Are you craving that elusive vacation or adventure? Need some travel disaster books to remind you that trips can be horrible? This is the anti-wanderlust list, full of cures for those who are sick of staying put. These are not cutesy stories of misadventures and travel lessons learned. And they’re not extreme adventurers out on epic quests. These are just everyday people, walking right into the worst vacations.
The horror comes in many forms: psychological thrillers, supernatural foes, sinister criminals, existential crises, and a heavy dose of failing marriages. Each of these reads offers up an atmospheric sense of place and an irredeemably disastrous vacation. So cuddle up and remember there is no place like home.
(Some links below are affiliate links- at no additional cost to you I receive commission upon purchase. I devoured these reads regardless, but transparency matters!)
As Far As You Can Go by Lesley Glaister
What not to do when deciding the fate of your relationship: fly halfway around the world to work for a year in the remote Australian Outback. For a secretive man you know nothing about. A depraved, erotic, stifling story that will make you reconsider your gap year.
Day 4 by Sarah Lotz
After a horrendous cruise of my own, this one speaks to me. No help is coming and two disastrous things are at play when everything on this cruise ship quits working. One is a supernatural presence. The other is a very believable collapse of society on the ship. The latter was far more terrifying in this Stephen King-level horror show.
The Apartment by S.L. Grey
Trying to recover from the trauma of their Cape Town home invasion, this unraveling couple gives an affordable home swap in Paris a try. As disturbing as the trip is, what comes home with them is nightmare fuel. The last fifty pages are a panic-stricken, get out of there rush.
The Beach by Alex Garland
Sometime in the 80s the affordable, young backpacking scene moved from Europe to Southeast Asia and worlds collided. This is the classic backpacking tale of human failings and fallen paradise. Yes, you could just watch the diCaprio film, but the book is even darker.
Nine Perfect Strangers by Diane Moriarty
Doesn’t a restorative get-away sound lovely? Only if you really know what’s going on. Australia has several famous wellness retreats and the author of Big Little Lies uses a fictional resort mashup to play out this claustrophobic look at medical consent and the pursuit of perfection. Check it out before Hulu releases the upcoming show.
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
Forget National Lampoon’s Wally World quest. This family road trip is a joyless journey through a disintegrating marriage and America’s policies towards migrant children. With literary acclaim, Luiselli weaves an allusive and disturbing novel from disturbing headlines at the Mexican border.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
A family hike gets ugly when the 9-year-old daughter takes the wrong turn. The famous author turns down his normal boogeyman vibes and lets being lost on New England’s Appalachian Trail take over. But it is King, so there still is a stalking, omnipotent beast.
The Woman in Cabin #10 by Ruth Ware
So you want to be a travel writer and score a luxury cruise press trip? It’s all fun and games on this Arctic voyage until a body is thrown overboard in the North Sea. Or maybe our recently rattled heroine isn’t the reliable narrator we want her to be. Ware delivers up another New York Times bestselling thriller.
Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy
Another cruise gone wrong. Kids and adults get separated during a shore excursion in an unnamed Central American country. A story of families, privilege, and the atrocities that lead migrants to seek asylum. While every parent’s nightmare unfolds, we can only hope our kids are this clever and we’re not this fragile.
Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
You think you know the story. An 18-year-old American is murdered while vacationing with her family on an unnamed Caribbean island. But this tale carries on with the aftershocks in the lives of those affected and the role of class and race in travel.
The Magus by John Fowles
Here’s one for culture vultures wanting to wander Europe. A disillusioned young man is taken in by a master gaslighter and isolated on a Greek island. With a titillating Eyes Wide Shut mood, this original in travel disaster books has been a cautionary tale for seekers since 1965.
Siracusa by Delia Ephron
The best travel disaster books destroy families. In Siracusa, sexual manipulation, pretension, and a concerningly clever child start the train wreck for these two couples. Ephron lets Sicily skip the quaint Italy stereotype and go sensually gritty.
The River at Night by Erica Ferencik
Girls trip! With understandable Deliverance comparisons, four women on a rafting trip are stranded in backwoods Maine. The river run has more adrenaline, the characters have more drama, and the locals are just as creepy.
The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens
As much prose as plot, this follows three women and a young man who join together when stranded in the mountains above Palm Springs. Hours turn into days without rescue and it’s no secret from the start that not everyone will make it. A candid exploration of survival and death.
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
Poor couples. This marriage has just started when the honeymooners find, yes, something in the water when scuba diving. Things go from weird to menacing in a hurry in this New York Times #1 bestseller. Reading it on the beach is optional.
The Disaster Tourist by Yun-Koe-eun
This one is sneaky. It seems like humorous satire, a woman rediscovering herself as she takes a field assignment with her dark tourism employers. But while she’s evading sexual harassment and grappling with socially conscious traveling, you’re going to find yourself evaluating what you are actually bringing–and taking–in your own travels.
The time to travel will come again. If you find it’s hard getting out there due to anxiety, check out my tips from a therapist for Matador Network. And if you’re ready to start planning, use these tips to re-calibrate your travel goals from the lessons we’ve learned from a pandemic.
May the road rise to meet you, travelers, and may home be safe and welcoming until you get out there again.
