While your actual destination is stunning and exciting, the long trip alone is often boring. Sitting hours and hours without something interesting to keep you engaged is simply unenjoyable. Luckily, there are many things you can do to defeat boredom and keep yourself entertained. Have no more fear as here are the amazing ways you can pass the time while riding a plane or train and make your journey worthwhile.
Listen to Music
One of the easiest ways to pass the time is listening to music. Get your smartphone and pull out your favorite playlists or favorite songs. Then, wear your headphones, and you’re now in your own realm, away from the vexing sounds of the plane’s engine or the loud noise from the random conversations inside the train. What’s even great is that good music puts you in a relaxed state and helps you get in a better mood as you travel to your destination.
Read Books, Magazines, or Comics
Reading is a good option for fighting boredom during long, irritating trips if you’re a bookworm. So, take a good travel book or two with you to make your time productive. Meanwhile, comics and magazines are great alternatives to keep yourself busy if you’re not a boisterous reader.
Note that you can also use an e-book reader or a tablet instead to read the latest book, magazines, and comics, so you don’t have to worry about carrying them all. Otherwise, just listen to audiobooks and burst your ears with great words from your favorite titles during your trip.
Sleep
You can simply close your eyes and rest for long train routes and flights. Consume those extra hours by catching up on sleep and conserving all the energy you may need for your jam-packed itinerary or the long list of business meetings waiting ahead. Traveling alone can be stressful. If there’s any chance to relax – take it! Don’t miss out on bringing your earplugs, eye mask, and neck pillow to sleep comfortably and in peace all journey long.
Write
Travel time is a perfect time to think or reflect. If you have many things buzzing in your head, write them down. You can literally write anything you want, be it a creative poem, a script, your journal, a list of names you want for your future children, things you still wish to achieve in your career, or other fun or serious stuff. Through that, you can keep your travel time pleasing by allowing yourself to release all your current feelings and thoughts.
Watch TV series and Movies
Whether it’s having a marathon of the Harry Potter, Star Wars, or Mission Impossible movie series or binge-watching episodes of the Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, or The Sopranos, watching your favorite movies and TV series is a surefire way to enjoy long hours of travel. So, download some great movies or TV shows or just use the in-flight entertainment system so you’ll never get bored during your trip.
Play mobile games
If you’re looking for a great time-waster, thousands of highly-addictive games are available on the app store or the web. You can rev up your accuracy by playing shooting games, get that adrenaline rush through running games, or just have a chill moment by answering logos or trivia quizzes. Regardless of which, you’ll feel like you’ve reached your destination in no time.
Solve puzzles
Though it may seem outdated with all the latest technology, games, and apps available nowadays, puzzles never fail to bring in the fun when needed. Whether it’s a tricky crossword that will test your vocabulary or a Sudoku puzzle that will challenge your methodical thinking, solving them will always be a great way to consume time.
Eat and Drink
Avoid boredom eating as much as possible. Yet, everyone can attest that it’s fun to enjoy some snacks, especially when there is nothing else to do. Pour away those minutes by eating or drinking your favorite food. Enjoy your snack on your seat while pairing it with your favorite movie, listening to music, or reading comics –that’s even a greater idea to let those minutes fly by in a breeze!
Plan your trip
Are you looking to put your extra time while traveling into good use? Why not plan things instead? If you haven’t done so, you can start planning your trip. Decide on what landmarks to visit, which day you’d be seeing them, how to reach them, where to eat your lunch and dinner, and the budget you’ll allocate for each day. Though it might build anticipation, it’s the best way to ensure you’d have a smooth adventure once you arrive at your destination.
Chat and Make Friends
Traveling provides lots of opportunities to meet new people and make friends. So, don’t be afraid to talk to your seatmate on the train or plane and share thoughts and ideas. That will make the long journey much less boring. If it’s both your first time visiting your destination, you can exchange information and help each know more about the place. Otherwise, you just talk about random stuff, from food to culture, current events, career, and other shared interests.
Appreciate the scenery out of the window
Traveling on a plane or train lets you see new places and things outside the window. On a train, you can simply observe and appreciate the natural beauty of forests, fields, trees, gorges, waterfalls, and other beautiful landscapes. Apart from that, you also get to pass by bustling cities, quaint towns, or charming villages along the way. From high above, you can see the islands, lakes, seas, oceans, mountains, and skyscrapers, providing a truly surreal experience. If you need to pass the time, sometimes, all you need to do is look out of the window and appreciate all the beauty that awaits you.
Long trips on a train or plane never have to be dreary again as there are many things you can do to pass the time. So, just follow the listed tips and turn your journey into an exciting one. Happy travels!