The best ways to beat boredom on your next holiday

Although going on holiday is great fun most of the time, there are often moments when it can be boring. Maybe you’re waiting for your next flight, maybe you’re on the flight and it’s a long-haul, or possibly you’re just waiting for the rest of your travel companions to get ready. Here are some tips for what you can do to pass the time and beat boredom on your next holiday.

Firstly, why not take some photos to document your journey, or take some snaps of your accommodation? Whilst you might not think the journey is particularly interesting when you’re travelling, it’ll be nice to reminisce with photos when you’re back at home, and your holiday feels like a lifetime ago. Also, the journey can produce some beautiful photos, such as artsy shots of the clouds, if you’re flying somewhere, and of the cityscape or countryside when travelling by train. Alternatively, you might just want a photo to update your status, since it’s no secret that many of us like to keep our friends and family updated.

Holidays can be stressful and activity-packed, so it’s okay to pause for a moment when there’s nothing to do, rather than digging for something to do

Similar to taking photos, you could also take some ‘behind the scene’ videos of the travelling, cooking (if you’re bored whilst waiting for food) etc. They don’t have to be the perfectly edited videos of travel vloggers, simply little snippets to preserve the moments of your holiday that you might not normally remember or treasure.

Reading is also a great way to pass time on holiday, as once you get engrossed in something, time passes so much faster. You don’t have to be reading a book though. For example, you could also read the news, and stay connected with what’s going on back home, or in the rest of the world. Whilst a lot of us may not buy magazines anymore, travelling might be the time to treat yourself to one, to provide some light reading. Part of your reading might also be doing more research for your holiday, such as planning when to have dinner, and whether you need to book, or what other places you want to visit.

Another way to pass time, is to simply relax and listen to some music. Make sure you’re prepared beforehand with some earphones (unless you’re somewhere where it’d be acceptable to play your music out loud), and just unwind for a bit. Holidays can be stressful and activity-packed, so it’s okay to pause for a moment when there’s nothing to do, rather than digging for something to do. Maybe take a nap.

If you’re travelling with others, it might be a good idea to take an old-fashioned packet of cards with you

However, if you really want to stay moving, then maybe do a spot of exercise. This can be as simple as getting up and walking down to another carriage to stretch your legs or going for a walk around the area. If you do go exploring, just make sure that you know where you’re going (or at least know how to go back the way you came), your phone is charged up, and that your travel companions – if you’re travelling with others – know that you’re going and when to expect you back.

If you don’t want to move, then another ‘sit down’ activity is to do a spot of journaling. This might be tricky if you’re in the car or somewhere that’s not writing friendly, but you could always type down your thoughts on your phone instead. Using your phone as a diary means you can get moving again, straight away if you need to, which is ideal when you’re just waiting in the check-in queue or something.

If you’re travelling with others, it might be a good idea to take an old-fashioned pack of cards with you. This might come in handy for those rainy days when no-one wants to leave the hotel room, or the Wi-Fi has crashed (when is the Wi-Fi really reliable on holiday?) If you don’t have that, then maybe go even more back to basics and play charades. Sometimes, it’s okay to go back to being a kid on holiday, especially when you’re bored.

Just bask in that moment of boredom

Sometimes when we’re on holiday for quite a while, we get worried about all the things we have to attend to when we get back. Therefore, if you have spare time on holiday, it’s not a bad idea to start planning ahead on what you need to do when you get home. It doesn’t have to be a full-on plan, but maybe just making a list of things you need to do or logging in some self-made deadlines.

Finally, just bask in that moment of boredom. You’re lucky enough to be on holiday so you should appreciate it and enjoy the boredom – it’s a luxury really. Once term starts again, you’ll be so busy with work that you’ll be unlikely to have the opportunity of being bored.