Travel Adviice: Suggested Reading For An Aspiring Young Traveler

Q: My granddaughter, age 20, is keenly interested in travel. Can you provide titles of some cool (read: interesting and informative) books that might be stimulating for a young adult and prompt her to start making plans?

A: This is a tough question because there are thousands of travel books on the market. Picking the best ones really depends on her interests. Which locations intrigue her most? Does she like hiking, outdoor activities, culture, history, cuisine, etc.?

If she has yet to narrow her interests, then the more general coffee-table travel books might inspire her imagination.

I'm a big fan of National Geographic (see this week's Seeking Guidance review of "Secret Journeys of a Lifetime"). A favorites is "Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Greatest Trips" (National Geographic 2007), which is like taking an armchair world tour. Books such as these present snapshots of 500 locations — covering every continent — with stunning photos and interesting top 10 lists, such as top 10 elevator rides and underground walking adventures.

National Geographic plays off the top 10 idea with quicker reads in its "The 10 Best of Everything" series. It delves into the "10 best" with golf courses, pubs, train trips, tropical island getaways and more.

Lonely Planet also publishes books with wide appeal for travelers in their 20s. They include budget-minded ideas and hip, off-the-beaten-path sights and attractions. The writing is fresh and often concise, making it an easy read.

Two books worth a look are "The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World" (Lonely Planet 2001) and "USA's Best Trips" (Lonely Planet 2010).

If destinations aren't the primary goal behind travel reading, grab the latest "The Best American Travel Writing," edited by Sloane Crosley (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011). The book is a compilation of 18 well-written travel essays that Crosley calls "so intoxicating, because I felt as if I were with them, along for the ride."

This story was originally published October 10, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Travel Adviice: Suggested Reading For An Aspiring Young Traveler."