By this point, you’re very familiar with traveling and well-equipped to take on any type of journey. Keeping yourself busy and entertained during a flight, long train journey or car trip is one of the best ways to kick start your vacation. It helps to pass the time and also allows you to switch off and focus on an activity that you truly enjoy doing too. When it comes to traveling abroad, you need to have a whole host of ideas in your backpocket so that you aren’t stuck for things to do. Even if you’re flying private, you still need to find a way to entertain yourself and balance out that charter private jet cost too. You may already have some of your go-to activities in mind, but the following fun ways will help you to refresh your travel entertainment methods. Whether you’re taking a much-needed nap, or you’re simply watching other people and taking note, there are so many fun ways to keep yourself occupied during a long journey.
Download Your Favorite Shows
Having all of your favorite television shows on demand is one of the very best ways to pass the time and keep yourself entertained when a full day of travel is on the cards. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to binge watch one of your favorite television shows, this is the moment. Make sure you clear enough space on your chosen device so that you can actually download enough programs to keep you going for the duration of the journey. Don’t forget your headphones too; nobody likes a traveler who listens to their show out loud on full blast!
Do Some Puzzles
Doing puzzles whilst traveling is a popular choice, especially if you’re always keen to keep your mind busy for the duration of your travel time. Many keen travelers would say that sudoku is a firm favorite when it comes to keeping yourself busy and entertained whilst on board a flight or train journey. If you have an internet connection, you may also be able to connect to online versions of these games too. Of course, packing a full book of puzzles and a pen in your hand luggage is completely possible, but it may also be just as easy to access your iPad or laptop for the duration of your flight so that you can choose from a whole host of different games.
Take a Nap
Napping is a brilliant way to pass the time, especially if you’re feeling a little tired. You will never regret taking a good long nap during a long flight or journey, but just make sure you’re keeping your upcoming timezones in mind too. Taking a nap can be a great way to keep busy, but you also want to make sure you’re not messing up your body clock too much for your end destination. Put a cap on your nap time to make sure you don’t oversleep and you should be onto a winning strategy!
People Watch
Is there truly anything more fascinating than people watching when you’re spending the day traveling? People watching is so interesting and it can help you pass hours of time if you’re lucky enough to get the right people in close proximity. Now, it’s not encouraged to be nosy, but the occasional bit of people watching is always okay, especially if you’re in a public place for all to see!
Talk to Your Neighbor
As well as watching other people around you, why not take a moment to talk to them? Taking an interest in someone else’s life can give you so much perspective about everything you know and do too. Talking to your neighbor can provoke so many fascinating stories that you’ll remember forever. They may even think you’re pretty interesting to listen to as well. Making a friend during a journey is certainly a great way to pass the time!
Catch Up on Work
Although it may not be the most exciting way to spend your journey time, it is a great way to ensure you have no distractions. If you work from home or in an office, there are plenty of things going on around you which can cause you to become distracted from your work. When you’re on a plane, train or boat you can focus on the tasks ahead of you rather than worrying about anything that’s going on in your surroundings.
Eat Some Delicious Snacks
There’s no denying that eating delicious snacks during any journey is all part of the fun of traveling. Packing your snacks and making sure you’ve got enough goodness to see you through the entire stretch is a key part of preparation you may not have even considered. Eating wholesome snacks during a flight will help you to feel energized and ready to explore when you arrive at your final destination.
Read a Book
Getting stuck into a book during a long journey is the ideal scenario for most travel enthusiasts. Some people save their favorite reads for upcoming vacations and the journey is the ideal place to begin. Stock up on books at the airport or download lots of options onto your Kindle before you arrive. This will allow you to make the best possible choice depending on your mood at the time.
Listen to Music
Now would be the best opportunity to listen to the new album you’ve wanted to listen to for quite some time. Make sure it’s all ready and downloaded on your device before your journey begins and pack some high quality headphones for the journey too!
Try Out a New Podcast
Listening to a great podcast will always be an effective way to pass the time and learn about a different subject matter that deeply interests you. There are so many different types of podcasts available on every platform, so it’s up to you to search for the ones that interest you the most and get started. Once you get hooked on a great podcast, you’ll find it very difficult to stop listening and you’ll be ready and raring for more of the same great content.
Organize Your Phone
When you get on an airplane or train which doesn’t have very much signal, you often have to resort to doing things you may have been putting off for a while. Organizing your phone and creating more storage should be your first port of call. Especially if you want to prepare to take loads of great pictures whilst you’re on vacation.
Make Plans for Your Upcoming Trip
Now is the perfect time to make plans for the trip you’re about to embark upon. If you’ve got a couple of hours to kill on a flight you can scope out cool restaurants, landmarks and hot spots that you should visit on your upcoming trip. This will not only help you to feel super prepared when you get there, but it’s also an excellent use of your spare time.
Use a Coloring Book
Coloring books for adults are truly a thing, and you don’t need to be four years old to appreciate the joy and peace that coloring can truly bring. Using a coloring book on a long journey can pass hours of time and you’ll end up with a beautiful piece of art to remember the occasion by too!
Enjoy a Beverage
Being thousands of feet in the air is the perfect excuse to order your favorite cocktail and enjoy a much needed beverage. Whether you’re keen for a glass of wine, or you’d rather sip on a cold rum and coca cola, there are so many great options for you to try out. Enjoying a beverage during a journey should always be done in a safe and mindful way. Don’t overdo it, and make sure you stay hydrated too.
Write in a Journal
If you’re the type of person who likes to document their travel, then this is the ideal option for you. Writing in a journal can not only help you to remember special occasions and what you got up to, but it also helps to keep your emotions and thoughts in check. There are so many benefits that go hand in hand with journaling, and it might just be the perfect way to pass the time when you’ve got a few hours to kill. Even if you’ve never even journaled before, this is the ideal opportunity to transform the way you think about certain scenarios. Journaling is a cathartic experience and one that you’ll certainly enjoy if you’re hoping to pass a little bit of time.
As you can see, there’s so many different ways to pass the time when you’ve got a long journey ahead of you. Keeping yourself busy with some of these fun, entertaining and engaging activities will not only kickstart your trip in a positive way, but it will also give you plenty of focused time to do something you enjoy. Whether you’re trying out a puzzle, or you’re indulging in some of your favorite snacks, there’s so much you can do to transform a long and tedious travel day into a fun and personalized event that is perfect for you!







I really enjoyed this list, especially the napping and people-watching tips. On long flights I usually run out of ideas halfway through, so it helps to have a proper plan. I’ve also started sketching rough storyboards for videos I want to make of my trips, mostly using a simple Faceless AI Video Storyboard Generator, which keeps me busy without needing wifi. Do you think journaling or puzzles works better for a full day of travelling?