What is the best manga to read while traveling? That’s a valid question to ask now that the travel season is right here upon us and you’re thinking about doing some reading while you’re at it.
If you’re looking for the best book to read while traveling, then you’re going to love the books that you’ll be seeing on the list.
Not only that most of them have a light story. But the story is just as interesting as those with the heavy plot too even if the story is on the lighter side.
Of course, there are books that are plot-heavy on the list too.
So, if you’re the sort of person who enjoys reading heavy stuff while traveling, then you’ll see some of the recommendations on the list as well.
With that said, here are some of the best manga to read while traveling.
Grab a coffee or your favorite beverage since it’s going to be a long one.
Toilet-bound Hanako-kun
If you’re familiar with the story about the urban legend Hanako-san, you must be thinking that I must be smoking crack when I’m recommending this book.
Yes, not going to lie that any story that revolved around Hanako-san tends to be on the spooky side.
But Toilet-bound Hanako-Kun is nothing of that sort since the manga is a comedy supernatural manga.
Of course, the story does take a darker turn at some point. But other than that, the story will give you a chuckle here and there.
If you’re into a comedy with a supernatural element, you can read more about the manga right here:
Sakamoto Days
Well, the legendary assassin who is now retired has to return to the assassin world once again when he realizes that his family will be in danger.
That sums up what Sakamoto Days is all about.
While the manga doesn’t seem like a light read based on the description, you’ll be surprised to find out that the story is not only on the lighter side. But it’s jam-packed with unique action scenes too.
And when I say unique, it’s something like you’ve never seen before.
If you’re into reading action manga while traveling, you can read more about the manga right here:
Dandadan
The story is about this one person who believes in ghosts but doesn’t believe in aliens. And then there’s another person who believes in aliens but doesn’t believe in ghosts.
While that’s the initial premise behind Dandadan, the story ends up being a mashed-up of every single element in one story along with jam-packed, fast-paced action scenes.
On the surface, it may feel like the story in Dandadan is pulling you in many different directions. And it can feel like a messy ordeal too.
But for the most part, it sure is a fun read despite its messy and fast-paced action scenes.
If you prefer a supernatural manga with a unique spin, you can learn more about Dandadan right here:
Spy x Family
The father is a spy, the mother is an assassin and the daughter is an esper. But the truth is, they’re not even a real family. And they’re keeping their real identity a secret to themselves too.
Believe it or not, Spy x Family is actually a comedy manga despite its serious story. It’s hard to keep yourself from laughing so hard when you see all sorts of mishaps that Loid, Yor, and Anya did.
While some parts of the story can be a tad serious sometimes, the rest of the story tends to be light for the most part.
If an action-comedy manga is your thing, you can learn more about the manga right here:
Nodame Cantabile
The story revolves around a music prodigy who has a fear of flying and his fellow student who isn’t just an oddball. But she can’t even read a music score despite being able to play piano just as good as him.
As always, the manga’s tone may seem serious on the surface. But the manga is somehow filled with tons of funny moments and also life lessons.
If reading a manga with music as the main theme sounds fascinating to you, you can learn more about the manga right here:
Barakamon
A young, handsome calligrapher decided to move to a remote island after causing a commotion at the calligraphy competition.
Thinking that a change of pace would help him win the next calligraphy competition, little did he realize that life on a remote island would teach him more than just being the best in calligraphy.
If that sounds like it’s a serious manga filled with life lessons, it sure is. But it has tons of funny moments too.
Enjoy reading slice-of-life manga? Then this manga will be up to your alley.
You can learn more about the manga right here:
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
What comes to mind when you hear the word otaku? Is it someone who doesn’t even have a proper job and is a creep?
Well, I don’t blame you if that’s your perception about otaku since that’s what most people associate otaku with.
But that’s not the kind of characters you’ll see in this manga, though.
What you’ll be seeing instead is the kind of people who have a normal life and enjoy their hobbies during their off day.
And their hobby can be anything from reading manga, playing video games, watching anime, and even cosplay.
Since this manga is about love, you can expect to see many different facets of love but from the otaku’s perspective instead.
If rom-com manga is your thing, then you’ll enjoy reading this manga.
You can find out more about the manga right here:
Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
Dr. STONE
Imagine that the civilization and technology that we know today disappeared when all humans turned to stone.
That’s the premise behind the manga where Senku who turned into stone finally released himself from the petrification process thousands of years after that fated incident.
Since the only way to resurrect the civilization is to bring back the technology that we used to have, he decided to recreate the same technology from the ground up one at a time.
What makes this manga fascinating is the fact that you can create pretty much anything from scratch, even the modern technology that we have today.
Don’t worry so much about the technical jargon in this manga. While you’ll be seeing plenty of technical jargon along the way, the manga somehow makes it easy for you to understand even if you don’t know a darn thing about biology, chemistry, and physics.
If you’re looking for a manga that not only entertains you but allows you to learn something new along the way, then you’re going to enjoy reading this manga.
You can read more about it right here:
Edens Zero
Think of Edens Zero as Fairy Tail and space travel combined
That’s the premise behind Edens Zero where Shiki is traveling together with Rebecca and other friends that they come across in search of Mother, the Goddess of Cosmos.
Love space adventure? If that’s you, then you’re going to enjoy reading Edens Zero.
You can learn more about the manga right here:
Hi, I’m a Witch and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion
Imagine seeing your crush knocking on your door and asking you to make a love potion for him.
That’s the premise behind the Hello, I’m a Witch manga where Rose is a witch who has a crush on a knight named Harij.
What makes this manga an interesting read is the comedic banter between Rose and Harij, with him discovering more about Rose after he gets to know her better.
The manga is still ongoing as I write this. But if you want to know how the relationship between Rose and Harij unfolds, then you should get the light novel instead.
Interested to know more about the manga? You can take a look at this post right here:
Red Cat Ramen
A group of cats and a tiger managing a ramen restaurant. That sums up what Red Cat Ramen is all about.
What makes this manga a fascinating read is how wholesome each chapter is, with each chapter never failing to bring you a smile.
If you’re a cat person and you’re looking for something light and fun to read, then this manga sure is a perfect companion during your travel.
It’s too bad that you can only read the manga on the MANGA Plus app. And you will need to upgrade to their Standard plan to read the chapters in between.
Should you give this manga a try? You can read more about it right here:
Kiss Him, Not Me
Imagine you got yourself a glow-up as a result of your favorite anime character dying.
That’s what happened to Kae Serinuma, a fujoshi who locked herself in the room and didn’t attend school for a week only because her favorite character got killed off.
What makes it funny about Kae’s situation is that she can’t recognize herself as she looks in the mirror.
She thought that the mirror was broken or something because of how different she looked after she locked herself in the room for a week.
Thanks to her glow-up, not only many of her classmates barely recognize her. But she now receives attention from four guys at the same time.
And they all want to date her!
What makes this manga an interesting read is that we can all relate to what Kae is experiencing as a fujoshi or perhaps an otaku if you’re not into the BL stuff.
Things like the stigma people tend to associate with when you tell them that you’re an anime fan.
Most people don’t have a good impression of you when you tell them that you like anime.
Not going to lie that the manga may seem heavy on the surface because of the theme.
But the story is just as funny as any other comedy shoujo manga out there.
The only difference is that we now have the main character who is a fujoshi.
Another reason that makes it the best manga to read while traveling?
You can binge-read the manga to your heart’s content during your travel since it’s a completed manga series.
Should you give this manga a try then? If you’re unsure about it, you can read my post about the manga right here:
Peach Heaven
Yes, I know. We have another comedy shoujo manga on the list here.
But this time around, we have Momoko Shina, a high-schooler who writes erotica novels under the pen name George Aihara.
Due to her pressing for the deadline, she ended up taking too much of the reality for her work, causing her famous supermodel classmate, Ranmaru, to discover her secret job.
Well, it’s not that hard for him to find out when the scene in the novel seems to resemble the intimate moment that he had with one of her teachers.
And Momoko was the only one who knew about it back then.
That’s how Momoko got herself tangled in a messy situation with Ranmaru when he made an offer that she couldn’t refuse.
Like Kiss Him, Not Me manga, you can binge-read the manga to your heart’s content as well since it’s also a completed manga series.
If you find the premising interesting and you’re not sure if it’s worth the shot, you can read my post about the manga right here:
Me and My Gangster Neighbor
Not going to lie that it’s an unlikely situation to be in when someone falls into your room, all of a sudden. And now you have a large hole in your ceiling.
But that’s what Yuuhi is experiencing when his first-floor neighbor, Aoi, falls into his house on the ground floor when he’s staying alone in his house.
What makes the story intriguing isn’t so much to do with how in the world Aoi ended up falling from the first floor straight into Yuuhi’s house on the ground floor.
Rather, it’s more to do with Aoi trying to hide his secret from everyone.
And that secret lies in what’s inside his house.
Fret not if the secret that he wants to hide from Yuuhi so badly isn’t anything grotesque such as dead bodies in his room.
It’s nothing of that sort.
If anything, it’s a twist you don’t expect from someone with a cool-looking demeanor like Aoi.
What makes the manga fun to read is that it will give you a wholesome vibe every time you read.
That seems to be the case with Aoi as he gets to know more about his other neighbors who live in the same apartment complex as him.
Just like Red Cat Ramen, it’s too bad that you can only read the manga in English on the MANGA Plus app for now.
But unlike the Red Cat Ramen, you will need to upgrade to their Deluxe plan since it’s the plan that allows you to read ongoing and completed manga on the app.
Should you give this manga a read? You can read more about it right here:
The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting
Yes, I know, we have another wholesome manga that revolves around the yakuza.
But this time around, we have Kirishima, who many people know as Sakuragi’s Demon, who is now looking after his boss’ 7-year-old daughter, Yaeka.
As someone who knows nothing about parenting and only resorts to using his fist to settle the score, it can be the hardest mission he ever had.
And it doesn’t help that Yaeka doesn’t seem distant to him at first.
Will he ever succeed in his mission as Yaeka’s babysitter? And will Yaeka finally open up to him after being around him for quite some time?
If you find the premise interesting, you can read more about the manga in this post right here:
The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting
Light novel series that is perfect for traveling
I admit that I don’t have a lot to recommend here considering that many of the light novels that we have here are mainly in the isekai genre.
And sad to say, I’m not into the isekai genre that much.
So, it’s hard for me to find a light novel that isn’t in the isekai genre.
The good news is there are quite a few of them that I find interesting. And they’re perfect to read while traveling too.
If you prefer to read a light novel while traveling, here are some of my recommendations.
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation out of Debt
When you think about the story that talks about improving the kingdom’s fiscal health, you may think that the story must be as dry as a bone.
That doesn’t sound like a light novel you want to read during your travel, right?
But not this light novel, though.
While the goal here is to bring the kingdom to a much better position in terms of its fiscal health, the main character, Wein, has an ulterior motive.
And that is to sell the kingdom to the highest bidder so then he can live a peaceful life in luxury.
With that goal in mind, he comes up with all sorts of plans that can bring more prosperity to the Kingdom of Natra.
And thanks to his genius prowess, he can come up with all sorts of plans that don’t just benefit the kingdom but also anyone that he’s dealing with.
Of course, not everything will go according to his plan. So, it’s interesting to see how he course-corrects to mitigate the situation.
And it’s hilarious to see Wein’s reaction too when things don’t go his way.
If it’s something that you find interesting, you can learn more about the light novel right here:
The Genius Prince’s Guide to Raising a Nation out of Debt
Ascendance of a Bookworm
Yes, I did say that I’m not into the isekai genre that much. But I do find Ascendance of a Bookworm a fascinating read since it’s similar to Dr. Stone in many ways.
After all, Myne’s goal is to create a book since the world that she reincarnates to doesn’t have a book. And even if it does, it’s only accessible to the upper class.
Of course, books aren’t the only thing that Myne brings to the world. She also brings all sorts of things such as printing press technology and even beauty products.
Since this is the isekai world we’re talking about, it’ll be hard to remiss seeing magic as the power that moves the world.
New ways of making things also come with danger. You can expect to see Myne getting into trouble for all sorts of reasons.
Think that the story sounds fascinating to you? You can learn more about the light novel right here:
Hello, I’m a Witch and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion
If you’re wondering if this light novel is the same as the Hi, I’m a Witch manga, it sure is.
The only reason that propels you to get the light novel is that you want to know how it all ends considering that the manga is still ongoing as I write this.
Of course, I don’t see anything wrong with getting both versions since they do have interesting perspectives that are unique in each version.
The scenes that only exist in the light novel may not be available in the manga version and vice versa.
Torn between which version you should get? You can read this post right here if you need help with which version you need to get:
Hello, I’m a Witch and My Crush Wants Me to Make a Love Potion light novel
Light novels with a heavy plot
For those who are into reading light novels that have a heavy plot, these are some of them that you can add to your reading list.
Root Double
What seems like a rescue mission for those who are trapped in the underground nuclear reactor turns into something else when Captain Watase Kasasagi and his squad discover something that doesn’t belong there.
For one, the schoolgirls who should never be there in the first place. And then there are corpses that have nothing to do with the meltdown.
And on top of that, they’re also hearing voices amidst having to deal with contamination and massive explosions within the reactor.
Find the light novel interesting to read? You can learn more about the light novel right here:
Occultic;Nine
What seems like an attempt for Yuta Gamon to make his occult-related blog popular by interviewing an expert in the occult stuff turns into a disaster when the person that he wants to interview is already dead.
And the worst part of all? With him touching the crime scene by accident, he ended up becoming the suspect of the murder instead.
And that’s not all. Unbeknownst to him, that fateful incident also ties his fate together with other people that he doesn’t even know.
Think that this light novel is up to your alley? You can learn more about the light novel right here:
Trigger Locked
It’s not unusual to see technology being deployed to eradicate humanity. But to use technology to kill someone in a precise manner and from afar?
Out of many people on the PSIA’s target list, there’s only one person who is capable of doing such a thing. And that person is none other than Satoru Yuuya, the one who made Touka’s and Yuuto’s lives change for the worse.
It’s for this reason that both of them become PSIA agents so then they can put this man behind the bar once and for all.
Find the story for the Trigger Locked series interesting? You can learn more about the first book from the series right here:
Trigger Locked Book 1: The Mind Control Assassins
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There’ll be more books to add to the best manga to read list
As always, there will be more new books added to the list in the future. Feel free to join my email list so then you won’t miss any updates whenever I add new books to the list.
I'm an author who writes thriller and suspense light novels. But when I'm not writing a book, I love to blog about books that I enjoy reading. Some of these books also become the inspiration for my novel as well.
Most of the books that I talk about on my blog tend to be manga and light novels, with nonfiction books in between. If you're looking for interesting books to read, then you will certainly enjoy reading my blog. 