life he encountered and the hospitality he received.
Adam totally recommends this book!
You can find it on Amazon here.
29. 2,000 Miles Together: The Story of the Largest Family to Hike the Appalachian Trail
If you need inspiration to travel or take on adventures as a family, I totally recommend this book! I got it for Adam as a Christmas gift and he devoured the book in two days and then immediately watched the Crawford Family’s YouTube documentary of their Appalachian Trail (AT) hike. Then, I started reading it every night before bed. I did take breaks from the book because parts of their journey were stressful and I would have been having meltdowns every few hours if I were in Kami’s shoes. However, I kept coming back because their story is incredible. As parents, Ben and Kami had to make tough decisions in tough moments. But, if the Crawford Family of two parents and six kids can hike for five months together as a family, then we can accomplish our dreams of travel and adventure as a family of three. I admire the family for all they accomplished individually and together and for having the courage to share their journey even with all the online criticism they received (you’ll read about this in the book.) I can’t say I want to hike the AT as a family after reading their story, but they inspire me to keep working toward our dream of biking the Euro Velo 6 as a family.
You can find the book on Amazon here.
30. Wild Mama: One Woman’s Quest to Live Her Best Life, Escape Traditional Parenthood, and Travel the World
I totally recommend Wild Mama for adventurous moms and dads no matter where you are in your parenthood journey. Carrie takes you on her journey from the newborn days to several years in as a parent and her journey of remembering her adventurous self before kiddos to learning who she is and wants to be as a mom and wife. Through sharing her solo, couple, and family travels and adventures as a mom, she taught and reminded me to prioritize this part of myself, take time to make plans to have adventures, and follow through even when it would be easier to stay at home. The work of packing and prepping is worth it! Her inspiration got me out skiing with Weston for our first time when it would have been easier to stay cozy inside. I totally recommend this book as great inspiration for what’s possible individually and as a couple to still have fun adventures when you’re a parent.
You can find Wild Mama on Amazon here.
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Have Fun Conversations on Every Trip!
Want to unplug and connect with the people your with? Need fun new things to talk about? Make the time fly with our game 501 Questions: A Travel Game full of entertaining conversation starters and travel trivia!
“…highly recommend for your next trip (and all trips!). It’s a fantastic way to start conversations while you’re driving, out on a hike, or hanging around the campground!” -CAMPING WORLD