There is nothing better than finding a reason to laugh on the road. The following eight books are some of the funniest travel books ever written. The curated list includes something for every sense of humor and ranges from the Victorian period to the present day.

1. The Innocents Abroad (Mark Twain)

The Innocents Abroad was Mark Twain’s witty account of a grand tour of Europe and the Holy Land with a group of travelers in the 1860s. Unlike his better-known masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain’s travel book is based on true events. Twain provides humorous and controversial observations about the people he encounters at each of the locations, including Italy, France, and the Holy Land. In addition, Twain gives interesting insights into the human condition. He also pokes fun at elitism.

2. In a Sunburned Country (Bill Bryson)

Bill Bryson is one of the funnier modern-day travel writers. He brings humor to his readers with a combination of wit and thoughtful observations. In a Sunburned Country is one of the rare books that pokes fun at Australia while honoring it as a great destination at the same time. Bryson’s run-ins with dangerous local animals and his take on Australian rules football were particularly funny. 

3. Holidays in Hell: In Which Our Intrepid Reporter Travels to the World’s Worst Places and Asks, What’s Funny About This (P. J. O’Rourke)

Holidays in Hell follows the travels of P. J. O’Rourke to what he believes are the hellholes of the globe. Unlike Bryson’s, O’Rourke’s observations are harsh and won’t win him any friends in the countries he wrote about. If political and cultural opinions given in a no-holds-barred manner work for you, this travelogue will have you either laughing or steaming. Note that it was written in the 1980s, so some of the material is dated.

4. Travels with Alice (Calvin Trillin)

Travels with Alice is one of the funnier travel books you’ve never heard of. While Trillin is a well-known humorist, this gem is his only foray into the travel genre. The book consists of fifteen essays that follow Trillin and his family as they travel in search of the elusive treasures of Europe and the Caribbean. It provides funny insights into traveling with family, along with unique observations about each location. The “Gelati Fever” chapter was a personal favorite in the book.

5. The Clumsiest People in Europe (Todd Pruzan)

The Clumsiest People in Europe is more about laughing at the author and the time period than chuckling about the cultural slurs that are tossed around in this Victorian-era children’s guide to the world by Favell Lee Mortimer. No country or group of people escaped Mrs. Mortimer’s unpleasantness, from the French and Portuguese to the Australians and South Africans. It makes one happy to be living in the 21st century.

6. There’s No Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled (Doug Lansky, Editor)

The only collection on this list of funny travel books, There’s No Toilet Paper…on the Road Less Traveled is a nice way to gauge which writers give you belly laughs. The short stories range from “Failing to Learn Japanese in Only Five Minutes” to “The Art of Riding a Third World Bus.” Most of the stories are lighthearted and focus on the mishaps of each writer verses cultural judgments. The tale about getting locked in a Dutch bathroom is priceless.

7. Westward Ha! (S. J. Perelman)

Westward Ha! is a humorous jaunt around the world taken by S. J. Perelman (was wrote for The New Yorker) and caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. Perelman’s command of English syntax is astonishing, and the addition of Hirschfeld’s art will have you smirking throughout.

8. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)

Far from a traditional travel guide, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is considered to be the funniest science fiction book ever written. Penned by Douglas Adams, this story follows Arthur Dent, an average British citizen, on a myriad of space adventures. Travelers will get a kick out of the bizarre, thought-provoking situations Dent finds himself in throughout the book. Too bad we can’t all put a Babel fish in our ear to understand every language in the universe.

Minor updates and edits were made from the original article.

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Gennaro Salamone is the founder and editor of Enduring Wanderlust. Please contact him with questions regarding article or photo submissions.