How to Travel the World on a Literary Tour

One lesser-known joy of traveling is the possibility of following in your favorite author’s footsteps – and there’s no shortage of locations worldwide where you can immerse yourself in the minds and souls of some of the most famous authors of all time. But whether you’re traveling abroad or looking to find gems in your home country, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Luckily, literary travel doesn’t have to be hard, and with this guide, you can get started on the journey of your dreams. Let’s look at some of the best spots to live and breathe literary inspiration.

Paris, France

The City of Love is also where some of the most iconic novels ever made were written. From the daring pages of James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room to Ernest Hemingway’s first novel, The Sun Also Rises, Paris has destinations to satisfy any literature lover.

Some of the must-see places to hit when you travel to Paris include:

• La Closerie des Lilas, a cafe turned restaurant where Hemingway wrote The Sun Also Rises.
• Le Select, a bustling brasserie where Baldwin wrote much of Giovanni’s Room.

London and Haworth, England

Europe is a hotspot for literary history, and our next stop on this inspired journey is where some of the greats like Charles Dickens and Charlotte and Emily Brontë, to name a few, wrote. It was here that Dickens wrote many of his novels, including the classic Oliver Twist; it was here that Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre, and Emily wrote Wuthering Heights.

Simply put, any fan of the classics will love a trip to England. While you’re there, check out:

• The Charles Dickens Museum, where Dickens lived and wrote some of his most classic works.
• The Brontë Parsonage Museum, a memorialization of the Brontë’s home and a breathtaking peek into England’s literary history.

New York City, United States

Beneath the bright lights of Times Square and the hustle of Wall Street lies a city with a rich history full of some of the most notable poems ever written.

Serving as the writing hub for works like Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” and Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven,” the city is a poetry lover’s dream where you can travel to writers’ homes or visit some local bookstores to get inspiration.

Some can’t-miss locations in New York City for a literature lover include:

• Allen Ginsberg’s Apartment, where he wrote regularly, at 437 East 12th Street. 
• Poe Park in the Bronx, a place commemorating the author, who lived in its famous cottage.

Bottom Line

These are only some of the places you can visit on your global journey to explore the best the literary world has to offer. Now is the opportunity to embrace your inner literature lover – and be exposed to some unique foods, cultures, histories, and lifestyles that many only experience once in a lifetime.