I am the proud owner of a Kindle Fire that I’ve spent the last year enjoying. I’ve used it as an e-reader and a tablet since it also has Internet capabilities and apps, and that meant I could leave the laptop behind on my trip to Turkey last year.
The device has capabilities to download books, music, newspapers, games and magazines, but there are also additional Kindle Fire travel apps to keep you fully entertained while on the road.
Apps for Movies and TV
Being able to watch movies is one of the best things about the Kindle Fire over its other incarnations, especially for long train rides. You can download episodes of television and movies straight to your Kindle Fire from the Amazon store, but for streaming you’ll want to download Hulu, Netflix, HBO Go or Prime Instant Video.
I prefer Amazon’s Prime Instant Video since it’s synced to my account, allowing me to stream hundreds of television episodes and movies for free. Netflix has its benefits, but typically doesn’t work on overseas IP addresses, along with Hulu.
Apps for Reading Magazines
Zinio is a free app you can download to read issues of your favorite magazines, which you can purchase on the app. Many publications even have their own apps, like the Huffington Post, The New York Times, BBC News, USA Today and Travel + Leisure. I love being able to buy magazines in English on my Kindle when they’d cost me twice as much overseas.
Apps for Listening to Music
The Kindle Fire has its own music playing app for purchases made through them, but I also download Internet radio for streaming songs I don’t own. I Heart Radio, Pandora and Spotify each have their own benefits, but you may want to splurge to avoid all the ads.
I Heart Radio works overseas, so I listened to my local radio station live when I was in Europe last year. It’s more awkward to carry around than your iPod or iPhone, but it will get the job done if you want to minimize your electronic devices.
Apps for Guidebooks
Buying guidebooks (instead of packing the physical book) on your Kindle Fire means that you can click on the links to get more information. You can also download TripAdvisor City Guides for expert advice on your destination at the touch of a button, which are free.
Apps for Keeping Organized
Save maps, addresses and other important details to your Dropbox or Evernote account, both of which have apps for Kindle Fire. I also like TripIt, which keeps track of your full itinerary including flight information, rental car and hotel bookings and frequent flyer points. For keeping yourself on a budget and managing multiple bank accounts and credit cards, download Mint.
Apps for Following Blogs
To keep up with your favorite blogs and websites, like this one, download an app on your Kindle to follow along. Pocket, Flipboard and Bloglovin are all great, depending on your preference of reading style.
Other Great Apps
I’m a big fan of Maps.me for saving and pinning locations, getting directions and saving maps all while you’re offline. TravelMoney Currency Converter allows you to make sure you’re getting the right exchange rate, while the Weather Channel lets you know what to expect from the day.
AirBnB is for seeking out accommodation on the road. Keep yourself entertained with game downloads like Solitaire. My personal favorite is OverDrive, which links with your local library card to let you check out books and audiobooks for free just like you would in person!
Do you travel with a Kindle Fire? What apps do you recommend?
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