How to Travel

Going travelling is one of the few things we undertake in a direct attempt to make ourselves happy - and frequently, in fascinating ways, we fail. We get bored, cross, anxious or lonely. It isn't surprising: our societies act as if going travelling were simple, just a case of handing over the right sum of money. But a satisfying journey isn't something we can simply buy: it's the result of an art that has to be learnt.



This is the guide: not to any one destination but to travel in general. It talks to us, among other things, about how we should choose a place to go, what we might do when we get there, how we should make good moments stick in our minds and why hotel rooms can be such liberating places ...



In a succession of genial essays, we become students of an unexpected but vital topic: how to understand and more fully enjoy (what should be) some of the finest experiences of our lives.

“What readers are saying: "I love this book on the philosophy of traveling alone. I was absolutely riveted by the essays. I highly recommend this book." - NetGalley review "How to Travel helped me narrow down where I want to travel to, why I want to travel there, and who I want to travel with. The blank pages included gave me room to respond to the questions posed in the essays, which made the reading experience that much more enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who dreams of experiencing a culture or world outside of their own but can't decide on a place." - Feefo review "A lovely collection of thought provoking short essays with note pages for jotting down things like 'useful foreign phrases' or to 'give drawing a go'. So enjoyable, and a perfect gift for someone preparing to travel." - Amazon review "A book for travelers not tourists, little stories of places, people, experiences and peace to feed the soul. Travelling is a journey and every part of the journey needs to be enjoyed, even the airport. Can imagine the author writing beautiful journals to extract just a few of these musings to put into this book. Absolutely loved it and have read it twice." - NetGalley review "How to Travel is the perfect size to slip into your backpack for your next trip. It'll look fantastic next to your passport, and boarding pass. This book is also a great gift for those in your life, whether they travel or not, since there's a lot of information about what staying at home can look like, and how that in itself is a form of travel." - Avocado Diaries”

What readers are saying:

"I love this book on the philosophy of traveling alone. I was absolutely riveted by the essays. I highly recommend this book." - NetGalley review

"How to Travel helped me narrow down where I want to travel to, why I want to travel there, and who I want to travel with. The blank pages included gave me room to respond to the questions posed in the essays, which made the reading experience that much more enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who dreams of experiencing a culture or world outside of their own but can't decide on a place." - Feefo review

"A lovely collection of thought provoking short essays with note pages for jotting down things like 'useful foreign phrases' or to 'give drawing a go'. So enjoyable, and a perfect gift for someone preparing to travel." - Amazon review

"A book for travelers not tourists, little stories of places, people, experiences and peace to feed the soul. Travelling is a journey and every part of the journey needs to be enjoyed, even the airport. Can imagine the author writing beautiful journals to extract just a few of these musings to put into this book. Absolutely loved it and have read it twice." - NetGalley review

"How to Travel is the perfect size to slip into your backpack for your next trip. It'll look fantastic next to your passport, and boarding pass. This book is also a great gift for those in your life, whether they travel or not, since there's a lot of information about what staying at home can look like, and how that in itself is a form of travel." - Avocado Diaries

Alain de Botton, the founder and Chair of The School of Life, is a writer of essayistic books that have been described as a 'philosophy of everyday life.' He's written on love, travel, architecture and literature and his books have been bestsellers in 30 countries.



The School of Life is devoted to developing emotional intelligence. It addresses issues such as how to find fulfilling work, how to master the art of relationships, how to understand one's past, how to achieve calm, and how better to understand and - where necessary - change the world.

Going travelling is one of the few things we undertake in a direct attempt to make ourselves happy - and frequently, in fascinating ways, we fail. We get bored, cross, anxious or lonely. It isn't surprising: our societies act as if going travelling were simple, just a case of handing over the right sum of money. But a satisfying journey isn't something we can simply buy: it's the result of an art that has to be learnt.This is the guide: not to any one destination but to travel in general. It talks to us, among other things, about how we should choose a place to go, what we might do when we get there, how we should make good moments stick in our minds and why hotel rooms can be such liberating places ...In a succession of genial essays, we become students of an unexpected but vital topic: how to understand and more fully enjoy (what should be) some of the finest experiences of our lives.

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