18 Books to Fuel Your Wanderlust

If you suffer from acute wanderlust, and you're constantly trying to find ways to fit another trip into your schedule, then you might be addicted to traveling. No matter where the wind blows you, it's good to bring a good book along for the ride — one that will inspire you, challenge you, and make you even more excited about every new adventure. Here are 18 books, both fiction and nonfiction, that will get you in the mood to jet off to another new place, as if you needed any more convincing!

01
The Geography of Bliss

The Geography of Bliss

A humorous account of an unhappy author's journey from America to Italy and Iceland, The Geography of Bliss is a travel book that gives insight into where happiness can really be found.

02
36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA and Canada

36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA and Canada

Based on the popular newspaper column, 36 Hours is a perfect road trip guidebook.

03
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

Recently adapted to a film starring Reese Witherspoon, Wild explores a woman's difficult path through the wilderness as she confronts her drug addiction, divorce, and mother's death.

04
On the Road

On the Road

Few accounts of the American Beat Generation hold a candle to Jack Kerouac's colorful depiction of his own experiences, when he was On the Road.

05
Born to Run

Born to Run

Born to Run details the journey of an extremely devoted athlete who sets out to uncover secrets from a tribe of people in Mexico rumored to be experts on the art of running.

06
Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love

In Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, a recently divorced woman in search of happiness embarks on a trip to Italy, India, and Bali to find herself.

07
Into Thin Air

Into Thin Air

Into Thin Air is a gut-wrenching account of author Jon Krakauer's climb up, and perilous descent down, Mount Everest.

08
How to Travel the World on $50 a Day

How to Travel the World on $50 a Day

Want to travel the world, but don't want to come back home completely broke? Read How to Travel the World on $50 a Day to get some tips.

09
A Year in Provence

A Year in Provence

In his memoir A Year in Provence, Peter Mayle gives a funny and thoughtful account of each month of his life during the year he lived in a 200-year-old farmhouse in a small French town.

10
The 4-Hour Work Week

The 4-Hour Work Week

If you want to find ways to travel more often, take some advice from The 4-Hour Work Week, a step-by-step guide to making money, quitting your 9-to-5, and traveling more.

11
L'Affaire

L'Affaire

In Diane Johnson's L'Affaire, a wealthy Silicon Valley girl goes to France in search of glamour, sophistication, and romance.

12
The Lost Girls

The Lost Girls

In Jennifer Baggett's The Lost Girls, three friends in their early 30s are unexpectedly forced to reevaluate their lives and decide to deal with it by taking a trip across four continents.

13
Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel

Rolf Potts, author of Vagabonding, advises fellow travelers on the importance of making time to take trips and gives tips on how best to experience the world in a way that's right for you.

14
The Beach

The Beach

A group of young people seek out a mysterious beach while on a trip to Thailand. The Beach, made into a movie in 2000 starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is a thriller with an unexpected twist.

15
Travels With Charley: In Search of America

Travels With Charley: In Search of America

John Steinbeck's travelogue, Travels With Charley, depicts a 1960 road trip that he made across America with his dog Charley.

16
Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips

Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips

With page after page of beautiful photos and accounts from National Geographic's own travel writers, Journeys of a Lifetime is a useful collection of advice on where to take a trip you aren't likely to forget.

17
Into the Wild

Into the Wild

Into the Wild is a vivid and thought-provoking look into the mind of a young man searching for peace in the heart of the Alaskan wilderness.

18
Seven Years in Tibet

Seven Years in Tibet

In Seven Years in Tibet, an Austrian mountaineer escapes a British internment camp in India, crosses the Himalayas, and finds solace in a remote village.