Top 10 Best Europe Travel Books to Read

It takes a significant amount of planning to go on vacation in Europe, so the question is: where do you begin? Europe travel books are excellent resources for generating ideas regarding places and seeing things. Many of the best travel books for Europe offer advice and information that readers ought to be familiar with before embarking on their adventures.

Travel books about Europe are indeed all incredible, whether they are the best funny travel books, the best travel books about Europe, or even a guidebook about Europe. Before going to Europe, you should read one of the many available books.

Picking the best travel books to transport your emotions to Europe is not easy, especially because you are a human. You only have a limited amount of time.

So you are only interested in the most important aspects. The books will have you chowing down on baguettes in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and raising steins of beer at Oktoberfest.

The following is a list of the best travel books available about Europe that you should read before going there.

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Top 10 Best Europe Travel Books to Read

Travels with Epicurus by Daniel Klein

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Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life

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Daniel Klein is going to spend some time on the Greek island of Hydra, which is relatively uninhabited. By heeding the advice of his contemporaries and that of ancient thinkers and others, he anticipates leaving this place having uncovered the mysteries of aging.

Along the way, he gains a deeper appreciation for life’s straightforward joys and an awareness of the significance of maturing as one ages.

This book is great to read before going on any trips to Europe, and it is especially helpful if you are looking for stories that take place in Greece because it is both a travelogue and a guide.

Additionally, it makes for an excellent presentation during the winter holidays and is one of the best Europe travel books out there! Therefore, remember this one when it comes time to give gifts.

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

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Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life

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Are you thinking about going to Tuscany? Permit Frances Mayes to take you there with his look at the area’s culture, cuisine, and day-to-day life.

Under the Tuscan Sun is an inspiring experience – just as inspiring as Frances Mayes’ memoir About Life, Food, and Culture in One of Italy’s Most Sought-After Regions, titled Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy.

The story’s plot gets underway when Frances Mayes decides to restore an abandoned villa in the Tuscan countryside. However, there is a great deal more to this villa than meets the eye.

Her dining room was decorated with faded frescoes, and her garden contained an overgrown vineyard and some of Tuscany’s most charming residents.

Under the Tuscan Sun is an excellent book to read before going to Italy because it provides an interesting and unique first-person account of its perspective on the region.

For the Love of Europe by Rick Steves

For the Love of Europe: My Favorite Places, People, and Stories

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When researching travel in Europe, it’s difficult to avoid running into Rick Steves at some point.

This person is an expert on everything having to do with Europe.

Therefore, one of his books needs to be included on this list, and that book is titled “For the Love of Europe.”

This book contains 100 of Rick’s favorite memories from his travels throughout Europe, collected over forty years. The book has a total of 416 pages.

Only Rick Steves could tell these kinds of stories, as they cover his travels through various countries, including England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and more. For the Love of Europe is a warm and illuminating look at a lifetime of travel filled with wry, personal reflections and Rick’s trademark brand of humor.

Whether it be dancing at Turkish circumcision parties, exploring ruined castles, taking pleasure in hikes along alpine ridges, or exploring famous cities like Rome, there are many things to do in Turkey. Rick Steves has experienced everything to see and do in Europe, and he wants to share that with you.

You will even receive a map of Europe as a bonus so that you can track Rick’s journeys and plot out your own.

The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson 

The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain

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In his book “The Road to Little Dribbling,” Bill Bryson tells the story of an American from Iowa who travels to England and finds himself both frustrated and fascinated by the region of Lancashire and other alluring areas of Britain.

The author relates his travels with flair and humor, from Cornish fishing villages to more touristy spots. Here, he describes a country pub where everybody knows your name; there, he describes a sanatorium turned residential complex; and in between, he describes a whole cast of heritage sites and countryside treasures.

Here Nor There by Bill Bryson

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Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe (Cover may Vary)

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This is one of the first travel books by Bryson that I’ve read, and it’s also one of the first books I’ve read set in Europe. His engaging writing style immediately drew me in.

When he was still a student twenty years ago, Bryson traveled throughout Europe for an extended period. Now that he had some time, he returned to retrace his steps.

He travels across Europe, beginning in Hammerfest, which is located in Norway and is the most northern city in Europe, and ending in Istanbul, which is located in Turkey.

He visits several cities, including the City of Light (Paris), Florence, Hamburg, and Copenhagen. His journey takes him through cities of varying sizes.

Nevertheless, throughout it all, he maintains his brilliant wit and sense of humor.

A humorous book of the “laugh-out-loud” variety. It is best to avoid reading Neither Here Nor There while riding the subway to avoid giving the impression that you are insane.

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

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For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Hemingway Library Edition

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Have you just stated that you want a second Spanish Civil War? The legendary author Ernest Hemingway was the brains behind this work of historical fiction.

The events that Hemingway witnessed while working as a reporter during the Spanish Civil War inspired him to write the story of a younger version of Robert Jordan.

He is a free-born citizen of the United States who has volunteered to serve in the International Brigades to protect the Spanish Republic.

Jordan experiences every aspect of the war because he is following him through the action, and eventually when he and a Spanish girl fall in love with one another.

This is one of Hemingway’s many excellent works, but it’s still worth reading.

Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge

Illyrian Spring

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Illyrian Spring is set in the 1930s, so you must use your time machine.

The narrative revolves around a well-known painter by the name of Lady Kilmichael. As a result of being unhappy, unappreciated, and desiring a change in her life, she decides to part ways with her husband and daughter to embark on an artistic excursion along the Dalmatian Coast in Yugoslavia (present-day Croatia).

While there, she makes friends with Nicholas, a miserable young man, because his family does not allow him to pursue his passion for painting.

Read Illyrian Spring before going to Europe because it is an in-depth travel book and an interesting love story. It is one of the best books to read before going to Europe.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 

NEW-The Nightingale

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In 2015, St. Martin’s Press released the historical fiction novel “The Nightingale,” written by the American author Kristin Hannah. During World War II, the book follows the lives of two sisters living in France. This book will provide an overview of their fight to survive and resist the German occupation of France during the period covered.

The Nightingale is a novel that tells the story of those women and the courageous and potentially life-threatening decisions they made to save their children and their way of life. It is about the common practice of women returning from war zones to their homes and carrying on with their lives without uttering a word about their experiences.

It’s a heartbreaking tale that gives you a glimpse into the lives of the women whose husbands and boyfriends have gone off to fight in a war. While reading it, I couldn’t hold back the tears, and despite their differences, I grew to love both sisters.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 

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Outlander Volumes 5-8 (4-Book Boxed Set): The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and…

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There is something in Outlander that will appeal to readers regardless of the type of literary genre that is typically their cup of tea. It’s a mix of romance, time travel, and historical exploration, so there’s something in it for everyone. 

You can read it for the heart-pounding adventure, the swoon-worthy romance, or the fascinating historical setting; however, it is guaranteed that by the time you get to the end, you will be blown away by the way that author Diana Gabaldon weaves them all together in a genre-busting epic.

The locations are breathtaking. However, as the series progresses, it takes readers on a journey from the wild Scottish Highlands to the decadent royal courts of Paris to rollicking ships in the Caribbean to the unknown wilderness of North America. 

Outlander is primarily known for its setting in Scotland; however, as the series progresses, it takes readers on a journey. If you want to read about Outlander because of the Scottish setting, you won’t be disappointed because Scotland plays a significant role in all of the books in the series.

It has amazing historical details and excellent cameo appearances from historical figures. It is almost as if you are traveling through time just by reading Diana Gabaldon’s book because it is so historically accurate, thanks to the author’s meticulous attention to detail and extensive research. 

The historical figures are portrayed in the way they might have been in real life, down to their mannerisms and what they wear, and their interactions with the fictional characters are always humorous. This includes how they dress. It is impossible to predict who Claire and Jamie will run into next.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlo Ruiz Zafon

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The Shadow of the Wind

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The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon possesses that intangible quality that elevates a best-selling book to a literary masterpiece. The large and varied cast of characters, each of whom is rendered with such tenderness, care, and spirit that it gives the impression that they have jumped off the page.

Daniel, the son of an antique bookseller, comes across a book called The Shadow of the Wind in Barcelona that has been rebuilt after the civil war. This mysterious book appears to be the only remaining copy of any book written by the author, as all of the other copies have been destroyed. As Daniel pursues his goal of identifying the book’s author, he finds himself embroiled in a web of intrigue that involves hidden libraries, blackmail, and even murder.

People couldn’t get enough of this story thanks to the stunning writing and appreciation it showed for different kinds of books.

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