Long road trips sound like a lot of fun, especially when where you’re going is pretty exciting. Sometimes traffic and unnecessary stops stretch your time on the road. The driver will be focused on the road, but his companions may be dying of boredom. So, read on to learn how to enjoy a road trip no matter how long the journey, and bring the right gadgets!

1. Choose a Scenic Route (even if it happens to be a little longer)

If the planned road trip is one that many people have traveled before, follow the routes. If it is a destination famous for being the end of popular road trips people take, the route shows itself. Chances are, if a bit of research is done beforehand, there will be a particular route that would be the best for the road trip. There would be fun stop-over destinations along the way like famous restaurants, good places to rest, and gas stations.

Another bonus is if there are national parks or other natural attractions along the route. This path may not be the shortest one to get to the destination, but it certainly would provide an incredible sight and a perfect pace for the long road trip. So consider prioritizing quality over efficiency to keep it entertaining.

2. Bring a Deck of Playing Cards (to let the kids play or to have a break here and then)

When traveling with a few people on the road trip, it wouldn’t hurt to have a pack of playing cards or any other deck of cards to keep people entertained (e.g. a quick poker game!). Long stretches of driving may prove taxing, especially for the designated driver.

The driver may need to take more breaks than the people riding. So whenever stop-overs are made to either eat, fill up on gas, grab a bite to eat, or simply catch a quick nap, a good way to kill time is to play with cards.

A competitive game of crazy-eights or go-fish is sure to kill a few hours. It doesn’t also need to be playing cards. An Uno deck, snakes and ladders, a small chess set, or connect four are also fun games to be played while taking a break from the road. The amount of time to be killed depends on how competitive the people playing are! So add decks of cards to your packing list!

3. Prepare an Exciting Playlist

An excellent way to keep entertained on the road, whether road tripping with a few mates or alone, is the music. There may be times when there isn’t a radio station that would play the music that would fit the vehicle’s mood.

The radio DJ’s voice might be a bit annoying, or there may be too many commercials between songs.  Make a kick-ass playlist for the road to keep boredom out of the picture.

Preparing a playlist can be tricky, especially when traveling with other people. A few tips to think of are making sure to consider everyone’s requests while on the trip. Another is trying to match the songs to the route when driving through the concrete jungle, the midwest, or the west coast.

Lastly, consider the time when playing certain songs. Nobody wants to hear EDM or Rock ‘n Roll at 2 am when they’re sleepy.

4. The Colored Car Game

The Colored Car Game – the first to point at a specific colored car each time gets a dollar! Another fun way to keep everyone feeling excited on a road trip is coming up with fun games to play while on the road.

There is a game called the colored car game where a person gives a particular color, and the first person to spot it wins. The winner gets the point or one dollar if you want a little more excitement. Another game is called the yellow car.

It’s where a person who spots a yellow car gets to punch another person in the car while shouting, “yellow car!”. But it might not be the best game to play when in New York.

Another fun game could be the license plate game, where players try to snap pictures of different state license plates. There are 50 other states in the USA so this game can go on for a long time.

5. Learn the Basics of a New Language

For those up for a challenge, learning a new language can kill a lot of time on a road trip. It can keep everyone occupied while exercising their brain. Learning languages also help learn more about the culture and history of a place.

Don’t set high expectations of being able to carry a conversation once the road trip is finished. A few phrases and a few valid words to know are enough for a few hours or maybe even a couple of days of learning.

Another fun thing to do is to do a bit of research about the destination ahead. If traveling to, let’s say, Texas, maybe learning how people speak or the slang used in the area can help. The next time someone says, “He’s all hat with no cattle,” it won’t be confusing anymore.

6. Catch Up On Your Favorite Podcasts or Discover New Ones

Many people don’t really find jamming out in the car or singing along to tunes at the top of their voices fun. That’s no problem. Sometimes, creating a playlist for the road trip can be a playlist of a few familiar podcast episodes.

It can also provide the chance to listen to new podcasts. Maybe there are other nice podcasts to be discovered.

There are also other things to listen to besides podcasts and songs. It can also be self-help audiobooks. Or Autobiographies of some famous personalities in whatever discipline. It can also be fictional books like Harry Potter or the Percy Jackson series.

If that still doesn’t do it, take a blast from the past and listen to a few NBC Radio Dramas. It would for sure keep any one entertained on the trip.

7. Play Some Stand-Up Comedy

Going on a road trip alone is a scary thought because of the lack of company. It might be a good idea to prepare some stand-up comedy for the journey. Listening to popular comics or comedy specials can make anyone driving alone feel like they are in a room full of people.

It is also a chance to discover other comics to follow.

Laughter, when done alone, may make a person look crazy, but it has many benefits to the body. Reduced stress, pain relief, immune system boost, and reduced blood pressure are a few of them.

Plus, laughing can burn approximately 50 calories every 10 – 15 minutes, so by the end of the long road trip, you can lose a few pounds!

A road trip can be a platform for a ton of fun, games, singing, and laughing for the people in the car. Remember that the driver carries an extra responsibility of staying alert and being responsible for the lives inside the vehicle. It might be a good idea to skip a few road trip activities if they will be distracting.