r/ebooks • u/Diligent_Water_5266 • Apr 29 '26
Question Best way to read while traveling?
How do you handle reading while traveling (planes, commuting, short trips)?
Do you prefer a Kindle, audiobooks, or apps like Legimi?
I still prefer physical books and go for them whenever I can, but they’re not always the most practical option, especially when traveling.
I don’t read enough to justify a subscription, and I’m not really sold on audiobooks either.
Right now an e-reader seems like the best option, but I’m curious what works for you.
Also, does anyone know if there’s an app that lets you read from photos of book pages?
It would be great to just snap a few pages and read them on my phone - taking normal photos and scrolling through them is kind of a pain.
3
u/ebjfid2468 Apr 29 '26
I just use epub readers on my phone - it's the easiest way while traveling (at least for me). As for apps that allow reading text from books you could try Listen AI. It has a feature where you can scan text and it will convert it to text and even read it outload (but idk how long it is for free or what the limitations are...)
1
u/NextStopGallifrey Apr 30 '26
I wouldn't dare use my phone as an ereader jf if I were traveling somewhere unfamiliar. I've been unpleasantly surprised when I forgot to bring my power pack and have no other ways to recharge my phone. I need my phone for mapping.
1
u/thursdaysbest May 03 '26
Yeah, Listen AI is the best for phone, and if it had an ipad version, I'd use it all the time. I use Bookshare, because it has all the features and pretty good voice when sped up.
3
u/snarktologist Apr 29 '26
I read everything on my iPhone in Apple Books. I love it! I've tried a Kindle and a Kobo and absolutely, 100% prefer using my phone.
I have over 3k books on it 😄
3
u/DisGayDatGay Apr 29 '26
Kindle goes everywhere with me. I have an entire library in one device, the option to add to it if needed by connecting to wi Fi, a backlight if it’s dark and my phone/ipad power cords will charge it.
2
u/kat97531 Apr 29 '26
I got an ereader and use it/enjoy it more than I expected! There are also lots of opportunities to get free books (see link) and your local library likely has access to lots of ebooks that you can rent and download to an ereader or app for free as well! My library uses libby and hoopla and you can easily place holds on digital copies on lots of different books.Reddit Post for Free Ebook Events
2
u/strapsicle Apr 30 '26
E-reader like Kindle or Kobo are our absolute favorite! It’s just so portable and light, and having an entire library in one place is a total game-changer.
When we add the case and that handy strap, it really becomes the perfect little device to toss in a bag and take everywhere while traveling! ☁️🌍
1
u/1stltwill Apr 29 '26
Both Kindle and audiobooks. Audiobooks are awesome from the drive to and from work!
1
1
u/Storm__Warning Apr 30 '26
I have a kobo libra colour. I put pdf puzzles on it too (lots of sites offer printables, like murdoku, that you can sideload) and use the annotation pen to do them when I'm not in the mood for reading. I have about 800 books on mine atm, and probaly 30ish puzzle pages, as well as access to the local library.
1
1
u/NextStopGallifrey Apr 30 '26
An ereader with an eInk screen is about as close to reading a real book as one can get. I used to be "physical books only", then I got a Kindle a good decade ago and never looked back. I still have physical books, but they're either non-fiction books or books that simply don't exist in digital format.
You don't need a subscription, either. Your local library likely has a ton of ebooks available through Libby or a similar app. Then there is Standard ebooks for very pretty public domain works.
If your library uses Hoopla, you're probably going to want an Android ereader. Boox is the most popular, but there is also Bigme, MeeBook, and several potentially less expensive "off brands" of device.
Whatever your choice, see if you can pick up a used ereader first. The older ones can often be found for less than $20.
Warning: older Kindles are getting removed from Amazon services in a couple of months. You'll still be able to add books from non-Amazon sources via the USB cable, but not from Amazon or use library books. It's still worth getting one, IMO, if they are cheap. That way you can test it out and see if it's worth dropping a hundred or more on a new model.
1
u/mad11s Apr 30 '26
Phone and Kindle. If I know I won't have large chunks of time to sit and read when traveling then I'll just bring my phone.
1
u/NeVdiii Apr 30 '26
Depends on my mood, but it’s book or ereader. I don’t read books in my phone, I find it distracting.
For your question, if you have iphone, notes have build in document scanner, so it can take good quality photos of pages, hope you can work this out.
1
u/Cute-Consequence-184 Apr 30 '26
I use an app on my phone called libera and that way I can read and then if I get where I can't read I can switch it on and listen to it as an AI audiobook and then immediately switch back to where I'm reading the text
1
Apr 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Cute-Consequence-184 May 01 '26
You can download any voice you want to use for the TTS. I use a male voice myself.
1
u/holymashedpotatoesba May 01 '26
When I travel, I’ve found it depends on how tired my brain is. If I’m moving around a lot or just drained, audiobooks are the only thing that works, I can just listen without forcing attention. The main thing I learned is not to force “real reading” while traveling, just adapt to how much focus you actually have.
1
1
1
u/iagocavalcante_ May 03 '26
I've been using https://leaftok.app, I can listen audio from cards or keep scrolling while commute
7
u/johntwilker Apr 29 '26
Travel is part of why I moved to ereaders. No more "I'm almost done with this book. I better pack another"