If you’re anything like myself you need very little excuse to crack out your passport and book a trip. I recently just returned home from some time spent volunteering in Mexico; and I’m already planning my next trip!
My final year at university starts in September, so money is pretty tight. Every time I open Google and start searching for cheap flights, there’s an annoying little voice in the back of my head, asking how can I justify the spend when I’ve got bills to pay; I’m not the only one, right?
Well, my friends, that annoying little voice is called Reason, but who actually wants to listen to Reason? The books on this list will inspire you to bypass that voice and just book it!
1. On The Road by Jack Kerouac
I think this will make its way on to any list of books inspiring travel. It’s a classic. Kerouac uses Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty as the vehicle to tell the story about his own travels across America. This is without a doubt my favorite book of all time, it always gets me in the mood for a good trip!
Source: Amazon
2. The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac
So as you might have guessed, I have a bit of a thing for Kerouac’s writing! Again, he uses the characters in this novel to tell an embellished account of his own life in the years after writing On The Road.
Kerouac writes a lot about nature and hiking in this one, reading this always inspires me to crack out my walking boots and a tent; not all trips have to be expensive!
Source: Amazon
3. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Arguably a bit of a curve ball, number 3 on the list is a well-known classic. I actually hadn’t read this one until quite recently, a fact I’m a little bit ashamed of! The story focuses on a band of pirates in the pursuit of buried treasure, but it’s told through the eyes of young man leaving home for the first time.
Source: Amazon
4. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
Another favorite author of mine, Orwell’s first full-length work tells the story of being down on your luck in two of the most iconic cities of the world. Based, to some degree, on real events from his life, Orwell takes us on a journey of living in poverty in the early 20th Century. The narrative focuses on the side of both cities that you wouldn’t see on a usual holiday.
Source: Amazon
5. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
This was written by Steinbeck whilst he was on a road trip with his dog (who doesn’t love a good roadtrip?). The inspiration for this novel was a desire to see his country one last time before dying; proving that travel can be one of the most healing and important adventures one can have.
Source: Amazon
All of these great books get me in the mood to dust off my suitcase and book a plane or bus somewhere! Do you have any others you’d add to this list? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
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Featured image via The Odyssey Online
