Featured
Long car journeys are what you make of them – if you’re just trying to get from A to B and you don’t enjoy driving all that much, they’re not going to be a lot of fun, and they’ll probably feel as though they’re taking a lot longer than they really are.
However, if you make a game of it or try to have some adventures along the way, that long car journey will go a lot quicker, and you’ll still get where you want to go, but you’ll do it with some enjoyment during the journey, and that makes all the difference.
With that in mind, here are some fantastic ways to kill time on a long car journey that will help you get so much more out of your time on the road – read on to find out more.
Fantastic ways to kill time on a long car journey
Get Everyone Involved In The Playlist
One thing’s for sure – when you’re on a long car journey, you’re going to want some music playing (or a podcast or audiobook, but we’ll come to those shortly). Why would you want to sit in silence just staring at the road ahead of you when you could do the same thing with an amazing soundtrack playing over the speakers?
If you’re on your own, you’ll have full control over the music and what you listen to, and you can either create a playlist in advance, or just let shuffle take over – or what about picking a random radio station and seeing what it has to offer (you can always change it if it’s no good)?
If you’re with others, however, you can turn the playlist into a game if you like, and that can definitely pass the time. What about getting everyone to pick the worst song they can think of? Or how about choosing music based on a theme? Or maybe before a song can be played, you have to give clues about it and it only goes on when someone guesses. Whatever it is, getting everyone involved and making a game of the music you listen to makes it a lot more fun.
And we did mention podcasts and audiobooks as well – but they’re probably best suited to when you’re on your own so you can really focus on them (although if you’ve got kids with you, an audiobook of a children’s classic can be ideal). Listening to something while you’re driving is a good idea, and giving that listening a twist by making it not music can give you some great ways to kill time.
Roadside Curiosities
You’re driving along, and you spot some brown tourist signs telling you about this castle or that attraction in the nearby area. And what do you do? You just keep driving because you’ve only got your destination in mind. There’s nothing wrong with that, but what if you could stop at one or two of these roadside (or slightly further afield) curiosities? What if when you read the signs and something intrigued you, you decided to check it out? Wouldn’t that be fun?
Although technically you’d be making your long car journey longer, you’d also be having a bit of extra and unexpected fun, and that would make it all worthwhile. So how about making a pact with the rest of your car’s occupants to stop at the next attraction, whatever it is, just to see what you can see?
Or, if you really don’t have time, you can still turn the signs into a game – get someone to google what the attractions are and read the information aloud and you’ll find a great way to pass the time on the road.
Create A Driving Treasure Hunt
Looking out for things on the road isn’t just something that can help pass the time, but it also helps to keep you focused on what you’re doing, which can be an issue on a long car journey, especially if the route is a boring one. So before you set off, come up with a list of things you and the people with you (if there are any) have to spot along the way – you can make them as easy or as obscure as you want, but the best idea is probably to make the list a combination of easy and tricky things to make the game a bit more fun and a bit more challenging.
There are thousands of things you could have on your list, and just a few ideas include someone singing in their car, a dog, a caravan, sheep or cows, emergency vehicles, someone drinking coffee, and so on. The winner is the person who ticks most things off on their list (and the prize is down to you).
You could have a twist on this game if you don’t have the time to come up with a list in advance or you didn’t think to do it, and that’s to spot a certain number of cars in one colour, for example, or the first one to see ten cars with personalised number plates.
In fact, you could go even further and try to work out what those number plates mean, or even decide which DVLA number plates would work for your car – it could be that by the time you reach your destination, you’ve realised that you want one yourself. And why not? They’re a lot of fun, after all.
Eat Well
What do you usually eat on a long car journey? Maybe you pack some sandwiches that get soggy by the time you open them, or some chilled food that doesn’t stay very chilled. Or perhaps stop at motorway service stations and eat there, which can be a bit hit or miss a lot of the time, to say the least.
Could it be time to change that? You know you’re going to have to eat if the journey is long enough (and stopping for food can be a great excuse to stretch your legs and take a break, and that’s crucial to stay safe and alert), so why not plan for that and book a table at a nice restaurant or decide which quaint cafe or tea shop you’re going to go to in advance?
You’ll have somewhere to aim for by a certain time, you won’t have to think about what or where you’re going to eat, and you can make sure you eat well, which isn’t just better for you because it’s probably healthier, fresher food than you would have had otherwise, but it will also give you the energy you need to complete your journey.
Plus, you’ll get to experience somewhere a little different, which can make the journey more entertaining and memorable, so it’s good no matter how you look at it.
Make Future Plans
You’re in the car with nowhere to go and just the road ahead of you – could this be the perfect time to come up with some plans for your future? If you’re on your own, this could be the ideal opportunity to think about where you are in life and where you want to be, and come up with a few ideas about how to bridge that gap. It might be that by the time you get to where you’re going, you’ve got a plan in place for the next step in your life, if not a few steps beyond that.
And if you’re with others, don’t let that stop you. Are they part of your plan? Then get them involved – see what they think of your ideas or ask them to plan with you if you share a life together. Having that time to think and come up with ideas doesn’t happen all that often, so grasp the opportunity when you can and you never know where it might take you.
Image Credit: depositphotos.com
