The cultured traveler knows the value of a good book to pass the hours, whether high in the air on a Trans-Atlantic flight or speeding through the Chunnel aboard the Eurostar. And while many of the sumptuously produced titles published by Paris-based luxury bookseller Assouline are too substantial to cart in your carry-on, they effortlessly capture the glamour and élan of the grand holiday.

At Assouline's new New York boutique, which opened in the Plaza Hotel this month, you'll find yourself transported abroad by elegantly photographed tributes to the "spirit" of destinations like St. Tropez, Aspen, Venice and more ($40 each). Or if you're in France this summer, stop by the Paris flagship store to pick up a copy of "Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc" ($50). It's a rare opportunity to peek inside the grounds of the famously discreet hideaway on the French Riviera, and might just convince you to add an extra stop to your itinerary.

What sets Assouline apart from its peers in the world of high-end picture book publishing -- Taschen, Phaidon, Abrams -- is the cohesiveness of its aesthetic: to buy a book here is to buy a slice of founder Prosper Assouline's clear-eyed vision of cosmopolitan chic.

Fortunately for the literate road warrior, Assouline offers the "Bon Voyage Suitcase" ($295, pictured above left).  Adorned with vintage destination stickers, it contains four neatly wrapped, best-selling travel titles - "In the Spirit of Cannes," "Paris Hotel Stories," "Island Hotel Stories" and "Adventure Hotel Stories." If, on the other hand, you prefer to bring the whole library with you, select a custom-designed Goyard trunk in black or white leather, packed with one hundred art, fashion and design books from Assouline's signature "Memoirs" collection ($20,000, special order).

Don't know where to start? A list of our top five Assouline travel books after the jump...

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Town & Country's August issue is on the stands and we are rolling out its travel stories online:

Going to visit your friends in the Hamptons and want to bring more than the de rigeur bottle of wine? Always wanted to see gorillas in the wild? Wondering what people are buzzing about in Chicago (a new museum, pictured left), or where to dine in Dallas? Check out these stories:

- Unique hostess gifts

- Gorillas in the Midst

- Chicago's New Gem: The Driehaus Museum

- Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek Gets a Makeover

We'll continue rolling out August's travel stories throughout the month, and in early August, look for our coverage from Town & Country's fall issue, including our reports on trips to Yunnan province in China, New York's Hudson River Valley, Easter Island, and Copenhagen.

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