How To Make Road Trips More Exciting

Road tripping is one of the best ways to travel. Not only can you travel more cheaply, but you also get to see all the exciting attractions along the way! However, as the miles rack up, the excitement of the road trip can start to wane and the dreaded, “Are we there yet?” words are mumbled. If you’re heading out for a long road trip, it never has to be boring if you bring just a bit of planning and creativity! 

Road Trip Games

Parents have long known the power of road trip games to tame turbulent toddlers on long trips. Classics like I Spy, Categories, The License Plate Game, and 20 Questions are always great choices. There are tons of resources out there from games for children to those made specifically for two people, so you’ll be armed with all the games you need to defeat boredom. When all else fails, there’s always the iPad. See some recommended games HERE!

Podcasts and Music

Saved the most obvious choice for first! Podcasts and music are the lifeblood of a long road trip. These are essential if you’re looking for a cheap to free way to liven up any long drive. Make sure to download some ahead of time. You never know when you’ll run into an area with no service! Extra points if you play a movie soundtrack and envision your road trip as a cinematic experience. 

Take Pictures

Whether you stop the car to do this or keep it moving is up to you. Pictures are a great way to stay engaged on long rides. Grab a disposable camera or two, and you’ll be able to re-live everything when you see the photos after you get home. 

Get the Energy Out

This applies to adults as well as it does to children (and animals, for that matter). Want to pacify your passengers? A morning walk or run in a nearby park will pre-emptively get the energy out. Enough exertion and maybe they’ll even get some sleep. Sleep is the simplest way to make a road trip fly by, after all. 

Roadside Attractions

Sure, they’re almost always something odd that you’d never dream of seeing otherwise. That’s what makes them fun, though! You wouldn’t seek out the world’s largest pony, but if you see a billboard for it on a road trip, you have to be at least a little curious. If you can swing it, plan your road trip around the best stops to see along the way. You’ll never be bored if you’ve got a new attraction every few hours! Photo above is from the Seven Magic Mountains just outside Las Vegas, and is completely free.

Drive Shorter Days

This is really just a good idea for safety, but also as an antidote for boredom. When you’re spending 10 hours in a car, you really hit that law of diminishing returns. Aim for fewer than eight hours of driving a day. Six or fewer is better if you can swing it. If you opt for a greater number of shorter days, especially if you have a flexible itinerary, you’ll minimize the long car ride blues. 

If you spend enough time on the road, you’re going to run into patches of boredom. It’s just a given. If you plan ahead and have activities and strategies, though, your boredom spots will be fewer and farther between!

author: Joe Coleman

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