Summer is a time for travelers. It’s the time when the weather is beautiful and days are long and adventures seem to be right at the tips of your fingers. Whether you’re stuck and longing to travel or already on your flight, these books will take you wherever you want to go.
18 Books That Make You Want to Travel
1. Destination Anywhere by Sara Barnard
Perfect for fans of Morgan Matson and Sarah Dessen, this lushly written and heart-wrenching novel follows a teen girl on a one-way trip away from her life and slowly reveals what made her leave it all behind.
2. A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
Set in a quaint little English town, this book will have you booking a flight to England! There’s a cute English boy that works at a tea shop and mouth-watering descriptions of food, plus an adorable romance that will have you wishing you had a hot British boyfriend.
3. Love & Olives by Jenna Evans Welch
From the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a Mamma Mia!–inspired tale about a teen girl finding romance while trying to connect with her absent father in beautiful Santorini, Greece.
4. One Great Lie by Deb Caletti
When Charlotte wins a scholarship to a writing workshop in Venice with the charismatic and brilliant Luca Bruni, it’s a dream come true. Bruni’s villa on the eerie island of La Calamita is extravagant—lush beyond belief, and the other students are both inspiring and intimidating. Venice itself is beautiful, charming, and seductive, but so is Luca Bruni. As his behavior becomes increasingly unnerving, and as Charlotte begins to unearth the long-lost work of Isabella with the help of sweet, smart Italian Dante, other things begin to rise, too—secrets about the past, and secrets about the present.
5. My Summer of Love and Misfortuneby Lindsay Wong
Iris has had rough start to the summer, so her parents decide to send her away to visit family in Beijing, with the hopes that Iris would “reconnect with her culture” and “find herself.” With this trip, Iris expects to eat a few dumplings, meet some family, and visit a tourist hotspot or two. Instead, she gets swept up in the ridiculous, opulent world of Beijing’s wealthy elite, leading her to unexpected and extraordinary discoveries about her family, her future, and herself.
6. Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali
Suspended from school for standing up to an Islamophobic teacher, Zayneb is headed to Doha, Qatar to stay with family, resigned to be “nicer” and let the injustices of the world slide off her shoulders from now on. Adam is headed to Doha too, struggling with his recent MS diagnosis, and resigned to keep his illness from his friends and family. Alone, both are playing roles for others. Together, they’ll learn to live their truths…
7. Keep My Heart in San Francisco by Amelia Diane Coombs
Chuck loves San Francisco more than anything so when she finds out her family’s bowling alley—the only thing keeping them in San Francisco—is failing, she teams up with her ex-best-friend, Beckett to save the family business. Despite her best efforts to keep things strictly business, Beckett’s charm is winning her back over…in ways that go beyond friendship.
8. Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Want to travel to the Pacific Northwest? Then Today Tonight Tomorrow is the perfect read for you! Rowan and Neil have always been rivals but when they have to team up together for Howl, a senior class game, that will take them all over Seattle, they’ll discover that actually have more in common than they thought. This book is filled with little tidbits about Seattle that will make you wish you were traveling around the city with them.
9. Start Here by Trish Doller
If you’re looking for a beach vacation, then this book is for you. What could be better than being out on the open water, on your way to Key West? Nothing, if you ask me. Of course, the teens in this read have a few more complications than just figuring out which side of the boat is starboard, but their journey will make you feel like you were floating along with them.
10. Road Tripped By Pete Hautman
If a lavish vacation in the tropics or a backpacking trip across Europe just aren’t as much your speed, then give this book a try! A pseudo-staycation in the form of a road trip across the Midwest, you’ll find that sometimes staying close to home is all you need to get away.
11. Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Dreaming of finding yourself in an exotic land? Read this! On a trip to Italy to get to know her ever-absent father, a young girl is swept up in the adventure of a lifetime, discovering the truth about herself and finding a little romance along the way in a narrative that will give your spontaneous side new life. Sing to me, Paolo!
12. Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch
Another European road trip adventure, this book is set in Ireland. If you just didn’t get enough self-discovery and family drama in LOVE & GELATO, you’re definitely going to want to read this exciting and emotional tale.
13. The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett
This read is travel turned sinister—with a magical twist. If all your travels haven’t satisfied your thirst for fantasy or action, this book with take you the rest of the way. After the disappearance of her father in Istanbul, a young girl longing for adventure finds herself whisked away on a dangerous expedition across. But it’s okay, because the guy she’s with is cute. Who could ask for more?
14. The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
This book is nothing short of the adventure of a lifetime. You can travel all over the world, but in this book, you get to travel through time. No, seriously. Set in modern-day New York, a time-hopping magician must travel back to New York in the year 1902 to save the future of magic. Feel like you’ve seen it all? This book will prove you wrong.
15. Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
Are you the outdoorsy type? Look no further, this book is sure to inspire your next adventure! The Muir Woods is one of the most beautiful nature spots in the United States (imho), and this book follows a camping and hiking trip straight through them. Follow Zorie and Lennon’s lead and go check them out! Plus, there are a million other things to do in the Bay Area if camping isn’t your thing. It’s a top-notch travel destination for your next summer getaway!
16. She’s The Worst by Lauren Spieller
This book is a true staycation inspiration. Two teen sisters living in Los Angeles decide to go out and explore all L.A. has going for it to escape family drama. This is the perfect read to inspire your hometown expedition; no one ever puts in the effort to see the sights in a city they’ve known their whole lives, but sometimes you’ll find plenty that you never knew about.
17. Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
One last American adventure—this time in scenic Seattle Washington. This novel is part adventure story, part murder mystery. The intrigue only grows with each page you turn. If you’re the type to visit all the great American haunting spots, this read, set in an allegedly haunted Seattle hotel, will surely make your list of ghost hunting trips.
18. The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
From William C. Morris Finalist Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling, feminist fantasy about a group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all.