5 Travel Books that Change Your Wanderings Forever

Starting this Roads and Destinations’ book club with 5 travel books that guarantee to change your wanderings forever.

^{Last updated: November 4, 2021}

Top 5 Travel Books that Change Your Wanderings Forever

I started traveling a long time ago and have been on the road ever since. My first travels, though, looked very different from typical road trips, bus and train adventures, or even escapes to faraway destinations. I experienced all of these and much more through pages of hundreds of travel books.

I’ve always been a voracious reader and perused everything that came my way. The travel books, however, have been my absolute favorite. Over the years, the real voyages slowly sneaked into my life. But the books still remain one of my biggest loves that teach, entertain, and let me dream.

I regularly carry a novel or biography in my purse. A few times a month, a couple of good travel books traverse with me everywhere I go. Today I’d like to share five of my favorite travel reads. If you are looking for an interesting, yet educational book, here are a few travel books that have changed the way I travel forever.

TRAVEL BOOKS THAT PROMISE TO CHANGE YOUR WANDERINGS FOREVER

The World is Our Classroom by Cindy Ross

The World is Our Classroom changes not only your travels, but also the wanderings of your entire family. I finished reading this book about a week ago and became completely convinced that traveling brings extraordinary benefits to your kids, especially during their forming years.

In this nature and travel guide, the author Cindy Ross reminiscences on some of her family’s most memorable adventurous. The World is our Classroom includes numerous stories of two parents leading their young children through the most unusual experiences and places.

Their family lifelong adventures started in the Rocky Mountains wilderness and took them all over the world. Throughout their travels, Cindy and her husband taught the kids about the world, nature, and history, using real life experiences. The World is our Classroom is a perfect travel book for anybody looking for untraditional ways to raise the kids.

Eat Pray Love  by Elizabeth Gilbert

Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia is one of the best travel books for those who decide to take time off to travel the world to find themselves and change their wanderings along the way.

In this memoir, Elizabeth Gilbert narrates about her adventures across Europe and Asia that took place shortly after her divorce. Along with ever-changing addresses, the author goes through serious life-altering events and experiences.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

A small town girl from a poor family dreamed of a big city and couldn’t wait to get out of the place she grew up… The beginning of this memoir made me question why I’d picked up this book in the first place. Another story of poor to middle-class American family didn’t meet any requirements for the travel books that promised to change your wanderings.

But the more I read it, the more I was becoming interested in the voyages of the main character, Amanda. I secretly envied her courage and determination to travel the world until she had reached Somalia, her most difficult and dreadful experience ever.

On her fourth day in the country, Amanda was kidnapped and held hostage for 460 days. The young woman remembered and described every detail of horrors she went through in captivity. Only an imaginary house in the sky that she returned to over and over again helped her survive all those nightmares.

This memoir certainly found its permanent place among my favorite travel books in our home library. A House in the Sky  taught me to put safety above all other things when traveling and exploring the world.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist is a travel story about Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, who backpacks to Egypt in search of treasure. He doesn’t find any gold or silver. What he discovers, though, surpasses all his expectations and changes his outlook on life forever. Santiago learns to follow his heart, understand love, and master the meaning of life.

The Alchemist is a great travel book for everybody who dares to chase his or her dreams and overcome a fear of the future.

Paris Letters by Janice Macleod

Janice, an American young woman on the verge of burnout, sells all her belongings and travels to Europe. A few days after her bold move, she meets Christophe and decides to reside with him in Paris.

Some time later, Janice realizes that she can’t return to her previous corporate job. Instead she turns to writing and art that lead to the creation of Paris Letters. This  travel book teaches you to embrace unknown, learn to trust yourself, and believe that in the end everything will be all right.

Check out more travel books here.