Good travel books

It can be difficult to find the time or finances to go travelling. Fortunately, lots of people have written some great books on their travel experiences, so we can live vicariously through them!

These are some of my favourites - most of them are in some form motorbike-related. This was entirely accidental. Also, I’m not in any way affiliated with any of them, but if the authors would like to send me a cheque I am willing to accept donations.

Neither Here, Nor There; Travels in Europe

Written by Bill Bryson and, as the title implies, deals with his travels in Europe. I really recommend all of his books, but I’m limiting myself to this one as it served as inspiration for some of my recent travels.

He’s a fantastic writer and some of his tales are very funny indeed. It probably shouldn’t be used as a guide to plan a modern-day European trip though, as it was originally published in 1991. Some of it is still useful however, and it, along with his other books are definitely worth a read.

You can get this on Amazon here.

Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road

This is, by and large, a really sad read. Written by Neil Peart (drummer of the band Rush) in the aftermath of losing his daughter and then his wife, it details how he set out travelling on his motorbike on what he called the “Healing Road”.

It’s a really thought-provoking book; if there’s a specific reason in your life that’s making you want to travel, then there’s a lot in here that will resonate with you. The last half probably contains a few too many of the letters he sent but it’s still a good read even if you’re not a fan of the band.

You can get this on Amazon here.

Jupiter’s Travels

Probably my favourite of all the ones I’ve chosen here, this is Ted Simon’s account of his four years travelling the world on his motorbike, a Triumph Tiger 100. He comes across as a very sensible, down-to-earth guy who manages to get through some difficult situations without losing his head.

It also contains one of my favourite quotes:

Regardless of the wonders of technology and communication, our world is the same size as it ever was, and somewhere on its surface colourful, fascinating and unpredictable things are happening, just as they always have…. As human animals, we need to get out into that world, to feel it, smell it, think like it, to learn how good it is, and to feel free.

It’s a great read and I highly recommend it.

You can get this on Amazon here.

Long Way Round

You might have seen the TV show of this same trip - it features Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman riding their motorbikes from London to New York over land, heading east over Russia. It must be quite strange travelling in a group with a famous person.

It’s written in quite a neat way, with one person telling some of the story and then the other taking over, and it works quite well.

You can get this on Amazon here.

Around the World in Eighty Days

This is not the Jules Verne classic; it’s the Michael Palin real-life version in which took place in 1989 and where he raced the fictitious Phileas Fogg around the world with the same 80 day deadline.

It’s brilliantly written with some fantastically dry humour, laced with actually quite poignant musings about the world in which Fogg would have travelled. He comes across as a true gentleman traveller, and it’s a pleasure to read.

You can get this on Amazon here.

Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcyle Around the World

This is the tale of Elspeth Beard, who, as the title implies, was the first British woman to motorcycle around the world. She has to overcome some pretty tough obstacles, and through certain sections she doesn’t sound like she enjoys it at all. She does deserves praise for making it through though, it can’t have been easy.

Towards the end she does complain (really quite a lot) about the men in her life, which does get a bit tiresome and comes across as just a little bit petty, but still, it’s a worthwhile read.

You can get this on Amazon here.

There are a lot of other books on the subject as broad as travel, but these are ones I’ve read and enjoyed the most. If you think I’ve missed something obvious please do let me know! Written on February 25th, 2018 by David Seddon