Traveling can sometimes be a boring time. Long waits in airports. Traffic jams. Ferry crossings with nothing but water for scenery. No matter whether you’re traveling by car, plane, or ferry, there will always be times when you’ll wish that you had something to occupy you.
Thankfully, in today’s fast-moving world, there are plenty of options to keep your mind occupied when you’re on the road, in the air, or at sea. Here are some great ways to entertain yourself while traveling.
Read a good book
Don’t waste your time with glossy magazines. Most of them will rot your brain and you’ll be done reading them before you’ve even made a dent in your journey. They also take up as much space in your travel bags as a good book, which will occupy you for far longer.
Many people also find that reading a book helps them get to sleep. If you’re one of the unlucky people who finds it difficult to sleep on planes and in cars, a book can help you doze off naturally.
If you’re one of the super-unlucky people whose motion sickness can be exacerbated by reading, there’s a great alternative: audiobooks. Downloading audiobooks to an audio device such as an iPod takes up very little space and frees up luggage room. It means that you can take a whole collection of books with you on your travels so that you’ll never get bored!
iPad or tablet
Don’t rely on airlines, bus terminals, or ferries to provide high-quality visual entertainment. Loading up an iPad or tablet with the latest movies puts the ability to occupy your mind in your own hands. Also, bring an iPad charging station just in case your iPad, smartphone, and other devices need some power, and charge them simultaneously in public charging stations.
iTunes is a great place to download the latest Hollywood blockbuster movies, as well as fun games and eBooks.
As many public places now offer free Wi-Fi, a tablet is also a great way to stay in touch with friends and family while you travel. Best of all, using a tablet to entertain yourself instead of a smartphone means that you won’t drain your phone’s battery. This is important as charging points can be scarce on the road and you may need phone access in case of an emergency.
Play the lotto
Playing the lotto can be a fun way to pass the time while traveling. Firstly, there’s the welcome break of pulling over at a rest stop – or dipping into a terminal convenience store – to pick your lottery numbers. Many people play the lotto using numbers with personal significance, such as birthdays, so the mere act of deciding on the numbers that will make you rich can be enough to while away some downtime.
Then comes the best part – daydreaming of what you’d spend the jackpot money on. This is by far the best way to while away the hours of a long journey. Whether you’d buy a house, a car, or simply want to fantasize about traveling somewhere far more thrilling, you can let your imagination run free. Before you know it, you’ll be at your destination!
Once you get there, you can check your numbers on the Mega Millions numbers CA website to see if you’re a winner!
Discover new music and podcasts
When was the last time that you discovered a new band or artist that you really loved? If you’re like most people, you’ve probably got your favorites that you’ve stuck with for the past few years. Now that you’ve got some downtime on your journey, you have a great opportunity to find your next favorite band.
Audio services such as Spotify provide recommendations for new artists based on your existing preferences – so if you really dig Led Zeppelin, Spotify will find out if an emerging band from Israel fits the bill. Best of all, the Spotify paid subscription service now allows you to download songs and playlists to your phone – so even if you’re out of cellphone range or you don’t want to drain your data allowances, you can still get inspired by some fresh sounds. Simply load up your device with songs and playlists before you leave and you’ll have no shortage of new material to help you pass the time on your journey.
In fact, you could even choose a road trip playlist based on the route that you’re traveling – there are thousands of songs about places all around the world! The same goes for podcasts – why not search for and load up some podcasts about your destination? Not only will you whittle away the hours of your journey, but you’ll also be armed with a ton of new knowledge about your destination.