Travel books are such a pleasure to look at! Travel guides from the most popular series can be found at the library: Fodor’s, Frommer’s, Rough Guides, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet. These are updated fairly frequently, and cover common tourist destinations. They are great for finding out about hotels, restaurants and attractions in a geographical location. Often, they include succinct histories of an area, maps, and transportation information.
A different kind of travel guide has emerged recently — a type that is more aspirational in nature. Studies show that the No. 1 item on most bucket lists is travel-related, so why not capitalize on that with targeted travel guides? Whatever your interests, there is probably a guidebook tailored for you.
Let me share some examples:
- “150 Spas You Need to Visit before You Die” by Devorah Lev-Tov (2024)
n“Fifty Places to Travel Solo: Travel Experts Share the World’s Greatest Solo Destinations” by Chris Santella (2024). The Fifty Places guidebooks also include paddling, golfing, diving, camping, hiking, birding, and traveling with your dog.
- “Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders” by Joshua Foer (2019)
- “A Haunted Road Atlas: Sinister Stops, Dangerous Destinations, and True Crime Tales” by Christine Shiefer (2022) On order is Volume 2, titled “A Haunted Road Atlas: Next Stop,” just published in 2024. These are from the podcast “And That’s Why We Drink.”
- “Official Guide to the Smithsonian” by the Smithsonian Institution (2021)
- “The World’s Most Romantic Destinations: 50 Dreamy Getaways, Private Retreats and Enchanting Places to Celebrate Love” by Abbie Kozolchyk (2017)
- “The Best Places for Everything” by Peter Greenberg (2012)
- “The Lunatic Express: Discovering the World – Via Its Most Dangerous Buses, Boats, Trains and Planes” by Carl Hoffman (2010)
And then, of course, there are travel books about imaginary locations, or places that resemble those described in books, such as:
