Like it or not, there is a lot of downtime when you are traveling, especially when you’re traveling long distance. Waiting for the boarding call, waiting for the airplane to taxi and take off, waiting for your pick-up, and many other gaps in your schedule actually make up for up to 40% of your entire travel time.
You can utilize these gaps to be productive, or you can use them to have more fun along the trip. Worry not, because I’ve gone both routes and have complied for you a list of smart ways to kill time when traveling.
Get Some Work Done
Opening your laptop and getting some work done is among the many things you can do to fill gaps in your schedule. Instead of waiting until the end of the day – when you’re already tired – to take a look at work, it is actually better to get work done in short sprints whenever you have the time.
There is a trick to this approach too. First of all, you want to bring with you a Mi-Fi (a mobile access point with internet connectivity) so that you can work from anywhere. There are public hotspots in many places, but that doesn’t mean you will always have reliable internet when connected to those hotspots.
You also want to divide work into small chunks and prepare for them. Save any materials that you would have to access online to your drive, do some ground work of structuring your tasks before the start of the trip, and you are all set. All you need is a comfortable corner, and maybe some focus.
Read
This too is a simple thing to do. I’m sure many of you read more when you’re traveling, simply because you have more time to read compared to when you’re at home or at work. Traveling does make reading more enjoyable, plus you can now carry a lot of books you’ve been meaning to finish in a Kindle. Slip it in your carry-on and you’re good to go.
Of course, you’re not limited to reading books either. The internet is filled with entertaining things to explore. Funny memes and pictures at top sites like Lolhit.com are always fun to follow. You’ll find yourself giggling and laughing in the airport lounge after a few pages.
Binge-Watch a Series
My personal favorite is watching a TV series I’ve been meaning to watch. I don’t have time to watch them when I’m home, but I can now watch them whenever I’m traveling. I get to complete season after season without fail.
The key here is downloading the series to your phone or tablet. All streaming apps, including Netflix and Amazon Videos, allow you to save episodes to your phone and watch it later. Use your home Wi-Fi to download the episodes you want to see before the trip and you’ll have plenty of entertainment for the entire journey.
Do you have your own favorite things to do when you need to kill time during trips? Be sure to share your best tips and tricks in the Comments section below!