How To Travel Incognito
Oct 2026 · Pushkin Press
star
1 review
Ebook
224
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
About this ebook
Embark on a delightfully absurd vacation with the author of the Madeline books and Hotel Splendide as he blunders his way through 1950s France!
“A man of wit, taste and talent, Ludwig Bemelmans has earned a grateful public.” –The New York Times
In this madcap fictionalized memoir, Ludwig Bemelmans blends picaresque fantasy with his trademark sparkling humor to create an enchanting travelogue that armchair travelers everywhere will enjoy!
When Bemelmans meets the dashing but destitute Comte de St. Cucuface on a Paris train, he is swept into a deliciously absurd adventure across postwar France. Under the Count’s tutelage, Bemelmans learns to hoodwink strangers with immaculate manners and effortless charm, adopting the persona of a German prince and joining his new companion on a series of outlandish escapades.
Together, the unlikely pair travel in extravagant style, living lavishly on nothing at all. They dine in grand hotels, schmooze millionaires and outwit restaurateurs, spinning elaborate tales of faded aristocracy and glorious pasts for the brash nouveaux riches eager to believe them.
Brimming with Bemelmans’ quick wit and whimsical black and white illustrations, this beautifully rendered, fictionalized romp from the beloved creator of Madeline captures a France poised between eras, where the old-world elegance of a vanishing class lingers amid the glitter of the new.
A mischievous ode to self-invention and appetite, How to Travel in Incognito is an outlandishly funny how-to guide to holidaying without a first-class ticket, but with ample gumption for a life of deluxe adventure.
“A man of wit, taste and talent, Ludwig Bemelmans has earned a grateful public.” –The New York Times
In this madcap fictionalized memoir, Ludwig Bemelmans blends picaresque fantasy with his trademark sparkling humor to create an enchanting travelogue that armchair travelers everywhere will enjoy!
When Bemelmans meets the dashing but destitute Comte de St. Cucuface on a Paris train, he is swept into a deliciously absurd adventure across postwar France. Under the Count’s tutelage, Bemelmans learns to hoodwink strangers with immaculate manners and effortless charm, adopting the persona of a German prince and joining his new companion on a series of outlandish escapades.
Together, the unlikely pair travel in extravagant style, living lavishly on nothing at all. They dine in grand hotels, schmooze millionaires and outwit restaurateurs, spinning elaborate tales of faded aristocracy and glorious pasts for the brash nouveaux riches eager to believe them.
Brimming with Bemelmans’ quick wit and whimsical black and white illustrations, this beautifully rendered, fictionalized romp from the beloved creator of Madeline captures a France poised between eras, where the old-world elegance of a vanishing class lingers amid the glitter of the new.
A mischievous ode to self-invention and appetite, How to Travel in Incognito is an outlandishly funny how-to guide to holidaying without a first-class ticket, but with ample gumption for a life of deluxe adventure.
Embark on a delightfully absurd vacation with the author of the Madeline books and Hotel Splendide as he blunders his way through 1950s France!
“A man of wit, taste and talent, Ludwig Bemelmans has earned a grateful public.” –The New York Times
In this madcap fictionalized memoir, Ludwig Bemelm...
Discover more
Ratings and reviews
1 review
Hal Kid Jr.
- Flag inappropriate
- Show review history
October 14, 2026
From the creator of the children's book series Madeline comes a supposedly lighthearted and humorous book for adults on how to live like a wealthy person even if you have no funds. Originally written a few years after the end of World War II (this is a republishing) I did not find the humor held up all that well.
About the author
Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) was a writer and illustrator. He emigrated from Germany to America in 1914, at the age of sixteen, and initially worked in the New York hotel industry before becoming a full-time cartoonist and writer. As an illustrator, he made frequent contributions to the New Yorker and Town and Country and also worked as a screenwriter for MGM. He published many books for both children and adults, including the beloved Madeline children's books.
Ludwig Bemelmans (1898-1962) was a writer and illustrator. He emigrated from Germany to America in 1914, at the age of sixteen, and initially worked in the New York hotel industry before becoming a full-time cartoonist and writer. As an illustrator, he made frequent contributions to the New Yorke...
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
