No Flight Required: Books That Will Transport You To A New Place

They say that travel is the only thing you can buy that will make you richer. While this is very valid, there are many times when we are simply unable to travel, for a myriad of reasons. Money is the main culprit but so are jobs, responsibilities, and sometimes global pandemics. However, there’s still a great and affordable way to experience new places: books. There are plenty of travel and travel related books out there, but these are some of our favorites.

On The Road

Jack Kerouac’s classic 1957 novel is an iconic one from the Beat Generation that tells the timeless tale of being young, confused, and just getting on the road to try to figure it all out. The book tells the story of Sal, who is strongly based on Kerouac himself, leaving New York City and traveling around the country. Madness ensure, along with colorful characters and heartbreaking moments.

Eat Pray Love

Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love became an instant classic. In this memoir, she tells the story of her painful and messy divorce that led her to a complete breakdown. She eventually decided she will travel to three places to figure out her life: in Italy she will eat, in India she will pray, and in Bali she will love.

Wild

Wild is Cheryl Strayed’s beautifully written story of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for 1100 miles all by herself. Her journey of self-discovery and confronting her painful past is gripping and will keep you hooked from the first page up until the last. You will feel like you’re hiking alongside Strayed the whole time.

The Great Railway Bazaar

Paul Theroux’s book recounts his four month experience in 1973 traveling by train from London to Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, as well as his return trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Theroux explored colonialism and imperialism, poverty, as well as ignorance throughout the book, which is often deemed to be a classic in the travel writing world.

The Caliph’s House

This book is by author Tahir Shah, whose experience of vacationing in Morocco throughout his childhood led him to move with his family from London to Casablanca. His writing is rich and engrossing and tells an incredibly enthralling story of their time living there.