Booked Off—Why Literary Travel Is Surging In 2026
Key takeaways
- Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
- One of my favorite things to do on vacation is to take books set in the place I’m visiting.
- Indeed, when people began to travel by train in the 19th century, publishers began selling romance and thriller paperbacks across London’s railway stations.
Travel Booked Off—Why Literary Travel Is Surging In 2026Book travel is having a moment—travelers are turning to books to shape where they go, fueling a rise in literary trips, reading retreats and ‘readaways’ that promise slower, more meaningful vacations.By Alex Ledsom,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Alex Ledsom is a France-based contributor who covers travel. Follow Author Jun 26, 2026, 03:01am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Book travel is having a moment, with people not just reading on holiday but choosing destinations explicitly to read.gettyAs travelers look to unplug and connect, books are becoming the new itinerary—driving trips, retreats and a revival of slow, immersive book travel.
One of my favorite things to do on vacation is to take books set in the place I’m visiting. So, picture the scene. I arrive in picturesque St Malo, France, after reading what is still one of my favorite books, All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. And there, in a medieval alley behind the fortress that used to protect the king’s pirates and the town from the sea, I run across a lady giving a book tour of all the sites from the book. Pure travel book heaven.