A Guide to Literary Travel: What It Is + Ideas for Your Next Trip

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A Guide to Literary Travel

If you love books and you love travel, you will definitely love literary travel.

Literary travel is a growing trend, and it’s one I’m totally here for. If there’s one thing I enjoy as much as traveling, it’s reading. So if I have the chance to combine these two interests, I’ll always take it.

I have a lot of content on Stay to Wander relating to literary travel, but I realized I didn’t have one guide talking about exactly what it is. So that’s why I am writing this guide today! It will serve as a hub for all of my literary travel content, and also provide you with plenty of ideas for literary travel.

Traveling with a focus on books and literature is a great way to get to know a destination in a unique way. You can add a literary travel flair to pretty much anywhere in the world that you may go. I’ve been incorporating literary travel into my trips for a very long time, even before I knew that it was a “thing.”

Today, I wanted to share a quick guide to literary travel and provide some ideas to help you plan your next literary-inspired trip. I’m also highlighting many of my favorite destinations for literary travel.

Albertine, my favorite bookstore in New York

What Is Literary Travel?

It’s a way of exploring destinations with an emphasis on books, authors, and literary landmarks. Just like you can connect more deeply with a destination by emphasizing food, history, or another interest, literary travel lets you immerse yourself in a place by connecting to its stories and literary voices.

Literary travel can look a little different for everyone. Maybe you prioritize visiting local, independent bookstores when you travel and buying a book as a souvenir. Maybe you seek out literary landmarks related to famous authors who lived in the destination you’re visiting. There are many options, and it’s up to you!

You don’t have to make literary travel the focus of your whole trip. (Although it certainly can be if you want it to!) But you can also just incorporate elements of literary travel in addition to regular sightseeing.

Maison de Victor Hugo in Paris, where the author lived for 16 years

Literary Travel Ideas

And now let’s get into the ideas! As I mentioned above, there are so many ways that you can travel with a literary lens. I have used many of the ideas below myself, but there are others I haven’t tried yet.

Here are some great ways you can incorporate literary travel into your next trip…

Visit local bookstores.

I always research bookstores when I visit a new city and make a point to visit at least one or two of them. Many cities around the world have English language bookstores, or will at least have an English section.

It’s always fun to check out local independent bookstores. I also make a point of visiting beautiful bookstores around the world, and I have a whole guide to the prettiest bookstores that I’ve been to.

Best Things to Do in Paris for Book Lovers — Librairie Galignani, the oldest English language bookstore in Paris

Read books set in your destination.

This is something I love to do! Sometimes I’ll read a book set in the destination I’m visiting before my trip to get even more excited about it, but I also really enjoy doing this while I’m on my trip. A memorable example of this was reading Circe by Madeline Miller while I was on a nearly-empty Greek island.

Reading about a place while you’re there adds a rich layer to your experience. You can get some ideas for what to read from the recommendations in my Around the World in Books Reading Challenge.

Visit unique libraries.

Aside from checking out bookstores when I travel, I also love visiting libraries around the world. Especially pretty, historic libraries! I have an entire guide to the most beautiful libraries that I’ve visited.

But it’s also fun to check out modern working libraries, too. Since I’m often working when I travel, libraries can also be a great quiet place to focus and get some work done on my laptop.

Travel to the settings of your favorite books.

Another way you can incorporate literary travel into your next trip is by actually visiting the settings of your favorite books. This really makes your favorite stories come off the pages and come to life.

For example, did you love My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante? Why not plan a trip to Naples and Ischia in Italy, which were primary settings in the book? Or if you love the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, you could make your next getaway to the Scottish Highlands where the books take place.

Visit places connected to authors.

Another thing I enjoy doing when I travel is visiting literary landmarks that are connected to authors. This could be homes where authors lived, locations that inspired them, or museums dedicated to them.

For example, if you’re a Hemingway fan, you can follow his footsteps from the Ernest Hemingway House where he lived in Key West, Florida to the author’s favorite cafes and bars in Paris, France.

Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon

Take a literary tour or go on a reading retreat.

If you really want to immerse yourself in literary travel, try a literary-themed tour. Think a week-long group trip following the footsteps of Jane Austen around England with other bookish travelers.

A reading retreat is a trip that’s specifically focused on atmospheric destinations, cozy accommodations, and plenty of time for reading and visiting literary landmarks. With literary tours and reading retreats, you can find many options for group tours to join, or you can create your own DIY itinerary if you prefer.

Go to literary cities.

Some destinations are just steeped in literary history and perfect for book lovers. I’ve written about my favorite literary cities in Europe. UNESCO also has a list of 50+ Cities of Literature around the world.

These are cities where you have lots of bookstores, libraries, and literary landmarks to visit. You can easily tailor several days of exploration just to literary highlights in cities like Paris, London, or Edinburgh.

Writer's Museum Edinburgh — The Writer’s Museum in Edinburgh

My Literary Travel Guides

I already linked to some of my literary travel guides above, but I wanted to create a place where I can link to ALL of the literary travel content on Stay to Wander so you have easy access to it in one place.

Here are all of my guides to check out for literary travel inspiration:

Exploring destinations through a literary lens makes travel more meaningful, and it opens up doors to unique and memorable experiences you might not otherwise have. Enjoy your next literary adventure!