Some people travel to experience new cultures or learn about history. Some seek thrill and adventure, while others go to rest and recharge. Me? I’m the kind of person to travel for books. I’m not alone either – according to Explore Worldwide, 72 per cent of travellers have visited or considered visiting a destination after reading a novel set there. Clearly, book-based tourism is on the rise. So, what cities should readers be adding to their 2025 bucket list? By analysing countless reviews from across Google and TripAdvisor, language learning platform Preply has your itinerary booked. From a beloved boutique in London to a popular Parisian icon, these are the best bookshops around the world. Best get packing, bookworms!
The top three bookshops in the world are…
1. Daunt Books
For any avid reader, it will come as no surprise that Daunt Books in London is officially 2025’s most popular bookshop in the world. The independent chain, which originally only published travel books, launched its flagship store on Marylebone’s High Street in 1990. Since then, nine other locations across the city have opened, including in Notting Hill, Hampstead and Marlow.
Bookworms often settle in to read among the shelves. (Image: Pauline Loroy)
But it’s the original store that came out on top, with an overall rating of 96.58. Daunt’s expansion into fiction, as well as other non-fiction genres, saw it explode in popularity, with Edwardian architecture, oak balconies and ornate windows only adding to its endless charm. But for the wanderlust-afflicted, it still primarily offers an incredible selection of travel-based literature.
Daunt’s flagship store is in the London borough of Marylebone. (Image: Ugur Akdemir)
2. El Ateneo Grand Splendid
Coming in second place is El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which is often referred to as the Paris of South America. Considered one of the biggest bookshops in the world, it is currently home to over 120,000 books and wears its 95.9 public rating like a badge of honour.
First opened as a theatre in 1919, El Ateneo retains most of its original decor – from the fresco ceiling painted by Nazareno Orlandi to the rounded balconies and red curtains framing the stage. It was converted to a bookstore in 2000 and, eight years later, was voted 2008’s most beautiful bookshop in the world by The Guardian.
El Ateneo is housed in a converted theatre. (Image: Alex Person)
3. State Library of Victoria
In exciting news, an Aussie landmark took out the third spot. While the State Library of Victoria is not really a bookshop, it is home to Readings, the first-ever permanent commercial bookshop permitted within the building since it opened in 1854. It is also recognised as the oldest public library in Australia; while the State Library of NSW is technically the oldest (established in 1826), it only opened to the public in 1869.
The State Library of Victoria opened in 1856. (Image: Neon Wang)
The State Library of Victoria is an icon of Melbourne’s cityscape, its Neoclassical design and classic Victorian touches rivalling some of the world’s most beautiful buildings. Inside is just as awe-inspiring – with fluted ionic columns, Tasmanian freestone work and a stunning octastyle portico. With over two million books on display inside, it’s no wonder it made the list.
What does the rest of the top 10 look like?
Coming in fourth place is Bookstore Dominicanen in Maastricht, The Netherlands, followed by The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles and Starfield Library in Seoul. Shakespeare & Company out of Paris, Powell’s Books in the US city of Portland, Dublin’s Trinity College Library and Venice’s Libreria Acqua Alta round out the top 10.
Seoul’s Starfield Library also made the list. (Image: AiMuse/Getty Images)
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Taylah Darnell is International Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, and this life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. After graduating, she began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's fairly certain nothing can top witnessing the northern lights in Norway, she'd love to explore Scotland and Ireland next.
Why travellers are increasingly dreaming of a white Christmas – and the best places to experience one for yourself.
If the Euro summer has long been Australians’ defining holiday, the white Christmas may well be emerging as its frosty successor.
Booking data from APT Travel Group has revealed that Australians are planning long-haul travel further in advance and increasingly swapping summer at home for a white Christmas abroad.
Why more travellers are booking a white Christmas
Find festive spirit in abundance in Tallinn, Estonia. (Credit: Unsplash/Dmitry Sumin)
Part of the shift is practical. With the Australian Government recently downgrading its travel warning for parts of the Middle East, travellers’ confidence in long-haul travel is returning as key transit hubs for Australians travelling to Europe reopen.
But accessibility alone isn’t the reason we’re seeing an incline in festive winter holiday bookings.
This year, Australia has experienced a particularly patchy start to the snow season, reminding travellers of how unpredictable winter has become and leading them to look overseas for their next wintry escape. At the same time, rising global temperatures are making reliable snowfall less certain across many parts of the world. Ironically, the rarer a classic white Christmas becomes, the more alluring it feels.
Travellers are increasingly looking overseas for guaranteed snowy escapes. (Credit: Unsplash/Joni Kuusisto)
Behavioural psychologists have long observed what they call the ‘scarcity effect’: we tend to assign greater value and desirability to experiences that feel limited or increasingly out of reach. A white Christmas – once an annual tradition for many – has evolved into a bucket-list experience.
It’s also a novel antidote to the Australian festive season. Rather than scorching pavements and beachside barbecues, travellers want to experience the Christmas they’ve spent their whole lives watching in films: snow-dusted pines, chestnuts roasting over an open fire and streets glowing beneath tinsel garlands and fairy lights. Nostalgia sells, but even more so when we feel like it might not always be available to experience.
For decades, Australians have sought to escape winter in search of a European summer. Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way. Below are the top places to have yourself a very Merry Christmas in the snow.
The best places to have a white Christmas
Finland
Finland is one of the best destinations for a white Christmas. Credit: APT)
When you’re set on experiencing a blanket-white Christmas, your best bet is to go north. Thanks to its chilly temperatures and geographical proximity to the Arctic Circle (nearly one third of the country’s landmass lies within the Arctic region), travellers are guaranteed to see snow during Finland’s winter months. Plus, the possibility of witnessing the northern lights ribboning across the sky makes the experience all the more magical.
Tallinn, Estonia
The city of Tallinn has a UNESCO-listed medieval town. (Credit: Unsplash/Ilya Orehov)
While places like Finland and Norway are coveted Christmas destinations, they certainly aren’t easy on the wallet. Estonia’s charming medieval capital of Tallinn is one of the best places to have a white Christmas on a budget, boasting Gothic spires, an intimate atmosphere and toasty market stalls selling everything from handicrafts to sugar-coated almonds. While snow over the Christmas period isn’t guaranteed these days, the country is further north and generally colder than Western European countries such as Germany and the Netherlands.
Canada
Explore the Christmas lights of Whistler. (Credit: APT)
With its festive spirit, friendly locals and picturesque landscapes, Canada is a top contender for the best place for a white Christmas. Victoria in British Columbia has just about every Christmas tradition covered in one town: a main street of snow-frosted stores, a gingerbread competition, a visit to see the reindeer and horse-drawn trolley rides; while Alberta will see you embracing cosy holiday traditions with the spectacular Canadian Rockies as your backdrop.
If you can’t choose just one destination, the Twelve Days of Christmas tour by APT includes Christmas in Banff, sleigh rides at Lake Louise, Vancouver’s Canyon Lights and the Canadian Rockies. “It’s a relaxed, accessible way to get a proper white Christmas, snow guaranteed rather than hoped for,” says Sarah Latimore, international GM Product & Operations at APT.
New York, USA
Central Park dusted with snow is all but magical. (Credit: Unsplash/Caitlyn Wilson)
Yes, films have been romanticising Christmas in New York for decades, but there’s a reason: the cool shift transforms the grand metropolis into what feels like a cinematic village where families glide over ice skating rinks in Central Park, dazzling displays illuminate the streets and carollers sing outside cosy bars with crackling fireplaces.
Germany
Browse bountiful Christmas markets in Regensburg. (Credit: APT)
Germany does Christmas with all the trimmings, especially the Christmas markets; there are hundreds (if not thousands) to choose between in picture-postcard historical towns across the country. Dresden has one of the oldest markets in the country, while Regensburg offers four fairy-light festooned markets within its UNESCO-listed medieval old town.
London, UK
Cosy up in London for the winter. (Credit: Unsplash/Zhang Kaiyv)
London is a prime place to celebrate a white Christmas with little people: Hamleys alone is worth getting on a plane for! Not only do many hotels offer holiday packages for families, but the sight of latticed snowflakes drifting from the sky on a rugged-up stroll along the Thames is nothing short of enchanting.
Prague, Czech Republic
Escape to the charming city of Prague. (Credit: Unsplash/Lukas Konvica)
Offering Gothic architecture, charming cobbled streets and spiced pastries in spades, Prague is among the best places to spend a white Christmas. Come Advent season, when a dusting of snow may cover its ancient castle, and the smell of roasting ham rises from the market stalls, it becomes utterly unforgettable.
Niseko, Japan
Hit the slopes for a Christmas spent skiing in Niseko. (Credit: Unsplash/Kristian Klausen)
You don’t need to fly all the way to Europe to enjoy a wintry Christmas abroad. On Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, Niseko is a wonderland for travellers wishing to spend the Christmas season carving up the ski slopes. Promising festive events such as fireworks and giant illuminated trees, as well as plenty of the fluffy white stuff, this ski resort town doesn’t disappoint.
Is Europe or Canada better for a white Christmas?
Europe and Canada are the two most popular destinations among Australian travellers booking wintry Christmas escapes. But which is right for you? Sarah Latimore, international GM Product & Operations at APT, says the answer hinges on your travel interests and preferences.
“Europe suits travellers who want depth, variety and a bit of indulgence, moving through centuries-old Christmas market traditions city by city,” Latimore says.
“Canada is for travellers chasing that classic, snow globe white Christmas. Think twinkling lights and decorations through Whistler and Banff, evenings by an open fire in a Fairmont hotel, and the kind of moments that define the season: dog sledding, sleigh rides, snow underfoot rather than sand.
“Neither is the ‘right’ choice universally; it comes down to matching the traveller. Someone chasing romance and heritage will lean Europe. Someone chasing a classic, white Christmas will lean Canada.”
