Have you ever gotten the urge to just pack your bag and get away from it all? Even just for a few days?
We get it. We’ve been there, too. And we know that more often than not, our personal and/or professional obligations render these last-minute getaway ideas wishful thinking. While we might not be able to literally escape, we turn quite often to our favorite figurative escape from the daily grind: books.
It’s no secret that books offer a temporary reprieve from everyday life. Not only do they let us revisit some of our favorite places, but they also inspire us to expand our horizons and travel to new places, especially those in which the cities play just as much of a starring role as the characters.
Can’t make it to Paris? Follow the Rose Line to Saint Sulpice Church with Robert Langdon. Longing for an exotic adventure? Navigate the Congo River with Charles Marlow. That trip to the Irish capital just isn’t in the cards? Stroll the streets of Dublin alongside two loutish “gallants”. Not able to answer London’s calling? Race to platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross with Harry and his friends. Is the Russian visa too much of a hassle? Experience Saint Petersburg through the eyes of the polarizing Rodion Raskolnikov. Perhaps you might even feel inspired to plan that next trip.
What better motivation is for plowing through your routine than having your next flight booked? We can’t think of one. So, with that in mind, we’ve mapped out 205 books set in over 550 spectacular locations around the world to inspire you to get traveling.