This is a collaborative post.
When you’re stuck on a long haul flight, cruise, or even a lengthy train ride or road trip, you may find yourself becoming a little bored. While some of us find it easy to zone out and lose ourselves in our work, social media channels or favourite movies while travelling, for others, travel can be a real bore.
So, what can you do to keep yourself entertained while travelling to your destination? Here are some things to consider packing to help to stave off boredom during your journey.
Find a good book to read
A good book can make for a wonderful way to keep your mind occupied while travelling.
First, decide what genre of book you want to read. Once you’ve decided on this, start looking for books that fit your criteria and interests. For example, if your criteria are “a good beach read,” then look for books with ‘beach’ in the title or description. If your criteria is “a thriller”, then look for books with “thriller” in the title or description, and so on.
Another great way to find books that you’ll enjoy reading is to read book reviews published by different magazines and blogs focused on your passions and interests.
If, like me, you find that books tend to weigh down your luggage, you could opt for an eBook on your Kindle, phone or tablet instead.
Pack a hammock
It might be the last thing you’d normally think of packing into your suitcase, but carrying a simple, lightweight portable hammock with you can make for a great way to relax on the road. Simply set it up, climb in and enjoy a moment of calm, wherever you are. Check out Tropilex UK hammocks for an excellent range to choose from.
Have plenty of audiobooks
If you enjoy reading but you’re not so keen on lugging books around with you when travelling, audiobooks could be another good option for you.
Audiobooks are becoming more popular than ever before, at the moment. With new technology and services, these books can be listened to in a variety of ways. There are also plenty of apps that you can use to listen to audio books on your phone or tablet.
Not only can audiobooks make for a stimulating and engaging way to enjoy your favourite book or get stuck into a new title, while also helping to limit luggage weight, but they’re also far more sustainable than traditional books.
Don’t forget to bring your laptop
Laptops are not just for work, but for leisure as well. Whether you’ve downloaded some movies to watch or music to listen to duringthe flight, or you plan to play some games instead, having a laptop with you is a must for some of us (me included) when travelling. While none of us like to work when we’re on holiday, if you happened to have some unforeseen business to take care of during your trip, you could be thankful that you brought your laptop with you.
However, if you’re having any technical issues with your computer hardware or software – I recently noticed that my relatively new new mac is slow for example – then make sure you get this checked out before you head off. Nowadays, many airports will confiscate portable electrical devices if a passenger is unable to power them on when requested to do so by airport security, so you need to be confident you can turn your device on if necessary.
Have plenty of games on your phone or tablet
Travelling is a great way to get away from the daily grind and enjoy new places. While I’m not really one for games myself, I know there are plenty of games on your phone and tablet that you can play when you’re on the go. My mum loves text-based games like TextTwist and WordChaos, while other popular phone games include Candy Crush and Farmville.
If you’ll be travelling with kids in tow, interactive games could provide hours of entertainment for them during your journey. However, always be mindful of the tendency for mobile games to tempt you into making a purchase; be sure to switch-on password security for app purchases, just to avoid and surprise bills! Also, remember that not all games will work without an internet connection.
Download music and/or podcasts to listen to
Listening to my favourite foodie podcasts and music is one of my fondest ways to keep myself entertained and relaxed during long-haul flights and journeys. In fact, this has also been considered one of the more classic ways to entertain yourself while travelling. The only difference nowadays is that, rather than donning a plastic headset and plugging it into our tape cassette players, we’re far more likely to be found listening to Spotify on our wireless earbuds. Just don’t forget to download any tracks you want to listen to ahead of leaving home, to avoid any hefty data charges or getting stuck in silence because you can’t access the internet to stream music.
What do you pack to keep yourself occupied during a long journey? Leave a comment to let me know.
This is a collaborative post.