our favorite travel quotes

It is no secret that our favorite travel book is The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton, and a lot of this website and our urge to travel, pause and observe has been influenced by his writing. The chapter on Provence, for example, is simply marvelous. We won’t spoil it for you – just get a copy and read it cover to cover – its a short book, or if you prefer, get it on audio. Here are some additional quotes that have influenced us and our urge to travel quite a bit. We hope they touch you in the same way.

On getting out:

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” — St. Augustine

On destinations:

“Decide how you want to feel, and go wherever it takes to feel that way.”  — Andy Hayes

On preparing to travel:

“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” — Susan Heller

On travel experiences:

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” — James Michener

On the innocence of travel:

“I can’t think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything.” — Bill Bryson

On getting lost:

“Don’t be a tourist. Plan less. Go slowly. I traveled in the most inefficient way possible and it took me exactly where I wanted to go.” — National Geographic’s Andrew Evans

On self-awareness:

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” — Henry David Thoreau

On travel:

“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” — Paul Theroux