There are few things in life more exciting than hitting the road and travelling the world. Whether you’re interrailing through Europe, exploring the beaches and temples of South East Asia or the great cities of the Americas, one of best things a life well-travelled can offer is constant entertainment and an end to boredom. However, it’s not always endless distractions and adventures. If you’re travelling the world, chances are you’ll be spending a significant chunk of your time sitting in transit mode, waiting in airport departure lounges, bus stations and immobile train carriages just itching to get to your destination. Long trips can often be dull and draining, but with a little creativity, you can keep yourself occupied and stave off the mind-numbing boredom. Here are some tips for staying entertained on the road.
Get Some Reading Done
How many times have you glanced over at that pile of novels you bought years ago, back when you were planning to become a literary connoisseur with enough cultural capital to get you through conversations with even the most well-read people. Although that copy of War and Peace may have been gathering dust for so long you’d given up hope of ever making it past the first page, a big trip can present just the opportunity you need to finally work your way through that literary bucket list. Nothing passes the time quicker than a good book, and there are few things more satisfying than snuggling up during a long train journey with a book you can just dive right into.
Online Games Are Your Friend
Probably the most effective way to stave off boredom is to load up your laptop and phone with plenty of fun games to keep you occupied. Luckily, these days there’s a lot more options open to you than simply downloading Angry Birds for the thousandth time (although it is a timeless classic). As long as you have an internet connection, there’s no limit to the type of games you can play, with even previously physical games like online scratch cards as an option, as this article here explains pretty well. You can also play shooting games, real-life simulation games, arcade games, racing games and strategy games from your device that wouldn’t look out of place on a modern Xbox. With more transport options being equipped with decent wi-fi than ever before, you’ll also be able to play with your friends back home, despite being several continents away.
Strike Up a Conversation
If there’s one thing that makes travel memorable, it’s the friends you make. However, you don’t necessarily need to be in an Italian Piazza or on a busy Thai beach to strike up a conversation with some fellow travelers. Look around your train carriage and you’ll likely be sat next to someone who’s just as bored and keen to make travel companions as yourself. So don’t discount your time spent in transit as an opportunity to have an enriching travel experience, and strike up a conversation with the nearest person. Ask where they’re heading, or where they’re from, and that long journey will fly by like you never thought possible.