Literature/Literary Travel

So much of our travels can be enjoyed through the prism of literature. Some writers are intrinsically connected to a destination and you can still visit places associated with them. Just a very few examples:

Miguel Cervantes with Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Agatha Christie with Devon, England
Isak Dineson (Karen Blixen) with Kenya
Ian Fleming with Jamaica
Gabriel García Márquez with northern Colombia
Thomas Hardy with Dorset, England
Victor Hugo with Paris
Ernest Hemingway with Key West, Havana, Madrid, and Paris
Franz Kafka with Prague
James Joyce with Dublin
R.K. Narayan with Madras (Chennai), India
Pablo Neruda with Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, Chile
Tennessee Williams with New Orleans
William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter with England's Lake District

The literary travel possibilities are nearly endless - have a read!

Cover photo: Bruce Tuten

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5 of Europe´s top destinations for literary travelers

David Paul Appell This continent is arguably the world´s most literary in the sense that it has arguably produced most of the world´s most celebrated writers, poets, and playwrights. And its great literary destinations are not just cities of famous names—they´re places where you can walk directly into books, manuscripts, and writers’ lives. The five below—admittedly heavy on Britain and Ireland—stand out because they combine atmosphere with specific, visitable landmarks that bring literature…

Started by David Paul Appell

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Communing with literary greats in England's Lake District

Jorge Franganillo The Lake District of Cumbria in northwest England, a 5½-hour drive from London and two from Liverpool and Manchester, is a mountainous region and national park renowned for its gorgeous scenery - centering around 19 eponymous lakes - as well as its literary associations with a group of 19th-century "Lake Poets" such as William Wordsworth (one of his most famous poems, "Daffodils," was inspired here and whose local house, Dove Cottage, you can visit), Beatrix Potter (of…

Started by Tripatini

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The writing of 'In the Footsteps of Dracula: A Personal Journey and Travel Guide'

Old Parish Church Cemetery in Whitby, England My obsession to travel to every site related to either the fictional Count Dracula or his real historical counterpart, Prince Vlad Dracula the Impaler, grew out of a visit to Whitby, England, where part of the novel Dracula takes place. I stood on the cemetery hill (top) where, in Bram Stoker's Dracula Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray spent hour after hour sitting on their "favourite seat" (a bench placed over a suicide's grave near the edge of the…

Started by Tripatini

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Literary cruises in 'Whatever Your Pastime or Interest, There May Be A Cruise For You!'

Valtours/Dreamstime.com Whatever hobby, pursuit or pastime you enjoy, it’s possible there’s a voyage that will let you combine it with the pleasures of cruising. From food to fashion, music to mystery, the offerings are as varied as the destinations which are included on ship itineraries. An Internet search for cruises that interest you may turn up one or more alternatives. While cruise lines are gradually beginning to return to normal services, it’s necessary to check what sailings are being…

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María José March 2, 2026 at 8:43am

It looks like the accalimed, Oscar-nominated movie Hamnet is really boosting tourism at various sites connected to the Bard https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/oscar-contender-hamn...

Oscar contender 'Hamnet' boosts tourism at Shakespeare heritage sites

On a cloudy winter's day, visitors stream into what was once William Shakespeare's childhood home in Stratford-upon-Avon and the nearby Anne Hathaway…
Ed Wetschler March 1, 2026 at 10:46pm

Fascinating - Thrillist says that literary travel is hot this year - but not necessarily merely visiting the haunts of historical writers and the settings for their books and plays, but more broadly, from reading retreats to author-led camping and other trips. Very creative! https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/literary-tourism-reading-re...

Literary Tourism Is Taking Off with Readers and Travelers Alike - Thrillist

From reading retreats and literary festivals to author-led itineraries, travelers are booking it for their next vacation
José Balido February 28, 2026 at 10:27am

Literarily speaking, my old stomping ground Prague is inextricably linked with the early-20th-century writer Franz Kafka and his oevre. But now it´s in the midst of a Dan Brown craze thanks to "Secret of Secrets," published last September, in which the City of Spires plays backdrop and even protagonist - and one expected to get supercharged in a couple of years when the film version is released https://www.dw.com/en/prague-expects-visitor-boost-from-new-dan-bro...

Prague expects visitor boost from new Dan Brown novel

The latest blockbuster from best-selling author Dan Brown is not only set in Prague, the Czech capital is actually one of the main characters in the…
José Balido January 26, 2025 at 2:27pm

My favorite lit travel spots so far are Hemingway´s house in Key West and his Finca Vigía outside Havana. Come to Papa! ;)
Jordan Simon December 28, 2024 at 10:18pm

According to Esquire, literary travel is hot! https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a60314481/literary-trav...

Inside the Literary Travel Boom

Book butlers! Curated libraries! Custom cruises! Literary-themed vacations are the hot new trend in tourism.
David Paul Appell November 4, 2024 at 12:43pm

I have actually visited one of the places on this list - Agatha Christie´s holiday home in Devon, England (a place where she is still fondly remembered) - but I think did not realize you could stay overnight. Very cool! https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20240422-the-ultimate-book-lover...

The ultimate book lover's stay: Sleep in your favourite author's home

From Agatha Christie to Ian Fleming to Jane Austen, here are five famous author homes-turned hotels where bookworms can lay their heads.
David Paul Appell October 20, 2024 at 12:49pm

My first introduction to Prague came in 1991 when I arrived to research an article on the sites associated with writer Franz Kafka. And this year - the centenary of his death - the city is holding a slew of events amid renewed interest in this singular literary figure: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/article/2024/jun/03/franz-kafkas...

Franz Kafka’s Prague: a centenary tour of the writer’s home city | Prague holidays | The Guardian

A hundred years after his death, the author’s presence is as strong as ever in the Czech capital – from his childhood homes and the literary cafes he…
Barbara Necker July 1, 2023 at 7:32pm

Definitely on the same page as this one: the UK - particularly London - is still home to small, sometimes quirky, independent bookshops which are a joy to visit for the literary minded. https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/10/the-best-cities-for-book-lovers-in-t...

These are the best cities for book lovers in the UK

Calling all bookworms, we've got the cities you'll love.
David Paul Appell May 2, 2023 at 11:17am

I'm finally - finally! - getting to Eire later this year for the first time, and in the course of researching the trip came across this piece by Tripatini member Mary Jo Manzanares about sites relating to Dublin's rich history of writers. And gosh, maybe I'll even take another stab at Ulysses! https://www.travelingwithmj.com/literary-dublin-discover-these-site...

Literary Dublin: Discover These Sites That Celebrate Dublin Writers - Traveling with MJ

Learn about literary Dublin and its attractions that celebrate Dublin writers like James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift, Bram Stoker and more.
José Balido November 11, 2022 at 5:25pm

Last year the British Condé Nast Traveller came out with a distinguished list of literary works to inform your travels before visiting a number of destinations: a moveable feast, indeed: https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-travel-books

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