Most of us look forward to a week or two in sunnier climes at least once a year. Holidays allow us to work on our tans, unload all of our work stress, and finally catch up on our reading. So many people use their holiday as the one time of year when they can finally get through the one or two books they’ve been trying to read but can’t seem to find the time for. This article offers advice for anyone thinking about planning a reading holiday.

Consider Buying an E-Reader

First off, wherever you’re going on your reading holiday, you don’t want to finish your book with a couple of days to spare and have nothing new to read. You could just pack lots of books, but books are heavy and take up a lot of space in your luggage. Even if you’re not completely convinced by e-readers, it may still be worth investing on one for your holiday. They can hold thousands of books at once, so you can line up ten books you want to read and you don’t have to worry about fitting them into your bag.

Another advantage of e-readers is that they often come with special screens that reduce glare from sunlight. Assuming you’ve opted for a sunny holiday with a spot of sunbathing, normal white pages in a book will reflect the light onto your eyes, causing you to squint for hours on end. This can cause sun damage to your eyes and it can give you a headache. Which leads neatly to the next point…

Buy a Good Pair of Prescription Glasses or Sunglasses

Just as you wouldn’t sit in the sun for hours without sun cream, you shouldn’t sit in the sun without protecting your eyes. The same UV rays in sunlight that cause sunburn and skin cancer can cause eye cancer, cataracts, macular degeneration, and photokeratitis (extremely painful sunburn of your corneas).

Be very wary of cheap sunglasses sold in markets in many European countries. The eyewear industry isn’t nearly as standardised as it ought to be and many of the cheapest models offer absolutely no protection from sunlight. In fact, knock-off sunglasses can cause more damage than if you didn’t wear anything as the dark lens causes your eyes to relax, but the complete lack of UV filter allows the UV light to get into your eye, causing a lot of damage.

If you need prescription lenses to read, you don’t need to pay a lot of money for a good pair of glasses. All you have to do is shop around online for good deals. Online stores save a lot of money on the costs of running a store, and they pass these savings onto the customer. Red Hot Sunglasses, for example, offers free prescription lenses with their designer prescription glasses collection. All good glasses, even if there is no visible shade, will provide your eyes with total UV protection.

Choose a Relaxing Location

If you’re planning a reading holiday, then it’s important to choose a relaxing location that isn’t going to be noisy and full of distractions. Obviously, it’s nice to meet new people on holiday, but you’ll also need a little time to yourself if you’re going to get through two or three books!

Perhaps the best place to read is beside a swimming pool, as you can cool off every now and then in the water. The problem with swimming pools for readers is that they are often full of children cannonballing into the water. So, look for holiday resorts with a second pool that is reserved just for adults. These pools are often called something like ‘peaceful pool’ or ‘tranquil pool’ and they are peaceful havens for book lovers. And you don’t have to read all of the time; if you want to have a bit of fun and meet people, you can go for a dip in the resort’s main pool!

Another tip when choosing a location for your reading holiday is to think outside the box a little. If you don’t need to sun yourself too much, then you could maybe stay in a cosy cottage in the Scottish Highlands, or in a yurt in Norway. With a fire burning and some calming music playing, you’ve pretty much got the ideal reading environment. Then, if you’ve read a little too much for the day, you can recharge yourself with a picturesque walk around the countryside or along the beach. Being open to alternative holiday spots can help you find the perfect reading holiday.

I hope the article encourages a few readers to organise their own peaceful reading holiday. It’s one of the best ways to get away from everyday life and truly relax.