I like traveling and I like road trips – wanderlust is one of the reasons that I came up with a travel bucket list and am on a quest to visit every county in the United States. I also enjoy reading books and thought I would share 14 of the best travel books to inspire your own wanderlust. Obviously there are thousands if not millions of wanderlust / road trip / travel books, and it’s nearly impossible to pick the “best” travel books so these are not necessarily in any order – and what I consider some of the best travel books may not work for you. I picked wanderlust books that I’ve read personally as well as books that others have recommended. I have attempted to not just rehash everyone else’s list but come up with some unique travel books as well. Consider it some wanderlust book inspiration! 🙂

Top 6 best travel books

Here are some of the best travel books I’ve read or been recommended

Around the World in 50 Years: My Adventure to Every Country on Earth by Albert Podell – this was the book that for me inspired this list of top travel books. Not only does Podell share his story of visiting literally every country in the world, he does it in an incredibly humorous way. As I read this book, my wife kept looking over at me and wondering why I kept laughing! Briefly mentioned in the book is the story of Podell’s motor vehicle circumnavigation of the world in 1963, which is covered more in-depth in Who Needs a Road?: The Story of the Longest and Last Motor Journey Around the World

No list of the best travel books could be complete without possibly the original wanderlust book – On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Written and originally published in 1951, it was inspired by Kerouac’s adventures with his friend Neil Cassady. The two men’s cross-country trips have inspired generations of travelers to get out and see what’s out there!

Moving from non-fiction into novels, The Tears of Dark Water by Corban Addison is a story involving Daniel Parker and his troubled son Quentin, circumnavigating the world by sailboat. Mixed into this story is a subplot involving Ismail Adan Ibrahim, searching for his missing sister Yasmin and going against everything he was brought up to believe in by engaging in piracy off the coast of Somalia. How these 2 plots intersect and resolve makes for a truly interesting and engaging story

I’ve always enjoyed Chris Guillebeau’s story, and his book titled The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life was one that really captivated me. Guillebeau set out to visit every country by age 35, and the story(ies!) of how he managed to do it is one that is likely to inspire you to go after your dreams. Or maybe I’m just a sucker for “checking things off lists” stories! 🙂

The Other Side of Heaven by John Groberg details the true story of Groberg’s 3 years as a Mormon missionary in Tonga. Originally titled “In the Eye of the Storm”, it was also made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Christopher Gorham (which I also enjoyed). Starting off with the 19 year old Groberg abandoned in Suva, Fiji – stuck between a boat captain insisting he leave the ship and a Fijian immigration officer that wouldn’t let him leave, this is a classic coming of age story.

Mileage Maniac by Steve Belkin, who is one of the original miles and points people. It all started in November 1988 when he convinced 23 of his friends to all fly roundtrip flights over Thanksgiving under the name “Steve Belkin” in order to take advantage of a United Airlines triple miles promotion.

And, here are a few more of the best travel books that might inspire your next road trip

Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks by Ken Jennings
To The Ends Of The Earth: The Selected Travels Of Paul Theroux by Paul Theroux
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card (what can I say, in addition to being a sucker for “checking off lists”, I’m a sucker for time travel books too 🙂
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson. Bryson of course has ton of good travel books
Vagabonding An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts
1000 Places to see before you die (revised 2nd edition) by Patricia Schultz
Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert
1000 Places to see before you die (revised 2nd edition) by Patricia Schultz
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders – Atlas Obscura is one of my go-to sites before a roadtrip – read my full review of the book here

What are your recommendations for the best travel books out there? Leave your suggestions in the comments

This site is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as thepointsguy.com. This may impact how and where links appear on this site. Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers and that compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own, and have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by my advertising partners and I do not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers and other offers and benefits listed on this page. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Other links on this page may also pay me a commission - as always, thanks for your support if you use them

User Generated Content Disclosure: Points With a Crew encourages constructive discussions, comments, and questions. Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. These responses have not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.

10 Comments

Eileen Kerrigan on December 11, 2016 at 8:03 am

This one’s a bit off the wall, but one of my favorites will always be Bill Bryson’s hilarious “Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe” 🙂 I’ve re-read that one probably hundreds of times, and it never fails to leave me gasping in laughter. I can’t even read it on public transportation for fear of embarrassing myself 😀
- pointswithacrew on December 11, 2016 at 2:27 pm
  
  Thanks – I haven’t read much of Bill Bryson’s stuff but I’ve heard good things
Libby on July 16, 2017 at 12:34 pm

Tales of a Female Nomad by Rita Golden Gelman
A Year in Provence – Peter Mayle
Under the Tuscan Sun – Frances Mayes
- Martin Henner on December 13, 2023 at 3:44 pm
  
  yes, a super selection
Robin Joseph on October 15, 2017 at 2:28 pm

No travel list is even remotely complete without Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon!!
jerry on March 27, 2018 at 11:10 am

The Motorcycle Diaries is a memoir that traces the early travels of Marxist revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara, then a 23-year-old medical student, and his friend Alberto Granado, a 29-year-old biochemist. Leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina, in January 1952 on the back of a sputtering single cylinder 1939 Norton 500cc dubbed La Poderosa (“The Mighty One”), they desired to explore the South America they only knew from books.

Not a political statement from me. I enjoyed going for the ride with them.
Firm Doc on March 27, 2018 at 12:22 pm

“Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life” by William Finnegan
(Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography)
What an awesome read.
Christian on March 27, 2018 at 3:38 pm

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Dan O on December 16, 2022 at 9:55 am

Travels with Charley by Steinbeck.
Claire on December 14, 2023 at 10:17 pm

Leave only foot prints by Conor Knighton. a more recent one to add to the list. and to Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon, I’ll add Riverhorse.
To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins and
The Sun in is a Compass by Caroline Van Hemert to add a woman to the list.