Everyone who’s been on a travel adventure knows how much fun traveling can be. You’re seeing new places, doing exciting things, meeting cool and interesting people, and all-around enjoying the good life. However, while the majority of your traveling adventure will be nothing but good times, there’ll be moments that are a little, well, less than exciting. If you’ve ever had a long flight delay or had to travel 5+ hours on a train, then you’ll know what we mean. 

During those moments, you can either suck it up and be patient, or you can find other ways to have fun. We’re firmly in the latter camp. In this post, we’ll look at some tried and tested ways to stay entertained while you’re on the road. 

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Pack a Few Games

You’ll have packed plenty of outfits and all of your toiletries, but it’s worthwhile keeping some space in your luggage for games. There are plenty of easy-to-play, light games that’ll help you pass a happy couple of hours. For example, if you’re traveling in a group, then you can pack Uno, which is always entertaining. If it’s just the two of you, then pack some playing cards and look up some two-player card games.

And Download Some Too

While it’s nice to have some non-digital games to hand (who wants to be looking at their phones all the time when traveling?), you can also download some games for your smartphone. This is especially recommended if you’re traveling by yourself. After all, you can’t play Uno by yourself (though it’s worth taking a deck: you can always make friends). There’s no shortage of games available to download on the app store, so take a look at what’s out there and get one that you think you’ll enjoy.

Watch Your Favorite Shows

Have a couple of hours to kill? Use the time to get up to speed with your favorite television shows. It can be nice to take a break from TV and movies when you’re traveling, but not when there’s a new episode of a show that you absolutely love. Plus, if you’re fully up to date, you won’t have to go out of your way to avoid spoilers. You can watch your shows with a subscription service and your device, though remember that you may need to sign up for a VPN service if you’re traveling internationally. Just be sure to give yourself a cut-off time — it can be very tempting to sit and binge-watch shows, which is fine if you’re on a long train journey, but not so good if you’re staying indoors when you really should be exploring. 

Spark Up a Conversation

One of the best things to do when traveling is meet a few strangers. You never know who you might meet — or where it might lead — when you’re in an exotic destination. It can take a bit of bravery to go up to someone and simply start a conversation, but only a little bit. If you’re traveling internationally, learn how to say “Do you speak English?” in the local language (or learn the language before you go!). A local will likely give you a bunch of tips that you wouldn’t otherwise have known, and starting that conversation may turn out to be the best decision that you made on the trip.

Journal It Out

It’s great to live in the moment when you’re traveling. But over time, you might find that you’ve forgotten some of the details. It happens to everyone — your memory isn’t as reliable as you’d like it to be! One way to get around this is to keep a journal. Not only is this a proven way to retain some of the details that may otherwise be lost to time, but it’s also an engaging way to pass the time. Make sure you pack a journal and pen before you set off, or you can buy one when you arrive. 

Read a Book About Your Destination 

It’s always worth packing a book when you’re traveling. Actually, it’s worth packing a book no matter where you’re going. You can heighten your enjoyment of your trip by picking a book that relates in some way to your chosen destination. Do some research to find a good book that takes place in the place you’re visiting, and read it while you’re there. You might just find that what you’re reading helps to open up your eyes to an aspect of the destination that you could otherwise have missed.