Making The Most Of Time Spent Travelling

When it comes to travelling the destinations we get to visit can keep us busy all day long. But we also at times seem to spend a lot of time getting there that can seem like wasted time. We might spend some time resting, but wouldn’t it be great if you could make full use of this time.

If you are looking to maximise the unused time when travelling this post is for you. Whether I am travelling internationally or just down the road, I hate to waste time. Below are some of the ways that I make the most of the time that would be otherwise wasted.

Podcasts

Podcasts have been around for some time. With the term podcast dating back to 2004 when popularised in association with the iPod. However, the concept dates back to the 1980’s.

It is only as recent as 2016 though that I started to dive into listening to podcasts. I must say though I am totally hooked and find it a fantastic way to fill in time you have little chance to use any other way.

Whenever I am in the car alone, there is always a podcast playing. If I am walking by myself, I can have my earphones in listening. Likewise when I am travelling on a plane is another very good time to listen.

Depending on your interests and the podcasts you may find. Accordingly, this idea may or may not work. Podcasts can vary in length from 10-minute episodes through to one or two hours. It just depends on, what approach the creator of the podcast has taken. I am lucky most of the ones I enjoy sit around the one hour mark.

Being Prepared

When it comes to podcasts and travelling, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

1. Most podcasts will only download the most recent episode by default. You will want to go and ensure additional episodes are downloaded, so you do not run out.
2. If you are on a plane, you likely won’t have access to the internet. So having episodes pre-downloaded will be beneficial.
3. Likewise, on a cruise ship, the internet can be slow and expensive. In this case, you will want to have a lot of episodes pre-downloaded.

But don’t worry about finding enough podcasts to download. Unless you find a brand new podcast that has only just started, there is likely a lot of episodes in the backlog. Two of the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis both have over 300 episodes in the backlog. Easily enough to keep you occupied for weeks.

Ebooks

I cannot even remember the last time that I had less than a dozen unread books in the Kindle app on my iPad. Kindle has been my go-to app for keeping any books that I am interested in reading, ready for travelling or when I have the time.

I find that making use of Ebooks is so much more convenient than carrying physical books when travelling. I will be carrying my iPad anyway so adding some extra books is not going to affect the weight of my bag.

Plus another benefit of ebooks is that you can have as many available as you want. You can have a mixture of fiction and non-fiction on different topics or from different authors. Just because you never know what you might feel like reading. If you have time to concentrate an in-depth non-fiction book might be fine. But if you are on a plane where there could be constant distractions a light fiction novel might be better.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks can be another great alternative. Especially if you don’t like the idea of reading on an electronic screen. Depending on just what you are after there are a couple of options for getting audiobooks.

If you are looking for fiction, there is a potential that some local libraries may offer the ability to borrow an audiobook electronically. It would be something that you can always ask about and may need to find out which app they use. But it can be a great source of free audiobooks to listen to.

If you have specific titles in mind, you might be better seeing if they are available on a service such as Audible.com. There is an app available which connects with your account on their site if this is the way that you go. You have two options here, you can sign up for a monthly subscription which gives you a set number of credits to use towards audiobooks each month. Or you can buy individual audiobooks as you wish.

Finally, you may find that some people also offer audiobooks or courses independently. Often these are focused on a relatively specific topic and it will require you specifically going looking for them, but can also be a great option.

Enjoy The Travelling That You Do

The one key thing you need to keep in mind is that when you are travelling it is is the destination that matters. You need to focus on the destination and spending your time there to relax or explore. Maximising the time that you spend getting to your destination isn’t essential just an option.