I’m not huge on traveling, but I do like to get away every so often, and like many people I have dream destinations that I’d like to visit someday before I die. Most of them are overseas, in Europe, and have to do with my backgrounds. The main two I’d like to visit because of my heritage are Hungary and Ireland (Italy as well, though it’s not as high on the list). Both my grandparents on my dad’s side are Italian and Irish (and my grandmother was from Canada), while on my mom’s side I’ve got mainly Hungarian, with a little Russian and Polish. I definitely have the Irish skin and green eyes (and a tinge of red in my hair) and I don’t know where the short gene comes from, but I’ve got that too.

Family aside, I have plenty of other places I’d love to see, including England, France, Scotland, Greece, more of Canada, the Caribbean, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. Then, of course, I’d like to check off all the states in the USA to say I’ve been to all 50 of them (and get shot glass souvenirs from each one). I have a ways to go before that collection is complete though.

However, traveling is expensive, and while books are as well, at least they’re cheaper than flights, road trips, and hotel stays. And it’s thanks to books that I’ve been able to travel to many places while in the comfort of my own home. I’ve been to some of my dream destinations and then some. I mean, who doesn’t want to go to Hogwarts or Narnia? So I thought it would be interesting to list some of the places I’ve been to thanks to reading so many wonderful books.

France

Paris, France is one of the places I’ve been to many times through books. If I see a book with the word “Paris” in the title, I’m definitely at least going to read the synopsis to see if I’ll like the book or not. I think I can genuinely say that every book I’ve read that takes place in Paris has been one that I’ve enjoyed. Some of the books I’ve read that have taken me to Paris include:

• Anna and the French Kiss – Stephanie Perkins
• The Paper Girl of Paris – Jordyn Taylor
• Love a la Mode – Stephanie Kate Strohm
• Kiss Me in Paris – Catherine Rider

England

England is another destination I’ve “been to” multiple times. Most books were set in London, but a few that I’ve read were in other cities that sound just as great. I can easily picture it due to the times I’ve seen London depicted through shows and movies, but I feel like I’ve been to more of it through reading some of these books:

• A Question of Holmes – Brittany Cavallaro
• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight – Jennifer E. Smith
• A Quiet Kind of Thunder – Sara Barnard
• Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
• The Lost Apothecary – Sarah Penner
• A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow – Laura Taylor Namey

Ireland and Italy

Ireland is a dream destination for sure. I don’t even think books can do it justice. I’d love to travel here with my mom someday before anything happens to either of us. She was the one who got me into wanting to see this country in the first place. Then Italy is more for me because of my heritage, though again, it’s not as high up on the list as other places. But Jenna Evans Welch’s first book made me really want to go… and try some gelato in Italy.

• Love & Luck – Jenna Evans Welch (Ireland)
• Scarlett – Alexandra Ripley (Ireland)
• Artemis Fowl – Eion Colfer (Ireland)
• Love & Gelato – Jenna Evans Welch (Italy)
• Paris is Always a Good Idea – Jenn McKinlay (Ireland; Paris; Italy)

Other Countries/Continents

There are some countries I’ve only “been to” once or twice. That’s not to say that I didn’t like the setting of the novels, but more that I haven’t found any more that take place there. Greece is a top one that I’d like to go to more through books (and obviously in real life) as well as Australia and Scotland. 

• Love & Olives – Jenna Evans Welch (Greece)
• The Trouble With Flying – Rachel Morgan (South Africa)
• Impossible Music – Sean Williams (Australia)
• The Last of August – Brittany Cavallaro (Germany; England)
• Exit, Pursued by a Bear – E.K. Johnston (Ontario, Canada)
• I Will Always Write Back – Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda (Zimbabwe) 
• The Bookshop on the Corner – Jenny Colgan (Scotland)
• Royals (Prince Charming) – Rachel Hawkins (Scotland)
• Warcross – Marie Lu – (Japan)

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For some reason I feel like I’ve read more books that are set in other countries, or at least more that were set in Paris… but those are all I’m coming up with for now. It could be that those books I’m thinking of are on my TBR list since that’s just a never-ending thing. Maybe I’ll do a post of books on my TBR that are set in other countries to see for sure.

Because I had some fun with this, I am planning on doing similar posts for traveling through books, including the states in the USA and other worlds that I’ve been to through books. Seems like a fun little series, and given what I said above, I’ll do either a couple posts or one collective post for books on my TBR that take place in different places.

What are some countries you’ve been to through books? Have you read any of these books or are they on your TBR?