Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Art of Travel summary
Learn how to get the most out of your next travel adventure
22 mins
Brief summary
The Art of Travel by Alain De Botton is a philosophical exploration of why we travel and what we hope to gain from it. The book encourages us to look at travel as a means of self-discovery and personal growth.
Topics
Table of Contents
The Art of Travel
Summary of 8 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 8
Dreams of travel are often quite different from actual trips, in part because you can't travel away from yourself.
Human life is often one long quest for happiness, and the means to this often elusive end are myriad. Some turn to money; others, to love. Still others seek happiness and meaning in travel.
But the reality of travel often has little in common with the vague fantasies that first inspire one to hit the road, a disparity that’s nicely captured in A Rebours, a French novel written by Joris-Karl Huysmans in 1884.
The book’s protagonist, the Duke of Esseintes, is a recluse and a misanthrope; he despises the society of his local village and spends his days holed up in his room, reading classic literature.
But his reading inspires him to reenter the world. The duke reads Charles Dickens, whose vivid descriptions of foggy London fill him with a longing to see the famous city. Soon, he packs his bags and sets forth.
While still in Paris, to kill time before his train leaves for the first leg of the trip to London, the protagonist enters an English bookstore and purchases a London guidebook. Still full of his London enthusiasm, he then goes to an English tavern, teeming with swarthy British maids and smelling of beer and meat.
But all this premature Britishness takes the wind out of the duke’s sails. When the time comes to board the train to London, he is utterly worn out. So, instead of facing the inconveniences of train travel – dashing to the station, finding a porter, sleeping in a compartment, standing in lines – he returns home, never to embark on another journey again for the rest of his days.
The disappointments of travel certainly aren’t limited to fiction, and they affect people in the twenty-first century as much as they did those in the nineteenth.
For starters, travel isn’t the best way to escape from your problems, because wherever you go – well, there you’ll be.
The author once went to Barbados. He’d been looking forward to an escape from his day-to-day routine, some time to relax and release. But when he got there, he couldn’t simply relax and enjoy the gorgeous scenery or the scrumptious fresh fruit; rather, he felt melancholic and anxious, just as he had back home in London.
Actual travel is usually far less glamorous than the dreams one has of it. But traveling still has a world of wonders to reveal – it’s just about adjusting our modern approach to it.
Want to see all full key ideas from The Art of Travel?
Key ideas in The Art of Travel
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The Art of Travel about?
The Art of Travel (2002) is an unorthodox guide to traveling. Unlike conventional travel guides, Alain de Botton’s book is more of a philosophical globe-trotter’s handbook, exploring the reasons behind our urge to discover new places and offering some general tips for making travel more enjoyable.
The Art of Travel Review
The Art of Travel (2002) by Alain De Botton offers insightful reflections on the nature of travel and why we embark on journeys. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:
- It explores the powerful connection between travel and self-discovery, revealing how our inner thoughts and emotions shape our experiences in unfamiliar places.
- Taking inspiration from history, art, and literature, the book provides a fresh perspective on famous landmarks and encourages readers to see beyond the surface of tourist attractions.
- With its thought-provoking ideas and unique blend of philosophy and travel narratives, the book captivates readers, making the exploration of new destinations anything but boring.
Best quote from The Art of Travel
It seems we may best be able to inhabit a place when we are not faced with the additional challenge of having to be there.
—Alain De Botton
Who should read The Art of Travel?
- Avid travelers
- Culture vultures
- Aspiring authors and freelance journalists eager to work while on the move
Categories with The Art of Travel
Book summaries like The Art of Travel
How Proust Can Change Your Life
Alain de Botton
Valuable Insights Into Living Your Best Life
26 min
4.6
Made You Look
Carmen Simon
How to Use Brain Science to Attract Attention and Persuade Others
13 min
4.0
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
33 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
The Art of Travel FAQs
What is the main message of The Art of Travel?
The main message of The Art of Travel is to find beauty and meaning in our journeys, both physical and mental.
How long does it take to read The Art of Travel?
The reading time for The Art of Travel varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Art of Travel a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Art of Travel is worth reading because it offers insightful reflections on travel and our perception of the world.
Who is the author of The Art of Travel?
The author of The Art of Travel is Alain de Botton.
What to read after The Art of Travel?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Art of Travel, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- How to Travel the World on $50 a Day by Matt Kepnes
- How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton
- Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves
- The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracián y Morales
- Psychological Types by Carl Jung
- The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton
- Extremely Hardcore by Zoë Schiffer
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
- The School of Life by Alain de Botton and The School of Life
- You Only Die Once by Jodi Wellman