Travelling can be an amazing experience, but when it comes to the actual trip, the part where you’re moving between destinations gets boring really fast. You’re stuck in a car, plane, or public transport, you’ve got no one interesting to talk to, and this is going to be your life for the next couple of hours.
The good news is that there are several easy, quick, and affordable ways to transform the actual travel part of your trip into an exciting time.
1. Play Twenty Questions
You will need at least one travel partner for this game. To play Twenty Questions, someone thinks of a person, place, object, or animal, but they don’t say what it is out loud. The other player(s) then ask yes or no questions and must try to guess what they’ve got in mind within 20 attempts.
If you are travelling by yourself and you want to try out the game, there are a couple of online versions and apps available for download. It may seem like a really silly game at first, but you’d be surprised how quickly you will feel the excitement as you narrow down your guesses.
2. Enter An Online Raffle
Entering an online raffle is something you can do on the go, and it won’t detract from your trip at all. In fact, it will serve to add a little bit more excitement, as you keep the countdown to the prize draw in the back of your mind while sightseeing.
There are plenty of reputable online raffle websites available, offering prizes like trips to tropical destinations or even real money (Source: https://realraffle.com/). Tickets will only set you back a few pounds, and then you can continue with your trip, knowing that you might be one step closer to a dream holiday.
3. Journaling
Not everyone is a “journal person”, and that’s not a problem. However, jotting down ideas, thoughts, expectations, or things you’re grateful for can keep you busy for a while.
You can keep a standard journal by writing about what you did that day, or what you plan on doing. Or, you can jot down what you observe, hear, smell, and eat while travelling. Keeping a small notebook on hand is a great way to capture memories in the moment, whether it’s doodles of the sheep you’re driving past down the country lanes, or an interesting cloud formation you spotted from the plane’s window.
Journaling also has proven mental health benefits, as you sit with your emotions during the trip. Travelling can be stressful as you organise accommodation or try to navigate a foreign city, and having a little book nearby to track your emotions can be quite cathartic and help you stay level-headed.
4. Listen To Podcasts
Listening to a podcast is one of the best ways to stay entertained during a dull journey. There are podcasts for every type of listener. You can uncover true crime mysteries, listen to your favourite celebrities, get financial advice, or learn about alternative medicine. There are also many different podcast platforms, with the most popular being Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Overcast.
A good audiobook is another great entertainment method. All your favourite books have likely been transformed into audiobooks, so you can settle down with a book that feels like home, or finally get to that book you’ve been eyeballing for months. Audible, Libby, and Google Audiobooks are popular platforms where you can find almost any book imaginable.
Pop in your earbuds, press play, and disappear into the world of your podcast or book.
5. Play Puzzles
“Puzzles” is a bit of a broad term, and it does not refer to building jigsaw puzzles. Puzzles can include Sudoku, crosswords, or even a small travel case of board games. Puzzle books are perfect for those who are flying or using public transport to travel, if you don’t get motion sickness. These books contain word searches, arrowwords, crosswords, riddles, and missing numbers.
If you’re travelling with others, then a small travel-sized game kit is perfect. Common options are magnetised, foldable boards for chess and checkers. Many board games are also available online via apps and websites.
6. Road Trip Bingo
Road trip bingo is the perfect game for a family or friend road trip. It will require a bit of preparation before you depart, since you will need a vague idea of what is along the route. It doesn’t have to be any specific sights, though.
Create a bingo grid, and in each square add things that you might spot on the drive, like a farmer on a tractor, a woman wearing a hat, a dog in a raincoat, passing a pub called “The Crown”, or a plane flying overhead.
You can be as creative as you like, and keep it broad or narrow, depending on who you’re travelling with and the towns you’re passing through.
