If you’re wondering whether this book list was inspired by the 1987 John Hughes movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles, you’re correct. At least, it was inspired by the movie title—and ever since, haven’t we all been using the phrase? As summer approaches, my mind is on road trips, vacations, and all the ways we travel. It got me thinking about the books that hone in on different forms of transportation and voilà! This book list was born.
Whether or not you intend to hit the road, take to the skies, or ride the rails in the coming months, our transportation-minded fiction book list can take you away with this fun array of novels set on planes, trains, and automobiles. Some characters are traveling short distances for quotidian reasons; others are embarking on grand adventures. We feature a variety of genres, with literary fiction, contemporary fiction, mystery, historical fiction, thrillers, and even romance. Of course, we’re only scratching the surface here: I hope you’ll share your favorites in our comments section, and continue to think about your favorite reads that take place on planes, trains, and automobiles.
Novels set on airplanes
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The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
This YA novel from Jennifer Smith features two teenagers falling in love on an intercontinental flight. When Hadley misses her flight by a mere four minutes, she's devastated: she's supposed to fly to London for her father's second wedding and missing the plane ruins everything. But then she hits it off with a handsome British teen in the waiting area, and things start looking up—especially when the two find themselves sitting next to each other on what is now their shared flight to London. They get on so well that they wonder if fate brought them together—but then they're separated in the chaos at Heathrow, and it will take a miracle for their paths to cross again. My family enjoyed the film adaptation that released last fall. More info →
Circling the Sun: A Novel
In the spirit of her debut The Paris Wife, McClain’s biographical novel chronicles the life of Beryl Markham, who is best known for her 1936 solo flight across the Atlantic. Markham was the daughter of British colonials, raised in East Africa’s Mau Forest “before Kenya was Kenya.” She’s known as an aviatrix, but McClain clearly relishes highlighting how Markham enjoyed flouting conventions of all kinds. More info →
Her Last Flight
It’s 1947 and photographer and war correspondent Janey Everett plans on writing a biography about famed aviator Sam Mallory whose plane disappeared while fighting in the Spanish Civil War. His plane wreck was recently discovered, making Janey even more invested in her project. She tracks down Mallory’s old flying partner Irene Foster, whose exploits during a 1937 round-the-world flight remain an unsolved mystery. While Irene initially disavows all knowledge of Mallory, Janey eventually convinces her to share the tale of her own fascinating flying career, complicated relationship with Mallory, and everything that happened next. Content warnings apply. More info →
The Love Connection
The first in a trilogy of flirty and spicy airport novellas sized just right for breezy summer reading. Ollie, an airport-based pet groomer, develops a serious crush on the handsome frequent flier she sees every Tuesday at the gate by her shop. When a runaway pup brings Ollie face-to-face with him at last, she discovers he’s not just a pretty face. Bennett is a professional risk assessor by day, romance novelist by night, and to Ollie’s great surprise, he needs her help. This is just the ticket if you need a quick win for your reading life. (Open door.) More info →
The Flight Attendant
This suspenseful thriller is filled with satisfying twists and turns. It’s a normal morning for flight attendant Cassie Bowden: she wakes up with her usual hangover in a Dubai hotel room and tries to remember what happened the night before. And then she notices the man sharing her bed is dead. And not just dead: murdered. She can’t remember what happened but it doesn’t look good for her. So she decides to go to work as planned, get out of the country, and pretend as if nothing's wrong. But Cassie can’t run from her alcoholism and lies forever. A suspenseful novel with satisfying twists and turns. More info →
Great Circle
An epic dual timeline tale with complex characters. Marian Graves, daredevil aviatrix, had an unconventional life from the start. She and her twin are rescued as infants from a sinking ship in 1914, then raised by their disreputable uncle. By 14, she drops out of school to pursue her dream of flying by way of unconventional means and a dangerous patron. Her career builds until she finally gets to attempt to circumnavigate the globe by flying over the North and South Poles—but she disappears in Antarctica. In the present day, actress Hadley Baxter is tasked with playing Marian in a biopic. She sees this role as her chance to show Hollywood what she can do, not realizing how much she has in common with Marian. Content warnings apply. More info →
Novels set on trains
Murder on the Orient Express
It was supposed to be the perfect crime. But an avalanche stops the Orient Express in its tracks just before a passenger is found murdered in his berth, foiling the perpetrator's getaway, and trapping 13 potential suspects—each with an airtight alibi—in the train car with Inspector Hercule Poirot. This is a classic for a reason. Audiobook lovers: Dan Stevens's narration is fantastic. More info →
The Last Train to Key West
Three women's lives become entangled over the course of Labor Day weekend, 1935, when the storm of the century slams into Key West. The story is told from multiple perspectives, those of three different women who seem to hold little in common, but whose lives are about to intersect in ways no one could foresee. Helen is a Key West native, poor and pregnant, fleeing her abusive husband. Mirta is Cuban, newly married to a man she barely knows, and just beginning her honeymoon. And Elizabeth, who’s come south on a dangerous search for a long-lost loved one. A captivating novel about a little-known historical event. More info →
One Last Stop
A twenty-something overcomes the impossible to find love and the family she longs for in this time-slip romance inspired by Kate & Leopold. Adrift and lonely, 23-year-old August moved to New York City with hopes of leaving the past behind and building a new life. To her great surprise, things start going well. She bumps into Jane (literally) on the Q line, developing a serious crush on the beautiful girl with the retro punk rock look. August is terrified she’ll never see Jane again, but then she does—on the Q line. It turns out Jane has been stuck on the Q line since the 1970s. If August and Jane are to get their happy ending, Jane needs to figure out how to get her unstuck—with the help of her friends, of course. Delightfully frothy and feel-good. More info →
Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect
This meta locked-room mystery is a lot of fun, especially for readers who enjoy characters breaking the fourth wall. When the Australian Mystery Writers’ Society invites debut author Ernest Cunningham to their crime-writing festival aboard a famous luxury train, he’s only hoping to mingle with peers and get some inspiration for his second book. But then, one of the attendees is murdered and it’s time for the rest of the authors to put their detective hats on. If anyone can solve a crime, it should be mystery writers. Except…that means mystery writers also know how to commit a crime. More info →
Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting
Regular commuters tend to keep to themselves, even if they see the same people on the train every day. 57-year-old magazine advice columnist Iona sees nothing wrong with this. She and her dog Lulu take the train without talking to anyone and it suits them well. Until one day a fellow commuter almost chokes on a grape and is rescued by another commuter who happens to be a nurse. It forms a bond for the train car, as the eclectic inhabitants learn talking to strangers just might be worth it after all. More info →
The Underground Railroad
In this imaginative piece of historical fiction, the Underground Railroad of history becomes a subway—an actual locomotive, powered by coal and running on an actual track below the surface. Whitehead drew inspiration from Gulliver's Travels and real-life heroine Harriet Jacobs for his story of Cora, an enslaved Georgia woman who sets out on a heroic quest to find freedom in the North. A 2016 National Book Award Winner for Fiction and a 2017 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction. More info →
Novels set on automobiles
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour
Be forewarned: this YA novel is sure to inspire wanderlust. After her family (or what's left of it) impulsively moves from California to Connecticut, Amy has to get her car cross-country. There's just one problem: because of a tragic accident, Amy doesn't drive. Enter Roger, an old family friend who volunteers to come along for the ride, and who is dealing with his own heartbreak. Before long, the two friends decide to ditch her mom's carefully-orchestrated route in favor of the scenic route, stopping to see familiar haunts, old loves, and plenty of small town America. Matson adds color to this sweet story with emails, receipts, and playlists galore. More info →
The Wangs vs. the World
Chinese immigrant Charles Wang made his fortune with a cosmetics empire in America, only to have it ruined by a financial crisis. After he loses everything, he decides the family should return to China to reclaim their ancestral lands. He pulls his son Andrew and daughter Grace out of their respective colleges, grabs his wife Barbra, and sets off on a cross-country road trip to his daughter Saina's house in New York. What starts as the road trip nobody wanted turns into a chance for each family member to take stock of the way their wealth and privileged lifestyle has impacted them, how their lives changed once the children’s mother died, and whether they can grow closer together now. More info →
The Road to Roswell
Snappy dialogue, a zany cast of characters, and a heart-warming plot make this the perfect escape. Francie lands in Roswell, home of the original UFO crash, steeling herself to talk her best friend out of marrying a UFO true believer. But before she can make any progress she's—you guessed it—abducted by a tumbleweed-shaped alien and forced to drive like the blazes across the New Mexico desert. Along the way the duo acquire a merry band of misfits including a charming con man, a little old lady with a secret, a Western-loving retiree, and a UFO-chaser. This was pure delight, but with a backbone. More info →
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Have you ever wondered what cats are really thinking? Meet Nana, a sarcastic feral cat who was rescued by Satoru five years ago. It’s a good arrangement: Satoru gives him treats and sometimes he lets Satoru pet him. One day Satoru puts Nana in the van and they set off on a road trip around Japan, final destination unknown. As they meet Satoru’s old friends, Nana tries to make sense of why they’re on the trip and why these strangers are so interested in him. Needless to say, Nana and Satoru have different opinions, culminating in a heartwarming tail. I mean, tale. Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel. More info →
You, with a View
When Noelle’s TikTok about her recently deceased grandmother’s secret first love goes viral, she unexpectedly reunites with her high school rival Theo in this contemporary romance. Gram almost married Theo’s grandfather Paul decades ago but never told Noelle, despite how close they were. Currently unemployed and at loose ends with her life, Noelle decides to go on the honeymoon trip that never happened and Paul and Theo join her for the road trip. Noelle and Theo have a chance to get to know each other as adults, making for a chemistry-filled banter-laden time. This also explores grief and making peace with high school aspirations and expectations. This was one of team member Leigh’s best books of 2023. (Open door.) More info →
Hairpin Curves
A fun low angst road trip romance! Megan never planned on staying in Florida after graduation but years have passed without her even leaving the state but a friend’s wedding in Quebec is about to change that. When her ex-friend Scarlett suggests they road trip there, Megan reluctantly agrees. As they grapple with what ended their friendship all those years ago and realize they’re attracted to each other now, they also face a blizzard, Only One Bed, and time to figure out what they want with their jobs and each other. (Open door.) More info →
Do you have a favorite novel set on a plane, train, or automobile? Please share in the comments.
P.S. 9 books to read before (or after) a cruise vacation and Travel around the world with these 20 novels.
27 comments
Great list! I loved The Road to Roswell. Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon was fantastic as well.
Great list! I’m reading Murder on the Orient Express right now and loving it.
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano would be another great one for this list!
TJ Newman novels are set on planes for thriller fans who are not afraid to fly. Very fast reads too.
So many favorites on this list. I also enjoyed Falling and Drowning by TJ Newman, The Last Love Note by Emma Gray, and The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson.
I just finished reading “I Thought You Said This Would Work” by Ann Garvin. It was a cute story about a cross-country road trip to rescue a friend’s dog, with lots of zany adventures.
American Flygirl, by Susan Ankeny, a biography of the first Asian American to receive a pilot’s license. She was born and grew up in Portland Oregon between WWI and WWII, then was accepted into a special group, which was training in Portland to fly for the China military. This is when China was under siege from Japan. After completing the program, she moved to China with other members of the group. China military wouldn’t accept her because she was female, so she flew commercial planes in China. After Pearl Harbor, she returned to the U.S. and flew for the U.S. military as a WASP. This is a riveting story that reads like fiction!
“Tapestry of Fortunes” and “The Pull of the Moon” are two great road trip novels by Elizabeth Berg.
And I know it’s not a novel, but I love Steinbeck’s “Travels with Charlie” because it shows both how much, and sadly how little, things have changed in our world.
I am listening to Travels with Charlie right now, narrated by Gary Sinise and am really enjoying this road trip of Steinbeck!
Here are some of my favorite books that take place in vehicles:
*The Meeting Point by Olivia Lara -RomCom involving an airplane trip, Lyft rides and hot air balloons!
*The Edge of Never by JA Redmerski- Romance adjacent Women’ Fiction involving an impulse Greyhound bus trip.
*Just Haven’t Met You Yet by Sophie Cousens-Airport Meet-Cute
*Eight Perfect Hours-Lia Louis- Romance adjacent road trip during a blizzard.
Honourable mention for The Huntress by Kat Quinn, which features a character who is part of Russia’s Night Witches, female pilots who flew against the Axis powers.
One of my favorite books from the last six months is “The Girl in Seat 2A.” I listened to the audiobook version on Hoopla.
Love these recommendations! I enjoy reading novels that have travel as part of the story. The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison is a great road trip book as well as Jessica Brody’s young adult book, The Geography of Lost Things.
Sideways is a great one too, written by Rex Pickett, about two guys (one a disillusioned writer) on a road trip in California wine country.
I listened to this on audio and had to pull over because I was laughing so hard I started to cry. The movie adaptation is good but this book is by far the funniest book I’ve ever read. I will give the caveat that it definitely was written prior to the #metoo movement and i think some of the womanizing ways of the mc’s might be a bit much these days.
When I saw this list, I immediately thought of The Road Trip, by Beth O’Leary.
While Paula McLain’s Circling the Sun, which is about Beryl Markham, is good, it doesn’t hold a candle to Beryl Markham’s 1942 memoir, West With the Night. This is a beautiful, poetic book that tells her amazing story. I balked at reading this book for years because I didn’t think I would like it, and, once I did, I couldn’t believe what I almost missed. Kindle has it for $.99. Read some of the reader reviews. They say it much better than I have done. As one reader said, it should be required reading in graduate writing programs.
Thank you, Pam. I have it on my shelf. I’ve meant to read it for years. I need to move it up the stack.
America for Beginners by Leah Franqui (road trip novel)
Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith (train)
Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo (fun road trip nonfiction)
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone (middle grade road trip novel)
Fly Girl by Sherri L. Smith (WWII female pilots)
The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 by Shing Yin Khor (graphic novel format memoir of a road trip)
I recently read “Trains and Lovers” by Alexander McCall Smith. It takes place on a train trip between Edinburgh and London, which my husband and I took last year, which made it especially fun. It is a great story about four strangers that share their stories of love as they are taking the train ride.
I recommend Night Over Water by Ken Follett. Suspenseful, educational, and unputdownable!
The Lincoln Highway includes both trains and automobiles!
I just finished The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson and fell in love with this author, and how she tackle a difficult subject with grace and sensitivity. I would highly recommend this book. There were twists and turns to this book to keep it interesting. Glad one of your other blog friends suggested this book.
Anne — Speaking of travel….Can you please tell me the novel that Will shared the podcast that was a mystery set in Provence? Any other great Provence reads welcome, too. (Guess where I’m going this summer?) 🙂
Thanks!
The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis!
A few others I thought of include
The Lincoln Highway
The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise
Traveling Light by Lynne Branard
Fly Girl by Ann Hood. A memoir of being a flight attendant. And I loved Iona!
Didn’t you or one of your guests recommend something recently about a woman who comes to the US to find, I think, her son, and ends up driving across country with a tour guide? It sounded interesting to me but I can’t remember the name.