After nearly two years of being unable to go anywhere due to COVID-19, travel restrictions are finally easing, and people can finally see the world (slowly but surely).
For bibliophiles who spent most of the lockdown season with their noses buried in books, this is the chance to feed their wanderlust. Even better, read a book in another place that isn’t your home. And the best-case scenario: book-inspired travel.
Fortunately, there are plenty of destinations that book lovers, takers of HUMMS strand courses, or literary fans will enjoy, both across the United States and around the world. Whether you’re looking to book an international flight or hop in the car, bookish travel destinations aren’t difficult to find.
So make up for the lost time (due to the pandemic) by heading to iconic bookstores, hitting up a landmark or two, and planning a bookish adventure that is-as they say-one for the books. From New York to Buenos Aires in Argentina, you’ll love these book-inspired destinations.
Strand Bookstore
A big part of New York City’s literary space, the Strand Bookstore is an iconic staple of both the NYC locals’ and book lovers’ bucket lists. This independent bookstore, located in the East Village, specializes in secondhand, out-of-print, rare, and new book titles (so basically, everything that you want). Apart from rare titles, the Strand Bookstore is also known for its author readings and other literary events. Think of it as Disneyland for bibliophiles.
Jane Austen Centre
Two of Jane Austen’s popular novels, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, are set in Bath, England. So if you’re an avid fan of Austen and these novels, the Jane Austen Centre in Bath is THE place to be. Located in a gorgeous Georgian townhouse, the exhibition gives you a peek into life during the Regency era. Some of the center’s recent attractions include a wax sculpture of Austen, as well as the opportunity for guests to dress up in Regency costumes.
After walking through the exhibit, you can enjoy a cup of tea in a beautiful tea room (since no Jane Austen tour is complete without a cup of tea). If you visit the center during September, you can join the Jane Austen festival, including dramatic readings, walking tours, a costumed ball, and dinner in the Regency tea rooms.
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
If you love Ernest Hemingway and his works, head down to Key West, Florida and visit The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. Not only did the great author live and write in this home for more than a decade, but there’s also a rumor that all the cats living nearby are descended from Hemingway’s original cats. So this place is perfect for book lovers who also love cats.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, there is an antique movie theater converted into a bookstore called the El Ateneo Grand Splendid. This bookstore is one of the world’s most magnificent book shops. The building alone boasts of a beautiful architecture that features rounded galleries, embellished theater boxes, and red drapes around the magnificent stage-with the latter housing a cozy coffee shop where you can sip your favorite drink while reading.
The sprawling book shop is home to more than 120,000 books, which are arranged on upcycled shelves. Its warmth and beauty complete the welcoming atmosphere of the bookstore, which attracts more than a million locals and tourists every year.
Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Have you always wanted to attend Hogwarts but never got your letter? Drown your worries in Butterbeer when you visit the Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Walk through the Hogwarts Castle, warm up with some Butterbeer at Hogsmeade Village and test out some wands at Ollivander’s. You can even eat some magical sweets at Honeyduke’s.
Book and Bed
If you’ve always wanted to live in a big bookstore where you can sleep, play, and eat surrounded by your favorite titles, Tokyo’s Book and Bed can make your bibliophile dreams come true. This accommodation bookshop in Japan allows visitors to not just browse through titles in their bookshop; you can also stay in the store and read like there’s no tomorrow.
The shop has more than 1,000 titles, so you won’t run out of books to read. You can read the Lord of the Rings order the whole day and spend another day reading Edgar Allan Poe.
If you get tired, you can sleep in one of the built-in beds located behind the shelves. If you want something more comfortable, stay in a reading cave, which includes electrical outlets, a reading lamp, and a small locker.
Books made life easier during the lockdown season. But now that you can go out and explore, it’s time to take a trip and feed your traveling bibliophile’s hear
