There are people who say that the best thing about travelling is the anticipation. The packing, the shopping, the little airport rituals like buying a small pile of magazines or browsing (but never buying from) the duty-free. All of these things have their charm, but it’s clearly not true that they’re better than being in a new place, absorbing the culture of your surroundings.
The best part of travelling is getting there, but that doesn’t mean that the process of getting to a destination needs to be endured. If you plan things out properly, your trip can be a way to begin the relaxation that can step up a notch once you’re at the other end of your journey.
How can you make a long journey pass in a flash?
Let’s be honest, if you are travelling internationally, there are going to be some parts of the process that aren’t thrilling. At some point, you will need to stand in a queue and pay very close attention to how it is moving. You can’t skip those bits, and you can’t do much to make them shorter, so one key to travelling well is to make sure all the sections between these bits are as full of the things you want to do as possible. There’s sleeping, of course – you’ve probably not had a night’s sleep due to all the preparation needed – but it’s best to save that for the times when you’re in transit so you don’t miss any key information or indeed your flight.
A good book is one option, and you can apply the term “book” as broadly as you want. It could be a bestselling work of fiction, an autobiography you’ve really wanted to read, or a big book of wordsearch puzzles. Keep your phone nearby if you’ve got a puzzle book, because if you’re working on very little sleep, it can be useful to have some help in the mission to unscramble words and put them in the right places. You might also want to pull up some useful information on the place you’re going to; it can help you plan either an evening meal in a good local restaurant, or set the itinerary for the next day, if you’re arriving late.
Podcasts have rocketed in popularity, and they are so easy to listen to whilst on the go. Better Than Yesterday: Osher Gunsberg is an incredible life improvement podcast, which will help you learn something whilst passing the time!
Is it worth exploring the airport for ways to pass the time?
An airport in the present day is not so much a place to catch and disembark from a plane. It will usually be more like a small city with tighter security. There will be shops, bars, restaurants and often amusement arcades. With many people spending a lot of time in an area they can’t leave, it’s essential that an airport lays on amenities like these. You could book into a hotel, if the airport has one, which it usually will. This is only an option if you’re going to be there for most of the day, though – and be sure to set an alarm for well before the flight.
You can explore the various amenities at the airport, but there is something that needs to be acknowledged here: these amenities come at a premium price. If you want to have a drink before your flight, be prepared to pay a significant markup on what it would cost in a city-centre bar. The same goes for meals in any of the restaurants, and even buying a chocolate bar in the newsagent shop will usually involve swallowing a price you wouldn’t consider paying outside of an airport. It’s recommended that you bring food with you if you would prefer to avoid high prices.
What is the best way to stay entertained and engaged while travelling?
It’s an inconvenient truth, but no matter how well you prepare for a day of travelling, you’re going to find that there are spells of doing not much at all. The best advice anyone can give about your time in the airport is that you should be prepared to be flexible. You may be able to check in early, and this is recommended – the closer you are to your departure gate and the earlier you get there, the better in terms of your comfort.
In addition to this advice, you should also be prepared to have as many options as possible, so bring food, reading material, and more than one power bank for your phone. The chances are that you’re going to rely on it for entertainment at some point, and you’ll also need to have it at full power if there are any issues such as delays or cancellations. If there is one phrase that sums up the process of travelling abroad, it’s “hurry up and wait” – and both will be easier if you have your phone to hand with its range of entertainment options as well as its primary use as a means of contact.