Long airplane journeys, busy bus rides and lengthy road trips are part and parcel of traveling, but what do you do to pass the time when you find yourself with a spare hour or two?

Keeping yourself entertained whilst traveling is one of the most exciting parts about planning a trip. Most of your attention may be dedicated to keeping your children safe, but if you happen to have some spare time on your hands, you may want some go-to activities to prevent boredom from kicking in.

Depending on your mood and what you actually enjoy doing, you may find that some of these ideas are more relevant than others, but here are ten options for you to try out for yourself next time you’re due to take a long journey!

Healthy Snacks

Munching on something wholesome and healthy could be the ideal way to cure boredom on a long journey and give you some much-needed energy to enjoy your day ahead. Make sure you pack plenty of wholesome and filling snacks in your bag so that you can turn to your favorite treat whenever you may need it!

Games and Puzzles

In your carry-on luggage you may want to pack plenty of puzzle books, apps and online games on your phone to help you pass the time. Hopefully during your journey you will have some sort of internet connection so that you can try out online sudoku. Setting yourself a challenge and getting stuck into one of these mathematical puzzles or games will help to keep your mind occupied whilst you approach your upcoming vacation spot.

Research Your Next Destination

The period leading up to your holiday can be pretty busy and stressful at times, but you don’t need to worry about feeling underprepared for your holiday. You can use the travel time to do a little research on your upcoming destination so you know exactly what activities you can do, where the local hotspots are and the best restaurants to eat too.

Talk to Strangers

If you find yourself sat on an airplane next to some strangers, why not strike up a conversation with them? You can find out some really interesting facts about people and you may even find a connection you never even knew about before! Talking to people is such a great way to enhance your communication skills, show friendliness and even learn more about the world too.

Indulge in a Movie

If you are looking to kick back, relax and soak in a movie, now is the perfect time to do it. Perhaps you have been wanting to watch a certain film for a while now, you have several hours ahead of you to do just that. You don’t have to feel guilty for not doing anything particularly productive during your journey; simply sit back, relax and enjoy a movie you have always wanted to see!

Take a Nap

Recharging your batteries is just as important as doing something productive whilst you’re on a journey to your next destination. Taking a nap whilst you’re traveling is a brilliant use of time as it will allow you to make the most of your day when you arrive at your destination. Be sure to pack some ear plugs and an eye mask so that you can fall asleep comfortably on public transportation.

Read a Book

Packing a book in your carry-on luggage is always highly recommended, especially because you never know when you might experience a delay on a flight. You may find yourself sitting on the runway for a prolonged period of time, or you may even be stuck at the airport before your journey has even begun. Reading a book will help you to pass the time and allow you to escape to a new and exciting world whilst you wait for your vacation to begin.

Create a Travel Blog Post

If you have never considered travel blogging before, now might be the ideal opportunity for you! Writing about your journey and the process of booking your holiday might just turn into something viral that other people will benefit from.

Creating a travel blog post is simple and won’t take up too much time if you’re looking to do some other productive activities on your flight. Even if you don’t publish your blog post anywhere in the public domain, it’s always going to be a good memory to hold onto even when your vacation is over.

Make More Storage on Your Phone

When you get to your vacation spot, you’re going to want to take loads of pictures and videos of your surroundings, your friends and your loved ones. If you’re stuck on a plane with no signal, you can use this time very wisely to create some storage on your phone. Delete any unnecessary apps from your phone, remove old videos and make sure you’ve got plenty of storage capacity for when you arrive!

Write a Shopping List

If you’re staying in self-catered accommodation for your upcoming vacation, you may want to spend some time during your journey writing a shopping list. Making sure you’ve got everything you need in your holiday apartment or villa will ensure that you have a smooth and enjoyable vacation from the very beginning of the trip!

It’s clear to see that there are a whole host of activities to keep anyone busy during long haul flights, car journeys and other types of trips. When you’re traveling with children, you may find that you don’t actually have that much extra time on your hand, which is totally understandable. Your time will usually be filled by handing out regular snacks, giving out coloring books and firing up their devices so you can get five minutes of peace and quiet.

If you’re lucky enough to have a kid-free journey ahead of you, these ideas will help you to pass the time, cure any boredom and give you a handful of productive activities to enjoy whilst you’re on the way to your next destination!