Bookstores Worth a Trip
Legendary bookshops that deserve a detour, and how to visit them without the crowds.
Plan a Literary TripBookshops That Are Destinations
Some bookstores are worth crossing a city, or an ocean, to see. They are part history, part architecture and part community, and they almost always send you home with a heavier suitcase. Here are the shops readers talk about most, with tips for visiting.
Shakespeare and Company (Paris)
The famous English-language bookshop on the Left Bank, across the Seine from Notre-Dame. Expect a line in busy months; it is worth it.
Powell’s City of Books (Portland, Oregon)
A huge independent bookstore in downtown Portland, with new and used books shelved side by side. Pick up a store map at the door.
The Strand (New York)
The landmark Manhattan bookstore near Union Square, known for its miles of new, used and rare books.
Livraria Lello (Porto, Portugal)
An ornate bookshop famous for its carved wood and sweeping red staircase. Entry is by ticket, and the shop says the ticket value can be put toward a book.
Barter Books (Alnwick, England)
One of Britain’s largest secondhand bookshops, set in a Victorian railway station in Northumberland.
Hay-on-Wye (Wales)
Not one shop but a whole town of them, best combined with the Hay Festival or a quiet weekday visit.
How to Visit a Famous Bookshop
The best-known shops are now tourist attractions in their own right, and that changes how you should plan. Go early in the day or late on a weekday if you want to browse rather than queue. Respect photo rules, which some shops restrict, and buy something if you can: these are working businesses, not museums.
Ask the staff. Booksellers in great shops love recommending local authors and books about the city you are visiting, and a novel set where you are staying is the best souvenir there is.
Bookshop Trips by City
- Paris: combine Shakespeare and Company with the bouquinistes, the riverside booksellers along the Seine.
- New York: The Strand is a short walk from Greenwich Village’s literary streets and many independent shops.
- Portland: Powell’s can fill a whole rainy day on its own.
- Porto: pair Livraria Lello with port-wine cellars across the river.
- Northern England: Barter Books combines with Alnwick Castle and the Northumberland coast.
Do not skip the small shops
The famous names are only the start. Nearly every literary town has an independent bookshop that stocks local history, regional writers and the books set nearby, from Haworth and Bath to Concord and Key West. These shops are often where you learn about the reading in the church tonight, the walking tour on Saturday or the grave you did not know was in the next village. Give yourself an hour in one wherever you stay.
Shipping books home can cost more than the books. Leave space in your luggage, or ask the shop about mailing. Hotels near these shops are easy to compare on Rooms Cheap, and the Official Travel Directory has guides for each city.
Plan a Bookshop Getaway
Paris, Portland, Porto or a Welsh book town: a specialist can plan the flights and a hotel within walking distance of the shelves.
Get Free Trip Quotes