Embarking on a long journey soon? Whether you’re travelling for work, heading to the coast, or visiting friends and family, passing the hours might feel like an impossible task.
Luckily, there are a few ways to ensure that your travel time is not just bearable but enjoyable too. From all-day train rides to cross-country drives, knowing the following tips could help you save your sanity on your next long-distance mission.
Five top tips to make light work of a long journey
- Create a personalised playlist
Consider creating different playlists for various moods or activities to keep things interesting.
Whether it’s filled with the top chart music or a compilation of your favourite artists and albums, it’s incredibly easy to curate something tailored just to your tastes. You could use Spotify, Apple Music, or perhaps even use an older device for a retro experience. Listening to music on a long journey is one of the best ways to shut the noise out, making hours feel like minutes.
- Listen to audio books
Whether you use an iPhone or a Kindle, many platforms offer a fantastic selection of audiobooks for you to browse. From jaw-dropping thrillers to educational guidebooks, you can immerse yourself in captivating stories, learn something new, or even revisit a classic from years ago.
Be sure to check out the best noise-cancelling headphones to make sure you never miss a moment. Or, if you’d rather not use headphones, you could use an e-book instead. That way, you can still hear the ambient noise on the way and listen out for any important travel announcements too.
- Use apps on your phone
App-based games make a convenient and very effective solution to tackling boredom on the way. Through the App store for iOS devices or via Google Play for Android customers, it’s possible to access an immense library of apps for gaming, entertainment, and trivia too.
If you’d rather play a multiplayer game and keep the conversation flowing, downloading a bingo app gives you speedy access to a lively player community. From classic arcade games to suspenseful action games and educational platforms, there’s something for everyone on mobile.
- Bring something with you
If you’d rather not look at your screen for the whole journey, why not get stuck into a pocket-sized game or activity instead? Travel-friendly hobbies only need simple and portable equipment, like sketchbooks and puzzles. Learning how to use knitting needles could give you a new creative project for every journey.
On longer or multi-day trips, you might need to rely on various forms of entertainment. From playing games on handheld consoles to watching TV shows on tablets, it’s always worth making use of your gadgets to help pass the time.
- Catch up on some admin
Lastly, we all put off those boring tasks like planning and booking in dates, so why not use the time you’d spend on the train?
If you struggle to find a quiet moment to get things done during the week and at the weekend, being on a train or coach gives you the perfect opportunity to update the diary. From important meetings to medical appointments, there’s always something on the back burner.
We hope you’ve found a way to make your next trip more entertaining! Before you travel, don’t forget to make sure that your journey won’t be affected by upcoming industrial action.