Where to Get (English) Books While Abroad

Carrying a library with you around the world doesn’t make much sense, but when you’re a bookworm who prefers paper over plastic then an ebook reader like a Kindle just won’t cut it.

Myself, I’m a hardcore ereader fan and I’ll never switch back. But for my friends who prefer to read physical books, finding new reading material while traveling can be a tough problem to solve.

Luckily everything’s fixable if you know where to look! So here’s a guide on how to find English-language books while traveling in non-English speaking countries!

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A Note on Types of Books You’ll Find

This may not be that surprising, but generally you’re going to find the same few types of books:

1. Popular romances, thrillers and mysteries
2. Travel books
3. Classics

People tend to bring and give away things that are easy to read, popular, and fun– so you’re not likely to find intense philosophy books, for instance. Even bookstores will have a smaller selection than you might be expecting. If you want something specific, you might have to special-order it.

On the plus side, finding a new book to read after digging through several exchange shelves is fun! Like a treasure hunt, even!

Book Exchanges

This is the easiest way, and it’s free!

Places where lots of tourists and travelers hang out will almost always have a book exchange shelf somewhere. Usually it’s either tucked away in a corner or prominently displayed on a side wall (depending on how much the hosts love books).

Almost every hostel I’ve been at in Asia and the US has a book exchange spot, even if it’s just a handful of books. The selection isn’t always great, but usually you’ll be able to find something in decent condition. It’s also a nice way to drop off any books you’re done reading yourself!

You don’t have to be staying in a hostel to check out their book exchange, by the way! If you ask the staff (and have a book to swap in), they’ll most likely let you look at what they have available.

Be sure to also check bookstores, cafes, and coffee shops. They’ll often have a book exchange spot as well.

Little Free Libraries

This is an American thing, but it’s become popular in several major cities around the world. I’ve seen Little Free Library boxes in England, France, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Japan!

While it’s typical that these Little Free Libraries (LFL) have books in the native language(s), sometimes you can find an English-language book every so often. Or else you can grab something and practice your language-learning skills!

English-Language Bookstores

As always, major tourist destinations will have businesses catering to tourists. That includes English-language bookstores, or at the very least bookstores with an English-language section!

To find these bookstores, check Google Maps. You’ll find new AND used bookstores and you can check if they have English-language ones by reading reviews.

Some bookstores are famous for being popular tourist destinations on their own, so they’re well worth visiting even if you don’t want to buy a book.

Order Online

If you’re somewhere you can get packages, you can always order books online and have them sent to you. This is probably the most expensive option, but it does mean getting exactly what you want.

Amazon is probably the easiest place to order from, and I THINK you can get things delivered abroad even if there’s not an Amazon storefront for that country. I haven’t tried it myself, though, so don’t quote me on that.

Also, remember that you’ll have to get rid of these new books somehow while you’re on the road, or else spend money mailing them back home.

Final Thoughts

Finding a new book to read while traveling can be daunting, but if you’re willing to do some searching you’ll be able to almost anything! Be sure to save room in your backpack for a book or two and remember to dump them when your traveling library gets too heavy. 😉