Happiness
Botton often talks about happiness in the book, which is a key motif. He argues that people often get the idea of happiness wrong, and pursue things that will not bring them true fulfillment.
Travel
For Botton, Travel symbolizes many different things. Significantly, it symbolizes the opportunity to experience the transcendent and something greater than oneself.
Exotic
In this book, Botton describes the allure of things that are "exotic" to a person. He argues that this desire for the exotic ultimately leads people to believe that they will find something to resolve all their problems while traveling, which isn't necessarily the truth.
Aesthetic experiences
Botton often writes about the importance of beauty, and how humans have a keen sense of what is beautiful in the world around them. The nature of beauty is a key motif and is discussed in many of Botton's essays.
Symbollic travelling
In this book, Botton describes a few of his traveling experiences. Often, he is inspired by a certain piece of art and when he goes to these locations there is a symbolic meaning behind them. For example, he travels to the Lake District in England after reading the poetry of William Wordsworth.
