How many books should you pack for a holiday?

Every keen reader knows the scene: a suitcase half full of clothes and half full of books, most of which come home unread, slightly sandy and swollen from the pool. The ambition is lovely. The weight is not. Here is a mix that actually gets read.

The rule of three

One long book. The holiday is the one time of year you have long, uninterrupted stretches. Use them for the big book you never manage at home: a fat classic, a long translated novel, an epic. Emily Wilson's 2017 translation of Homer's Odyssey, which matches the Greek line for line in brisk modern English, is a classic choice for a summer by the sea, for obvious reasons.

One light book. For airports, train journeys, the first evening when you are too tired to concentrate, and the afternoon when the sun has defeated you. Short chapters, a gripping plot or a collection of stories you can dip into. Calvino's Marcovaldo, first published in 1963, twenty short, funny, melancholy stories about a city labourer longing for nature, fits perfectly.

One wildcard. Something you would not normally pick: poetry, a memoir, a book set where you are going, a genre you claim not to like. Holidays make us more open, and this is the book that often turns out to be the one you remember.

Read the place

If you are going somewhere with a strong literary identity, take something set there. Reading about a landscape while you are in it is one of the great pleasures of travel. On the Bay of Naples, for instance, Elsa Morante's Arturo's Island, the 1957 Strega Prize winner about a boy growing up on the island of Procida, makes the ferry ride feel like part of the book. Our list of novels set in Italy for summer has more ideas by region.

Paper, e-reader or both?

Paper is lovely by the pool, needs no charging, and can be lent, swapped or left behind. It is also heavy and bulky.

An e-reader holds a library in a pocket, works well in bright sun on most models, and means you never run out. It is the obvious choice for longer trips, for travelling light, or for readers who get through a book every couple of days.

Both is often the answer: one paper book for the beach and the flight, the e-reader for everything else. Our page on e-readers versus paper goes further into the trade-offs.

When you run out

• Swap. Many hotels, campsites, beach bars and holiday rentals have a shelf of books left by previous guests. Take one, leave one. It is how a lot of people discover authors they would never have chosen.
• Visit a local bookshop. Even if you do not read the language, bookshops abroad often have a shelf of English titles, and browsing one is a good way to spend a hot hour. If you are learning the language, pick up a children's book or a comic.
• Leave books behind. A finished paperback left on the swap shelf is a gift to the next guest and space in your suitcase for a bottle of olive oil.

How many, really?

• A weekend: one book, plus whatever is on your phone.
• A week: three, using the rule above.
• Two weeks: three paper books and an e-reader, or four paper books if you are driving.
• Longer: an e-reader and a plan to swap.

If you consistently come home with unread books, pack one fewer next time. If you consistently run out on day four, you have learned something lovely about yourself.