Kindle travel = reading bliss!
When I actually am traveling (yes, side-eye to you, 2020), my Kindle is always in my carry-on. Here’s my Kindle travel Guide to help you get the most out of your Kindle travel experience.
Kindle travel: for the love of books
I’m a lifelong reader. I love the smell of books and the feel of one in my hands. In fact, my mind can clearly summon the unique smell of the Book-Mobile. The Book-Mobile was an RV-sized library on wheels. To my delight, it pulled into town in the decades before we had a community library. It was a warm, snug place of magic!
These days, my Kindle has won me over. Some book traditionalists might say I’ve “gone to the dark side” by reading on an e-reader. I say:
My Kindle is my most-treasured item in my carry-on!
In this Kindle travel Guide I share:
- how to enhance your travel with a Kindle
- how my Kindle helps me boost my travel fund
- the six types of Kindle books to travel with
- my favorite Kindle travel bag
- what Kindle travel gear to pack in your carry-on
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Kindle travel: why I never travel without it
Reading my Kindle on a cruise ship balcony, wine glass at hand, is my favorite way to spend a sea day. Bliss!
But you’ll find me reading my Kindle all over a cruise ship.
Because I can load multiple books onto my Kindle (without taking up precious suitcase space), I can choose a book that fits my location:
- cruise ship balcony = an easy read that lets me keep an eye out for dolphins or whales
- pool side = a fun beach read
- a cozy chair in a quiet nook = my current can’t-put-down read
- snuggled into a pile of squishy pillows in the dark = anything except a scary book!
In fact, Kindle travel = harmonious travel — you can read in bed without disturbing your partner with turning on a light. If I have a busy itinerary, I can fit in some reading after bedtime.
And if we’re in another time zone, you’ll usually find me wide-awake at 4:00 a.m. local time, reading my Kindle while my husband snoozes.
Any other traveling book lovers who’ve holed up in the ultra-bright hotel bathroom so you could read (a physical book) while your partner sleeps? Been there, done that. Instead, now I’m cozy and snuggly in bed with my Kindle, reading away.
Kindle travel hint:
When you’re reading in a darkened airplane cabin, (1) set the background of your Kindle to black and (2) reduce the screen’s brightness to cut down on the light that it emits. Your seatmates will thank you!
Kindle travel: load it up with many books!
I also enhance my travel by the fact that I load 75% of my Kindle books onto my Kindle via my local library. This saves me a lot of money each year (I’m a big reader) – money that I can put into my travel fund.
Plus, there are no library late fees with a Kindle. When the book is due, the library digitally sucks it off of your Kindle. Like magic!
No hassle of driving to the library to return a book. And no worries about a book being due while you are traveling. Before I had a Kindle, I was often paying late fees, so that’s another boost for my travel fund!
What about the 25% of my Kindle books that I purchase
With these special books, it’s like bringing along an old friend when I travel. This is why I don’t get 100% of my Kindle books from the library.
If I love a book enough to re-read it, you’ll find it living on my Kindle.
For all other Kindle books – first-read books, authors I’ve never tried before, that questionable book I’m begrudgingly reading for Book Club, etc. – I borrow them from the library.
All you need is your Library Card number to get started.
There are three easy ways to digitally load books from your local library onto your Kindle:
- the OverDrive app on the Kindle
- the Libby app on your phone
- your library’s website (digital catalog)
(If you have trouble the first time, your librarian can walk you through it over the phone.)
Kindle travel hint:
I can’t take credit for inventing this trick, and it is a little devious and not in the giving spirit of libraries. But here you go:
If you are close to the end of a Kindle library book, but it is due before you will finish it, turn off the Wifi on your Kindle. The book won’t digitally return itself to the library until you turn on the Wifi again. This buys me an extra day or two to finish the book. (The whole move seems pretty Slytherin to me, so if I need it for longer, this Hufflepuff just renews it. Whew!)
Kindle travel: books to bring
- fun, beach read
- fiction book inspired by your location
- cheerful nonfiction book
- new book by a favorite author
- travel guide for your destination
- old favorite to re-read on a sleepy return-flight home
See what I mean? I can bring six books with me when I travel — in a device that takes up the space of one book. My carry-on and I are happy!
Kindle travel bag
I love taking my Kindle when I cruise. But I found it tough to carry it around while also balancing a tray in the dining room. Or carrying an iced tea and a gelato. A wine glass and a plate of fresh fruit. Mmm… a cocktail and a cheese plate… (Sure am missing cruise food…)
I now cruise with a cross-body day bag. It can be worn in the front or the back, and my Kindle (with its cover) fits perfectly.
Mine is similar to the one below, and the customer Q&A’s for the Peak Gear sling bag indicate that others are putting Kindles with covers in it too. (It won’t fit a tablet or iPad though.)
What you won’t find in my Kindle travel bag are my reading glasses. Thanks to the feature to increase the text size, this 40-something gal doesn’t need her reading glasses to read on a Kindle. Another bonus!
Kindle travel: gear for your carry-on
- charger
- cover
- screen wipes
- earphones
- Library Card number
Kindle charger
Don’t forget to pack your charger! It’s a no-brainer why.
Kindle cover
When I purchased my Kindle, I made the mistake of buying it without a cover. Mine travels many miles, so I needed to protect it. At the time, the only covers readily available were plastic-y ones with lousy reviews. Buyers were reporting that they ripped easily, wore at the seams, and weren’t durable.
So I did some digging around Amazon and found a stylish leather one. (I’m not big on buying leather, but for items that I need to last for 10+ years, I justify it for the durability.) More than 10 years later, the cover is going strong.
Nowadays, Amazon offers a handy Essentials Bundle that includes a power adapter and choice of cover. No need to search for a cover that will fit your Kindle.
screen wipes
I always have screen wipes in my carry-on to wipe off my Kindle and my phone. Begone, fingerprints!
earphones or earbuds
If you love audiobooks like I do, you can also plug earphones into your Kindle and listen to books as you travel. I get insanely carsick if I read in a moving vehicle, so I love listening to audiobooks on road trips, airport shuttles, or bus excursions.
I’ve had an Audible subscription for years and love adding new audiobooks to my Kindle and phone.
Best Sellers in Audible Books & Originals
Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
Library Card number
I’m such a big reader that I have my Library Card number memorized. But in case you don’t, record the number in your phone. That way your library card isn’t taking up space in your wallet.
And you’ll have the number with you in case you want to add any additional books to your Kindle during your travels.
Do you travel with a Kindle too? Happy reading!
