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As you’re reading this I am embarking on a 16 hour journey from one home, Vancouver, Canada to another, Budapest, Hungary. I’ve been away for just over a year, so I’m really excited to be seeing what is the same and different about this beautiful city. But in order to get there, I’m going to be stuck on a plane for huge chunk of time. Not to mention, having a layover for a couple of hours.
Traveling around Europe often involves long bus and train rides. I went to Belgrade by train from Budapest which is almost an 8 hour journey and it wasn’t even the longest train ride I’ve been on – that honour goes to the Budapest – Ljubljana route clocking in at around 10 hours. On this upcoming trip I have an 18 hour bus ride to look forward to. Joy.
So you’re stuck on the train / bus / plane for the next few hours, now what? Depending on whether or not you’re traveling with others and what mode of transport you’re using, your options can vary. Even if you are traveling with others, my experiences show that you can’t keep up a conversation for hours on end and eventually everyone will want some quiet time.
Here are some of my favorite ways to pass the time.
Catch up on sleep
This is the easiest of them all. Close your eyes and just rest. Traveling is stressful and any moment you have to catch your breath and relax take it. Of course, it also depends on where you are. I wouldn’t recommend completely falling asleep on some train routes, especially if you are alone. A friend of mine, traveling alone, woke up to someone trying to steal a bag from the compartment she was in when traveling from Belgrade to Budapest. If you’re on a plane, by all means. Sleep! Don’t forget to bring earplugs so you can ignore everything around you.
Journal
If you’re anything like me, my head is buzzing with every little detail that I notice. I take travel time as a means of reflection and writing down what is going on in my head. It helps me process everything that I have seen and done as well as help me remember it in the future.
Music
This standby is a great way to pass the time. Pull out your favorite albums and you’re in your own world. I especially like having music to tune out loud conversations, the annoying buzz of a plane and any crying kids. It also helps me fall asleep by equalizing all the sounds around me to a steady volume.
Podcasts
I love podcasts. There are so many different topics that are covered: comedy, politics, and random general knowledge. My current favorite podcast is Good Job Brain. I love trivia and the format and interesting tidbits they cover in each episodes really fascinate me. Not to mention, they’re hilarious to listen to. Other ones I really like are Stuff You Should Know and The Alton Browncast What are your favorite podcasts? I’m always looking new ones!
Read
But only if you don’t get motion sickness. When I was younger I would read books like I was drinking water. One a day, sometimes two days. I prided myself on how much I read and how quickly I could read it. My weakness? Boxcar Children mysteries. Even now, I’m shamelessly addicted to mysteries. Agatha Christie is awesome.
Somewhere between Budapest and Belgrade passing the time.
With technology these days, it is so easy to carry a book or two right in your pocket. I’m always a fan of reading a real book, but you can’t beat using an e-book reader or a tablet to read the latest books without carrying them all. I’m always saying that I never have enough time to read now and being stuck in one place is as good as any time to read. This time around, I’ll be reading Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail 
Watch movies
Most international flights now come equipped with an entertainment system which does exactly that. I catch up on the latest movies that I haven’t seen yet. Alternatively if I have time beforehand, I download a movie to my tablet and watch that at my own leisure. It’s also a good way of passing time at an airport while on a layover.
Daydream
Harness your inner dreamer and let your imagination go crazy. I find I do my best thinking when I’m in motion from point A to point B. Something about staring out the window, watching the world rush past, makes my mind wander in all sorts of directions. I dream up all sorts of crazy ideas and brainstorm things for work or for my blog. You just need to remember to have a notebook handy to record it all before you forget it!
Meet new people
If you’re alone you can use this time to make new friends. Seek out other single travelers or talk to your seatmate. You never know who you might meet. Just don’t be that awkward person who doesn’t know when to end a conversation.
Plan
If I don’t have much time to do any planning prior up to a trip, I try to do it at the very last minute – while I’m en route! I download books and information onto my tablet and use this info to help put together a rough itinerary. I especially like using Pocket. Anytime I find a relevant article online about my destination, I save it to Pocket. Before I leave on my trip, I open the app on my phone or tablet, and it downloads all the articles for me to read later, offline.
Play cards
Traveling with others means you have a built in entertainment system of sorts. I always try to travel with a deck of cards. You can play a variety of games whether you have just two or ten people. It’s also a great way of breaking the ice to meet people as well. I also like to carry other cards as well. Who doesn’t like a round of Apples to Apples? Or maybe Taboo? They add a little variety to the same games over and over again.
How do you pass the time when you’re traveling?
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I always start planning the next trip on the way home from the current trip, I find I can’t concentrate on books or films as my mind wanders and I get grumpy I’m homeward bound! That or I sink my way into the fizz on the plane!
That is a great way of passing time and to get you excited for whats coming up next.
Ohh yes, daydreaming that’s my fave way. Although a good book isn’t too bad either. Happy Travels!
Thanks SJ! Daydreaming is a great way of passing time. It just seems to fly by!
I really liked this post Adelina! I read a lot when traveling…I read a lot when I’m not traveling haha. I’m also in the middle of reading Wild..it’ll be interesting to see what each others’ opinion is when we finish–they’re making a movie with Reese Witherspoon too. 🙂
Thanks Ashley! Sounds like a plan. Jen from Travels with Curley is reading it too so it’ll be nice to see what each of us thought of it.
I am definitely a podcast person. For me there is now way better to pass the time than learning new things! I’m definitely going to check out Good Job Brain (I already like the others)…have you checked out the Tobolowsky Files? Definitely an interesting podcast. I get too much motion sickness to read on anything but a plane or a train, but that is definitely a great way to pass time. Nice to see a shout out for Pocket – definitely an underrated app! Safe travels!
I haven’t heard of the Tobolowsky Files, but I’ll check it out for my upcoming bus journey. Thanks for the tip!
As someone who absolutely can’t sleep in an upright position, great tips. I haven’t tried the podcasts yet and so far I’ve simply stuck to reading books and watching movies. Once I even talked to my seatmate for 8 hours straight, an older lady visiting her daughter in New York who had the most amazing stories to tell.
And from a fellow book lover to another: get a kindle! Those things are seriously amazing, the battery lasts forever, it’s light and you can read in sunlight.
Podcasts are awesome! Great entertainment for when your eyes are tired or you get a little motion sickness. I can’t sleep in an upright position either. It’s just too uncomfortable and I have no idea what to do with my head.
I’ve thought about getting a kindle actually. A couple of my friends have them and they’re so light and useful, but then I’m not sure if I want to be looking after another gadget.
Sleeping on the bus is a tricky one… You know when your head end up on the shoulder of the stranger next to you. Or vice verse. Love reading.
Ah yes, that awkward moment when… Do neck pillows help?
I get horrendously motion sick, so I tend to sleep, journal, daydream or watch the odd movie with T 🙂
All those options are great to pass time, especially sleeping or daydreaming. You snap out of it and a couple hours have passed.
I tend to catch up on reading during travel, but when my little guy hasn’t stolen my iPod I enjoy listening to music or podcasts, too. RadioLab and This American Life continue to top as my favorites. I’ve started dragging along smaller crochet projects with me, too. They work well for those times that batteries have died or the screens on the plane aren’t cooperating.
I tried teaching myself how to crochet last year to no avail, but I can see it being really handy on a long journey. The lady next to me on my flight was crocheting a beautiful handkerchief I think.
I just started reading Wild last weekend on a trip back from Raleigh, NC. With a full-time job and two little kids, I’m not sure when I will get around to finishing it, but I really enjoyed the first 60 pages and I may have to forgo some sleep to get through it soon. I will be interested to hear your thoughts on the book (as well as A Southern Gypsy’s!)
Good to hear that you’ve liked the start of it! I sense the beginning of a travel book club! 🙂
For me, buses are the worst because I can’t read/write/watch anything without getting sick. Planes and trains are fine though. I actually kind of like having a few (or several) hours to myself to just daydream, watch the clouds or scenery, read and do some writing etc.
You’re right. Having some downtime while in transit is nice. I’m like you. Buses and cars are no go for me, but planes and trains generally are okay.
Lovely post! My favorite option is still daydreaming though – I can zone out like the Buddha… Good luck and safe travels!
Thanks! Zoning out definitely seems to make the time go by quickly!
I actually really like long train rides – there’s usually enough space (compared to planes) to be comfortable, and I can relax and read without worrying about what I should be doing. Though lately I’ve started to see any downtime in traveling as time to type up my notes and edit pictures . . . blogging a trip doesn’t always go well with relaxation. 😛
On planes, I am usually out as soon as we take off – especially if I have a window seat, but I can manage to nap on the tray table if I have to.
I like train rides for the same reason actually. There is usually enough space to stretch a little and you can walk around as well. Definitely not as cramped as on a plane.
Sleeeeep! I’m the kind of person who can fall asleep in any moving vehicle even if I’m not tired so that helps pass time pretty fast. Otherwise I like listening to music and playing games. I kept myself entertained on an 16 hour bus ride playing Candy Crush until my tablet battery died.
I am so jealous of your sleeping abilities! I wish I had that for this 18 hour journey I have coming. Maybe I should download Candy Crush. Hmm…
Sleeping and daydreaming, it comes natural to me (especialy daydreaming :)). Great post!
Thanks Nina! Daydreaming is so much fun 🙂
I wish I could read while on the move, but I get way too motion sick… so what I usually do is have some wine (on planes) and sleep! I can sleep for hours and hours! Or I watch a movie on my laptop. (I’m in your SITS-tribe, by the way! Hi! 🙂 )
Wow, I’m jealous of your sleeping abilities! I cannot sleep on a plane unless I haven’t slept the night before and if I do sleep it’ll just be for an hour or two. I can only read on a plane or a train. Cars and buses tend to make me a little sick so I know how you feel!
These will definitely come in handy this summer! We’ll be at Disney World for about three weeks, and I want my car, so we’ve decided to drive. It’s an 18-20 hour trip, so we’ll definitely need some boredom busters.
Stopping in from the SITS tribe!
Yikes! 18 – 20 hours is long, but road trips can be fun, stopping in random places along the way.
An 18-hour bus ride coming up? That sounds horrible! I’m one of those people who can stare aimlessly out of a window for hours, then all of a sudden I’m at my destination and I think, “hmmm, I really could have made better use out of all that time!”
I’m already dreading it! 18 hours is much too long for my liking. Daydreaming is great – I love just staring out the window and spacing out.
My husband and I always love playing card on the train. It really does help time fly!
Playing cards is a great way to pass time! There are so many different games to play too.
I can’t imagine not journaling during my travels. Not only is it a great way to pass the time during long bus rides, it’s the best souvenir too. Especially because I always think I’m going to remember everything, but i never do.
I love looking through past travel notebooks. Great way to relive all the memories. And you’re right, you never remember as much as you think you will and getting it down on paper is the best thing to do.
I tend to sleep, listen to music, and daydream when stuck on a long trip like that. Sleeping seems to make the time go by faster I think. Sometimes, I take in the scenery if I’m on bus/train rather than plane. Thank you for sharing and I can’t wait to read more about your travels!
What great ideas! I travel quite a bit for work and usually just download a couple of movies for my trips (short compared to yours). I love the tip about Pocket! I’m going to start using that too! Visiting from #SITS!
It’s one of my favorite apps. I hope you enjoy!
Yes Journal! Passes the time AND makes a lasting memory of your travels!