The best travel books and guides you should read

Founded in the 1970s by an intrepid couple who travelled overland from London to Australia, Lonely Planet has become ubiquitous in the backpacker scene. These travel guide books are packed with well-researched and honest recommendations, maps and interesting sections on history, food and culture. Well-established and well-loved, the Lonely Planet series is an easy contender for the best travel guide books.

Frommer’s has been publishing every year since Arthur Frommer’s groundbreaking Europe on $5 a Day was released in 1957. These days, the Frommer’s travel guide books cater more to travellers who are looking for a comfortable travel experience. Choose these books when your budget covers some travel luxuries and you are interested in spending more on your travel experiences.

These beautiful books are full of photos and illustrations. More visual-heavy than the Lonely Planet and Frommer’s guidebooks, the DK Eyewitness series make excellent keepsakes. As well as good travel guide books, they are great to look back through when you get home to remind you of your travels.

The first Blue Guide on London was published all the way back in 1918 by a pair of Scottish brothers. The Blue Guides are intended as cultural travel guide books. They are full of interesting information about history, art and architecture so are a great option for those really wanting to soak up the culture at their destination.

Written by the well-known travel blogger, Matt Kepnes, How to Travel the World on $50 a Day sets out practical steps to help those who want to spend long periods travelling. Kepnes has been on the road since 2006 and gives expert advice on how to use your travel budget effectively in this New York Times bestselling world travel book. This book is ideal for those planning to give up their job and to experience the life of a world-traveller.

Microadventures takes a novel approach for books on travel. Despite being an experienced international traveller, in this book Humphreys celebrates weekend adventures and after-work excitement. Camping in your local woods or forest, for example, is a ‘microadventure’. This travel book is full of tips for finding adventures that are close to home if you do not have the time or budget to venture further afield.

Experiencing local foods is an important part of travelling, but this can become challenging with any allergies or dietary requirements. This exceptional travel book can help make all dining on your trip a positive experience. Any food and travel lovers will benefit from the Food Traveller’s Handbook, where Ettenberg clearly sets out where to go (and where not to) if you want to eat well on your trip.

One of the ultimate travel novels, Shantaram is an epic tome about an escaped Australian convict who flees to one of the poorest slums of India and runs a clinic. Based on Roberts’ life and experiences in the 1980s, this colourful novel is a must-read for any aspiring traveller. Though at over 900 pages it is a hefty book, it does make excellent holiday reading if you can fit it in your luggage.

With this classic travel book, you will feel that you are travelling back in time as well as through Europe. Travels is the account of Stevenson’s own solo hiking trip through the Cévennes mountains in France. Set in 1878, this adventure from centuries ago will inspire you to dig out your own hiking boots.

An acclaimed writer of travelogues, Paul Theroux, has written some of the best travel books of all time. Dark Star Safari, a powerful account of his journey from the top of Africa to the bottom is a vivid and insightful portrayal of the continent. In 2015, Paul Theroux was bestowed with a medal from the Royal Geographical Society for “the encouragement of geographical discovery through travel writing”, so expect to be itching to book some flights when you have finished this travel book.