Staying entertained when you’re on the road can be a challenge, whether you’re new to traveling or you’re a seasoned veteran who always knows the best routes to take. Whether you’re up in the sky, always in a car, or you prefer to sail whenever you can, that sense of boredom that occurs in between destinations can strike at any time and in any place!

That’s why it’s crucial to have some hobbies you can take malong with you. The richness of travel is often in those unexpected moments, where you end up somewhere you never thought you’d go, or you meet someone you never would have crossed paths with. But we can’t count on those opportunities always springing up! Sometimes you just want to sit in the airport lounge and play something on your phone!

And that’s the kind of thing we’re here to help with. If you want to find more fun when you’re traveling, the list of hobbies below are the exact kinds to get involved with. The more you can take the many facets of your life along with you, the more enjoyment you’re going to find in every single thing you do. 

Papercrafts

There’s a lot you can do with a sheet of A4 paper. Start by cutting it down to the size and dimensions you need, and you could end up creating all kinds of Origami masterpieces while you’re waiting around for your connecting flight. Folding an origami crane isn’t as difficult as you’ve been led to believe! 

If you prefer the world of macrame, you can try out a bit of paper quilling. Cut the paper you have into the right shape and you’ll be able to put together all kinds of creations when you’re on the road. And seeing as you’re in the car, you won’t run out of space to store them until you get home again. 

Paper crafting really doesn’t take a lot at all. It’s the kind of hobby that requires just a sheet of paper (which we all know doesn’t weigh a thing), and some time to shape it into something you’re happy with. Paper is also pretty easy to access, so even if you need to source some when you’re on your travels, you won’t have to go far to find something. 

And even if you have little to no skills in this kind of activity, it’s mostly just folding anyway! Give yourself a chance to learn a few different folds, maybe courtesy of the hotel wifi, and then start crafting. 

Sketching

If you have any artistic talent, you’ll probably find the idea of sketching quite appealing. If you feel you don’t even know how to hold a pencil, we still think you should give this travel hobby a go! All you need to make a sketch of something is something to draw with and something to draw on, and you don’t have to have skill in this to have some fun! 

After all, you’ll bring a very unique perspective to the things you’re seeing in the world around you, and you can marvel at the way you’ve portrayed them on the page when you come home again. Even if you’ll never be the next Van Gogh, you’ve still flexed your creativity and made something that’s truly worth it! 

Photography

Fancy capturing the perfect shot of that sunset going down behind that old temple? Or maybe you like getting some candid shots of locals going about their business? Of course, you’ll have to ask if you want any direct photos of the people around you. But either way, if these things sound like fun to you, you could have a future as a travel photographer! 

It’s a pretty easy hobby to get into, but it’s one that’ll take some time and effort to master. After all, photography isn’t just a matter of making sure the shot is in focus and then taking it. It’s all about the lighting, the right angle, the framing, getting the right view and perspective, and ensuring you come away with some photos you’re proud to take home and add to your travel album. 

That can make a great ongoing hobby, if you’re someone who’s on the road a lot and lives more of a nomadic lifestyle these days. You’re just going to need a camera to get started, but as time goes on and you develop your skills, you can add many more items to your photography kit. 

Gaming 

We all know that technology is changing a lot of the things about the way we travel. You can now get an AI assistant to plan the whole thing for you (although we would recommend double checking the plans before you book anything!), and that can take a bit of stress out of creating an itinerary. But one of the smaller, less notable things is just how easy it is now to take your favorite electronic entertainment on the road with you. 

And if you love to game, taking your favorite games on every trip from here on out will probably sound like an absolute dream! No longer do you need to have a proper PC setup or console connectivity to play like you always do; you can invest in portable versions of your favorite tech, like a Nintendo Switch or a Steam Deck. 

The ability to play on your phone is another thing that’s been on the up lately too. Offline versions of popular games can be found all over the place! Whether you have an internet connection or not, you can access games like wordle, solitaire, and your favorite ‘match three’ app no matter where you are. 

It’ll be best to make sure you have them downloaded to your phone before you head off, and to take a portable power source along too, but other than that you should be good to go. 

Hiking

Of course, you need to be out and about to make this hobby work, but it’s a good one to have on your side! If you like to hike, you’re going to explore a lot more of the great outdoors than you otherwise would. 

You won’t be inside the car on a road trip the whole time, only getting out at each destination. Your’e going to be able to get off the beaten path and explore a little, and that’s where the most rewarding experiences tend to come from. 

Or if you’re someone who’s staying in a resort and have little need to go elsewhere, deciding to go for a hike in a nearby vista will take you to a new place that very few other tourists have been able to discover. 

You’ll always need to make sure you’re safe to do so – and we thoroughly recommend scouting out the area and checking the local guidance for what to bring beforehand! But if you’re keen to find out what’s out there, try hiking a bit more often when you’re traveling. 

Whether you’ll be going through a nearby forest or making your way through a well known National Park, this is the best hobby for travel enthusiasts of all kinds! 

Writing

Keeping a travel journey is pretty common. No matter the length of your trip, you can buy a nice notepad to keep your thoughts, experiences, and special moments in. Start on day one, write up the things you did and anything that stuck out to you, stick in your ticket stubs, and doodle the interesting plants and animals you saw on the journey. 

It’s simply a nice way to document your trip and it’ll be very interesting to read back on one day. 

But you can also take your travel writing one step further; perhaps start up a blog, or write your own ebook based on the things you’ve learnt about being a regular traveler? 

This is the kind of hobby that you can do on the go – as you won’t be able to do it otherwise – but it’s also one that could end up making you money. If you build an audience, you could monetize your content, and that could fund more trips in the long run! 

Make Travel More Fun for You

If you love to travel, but it often feels like travel doesn’t quite love you, you’re going to have to make your own entertainment! You can do that by trying out hobbies that are easily portable and don’t require a lot of time and effort from you. 

These are the kind of hobbies that will be easy to pack in the bag you’ve slung over your shoulder, and won’t take up much room when you’re squashed into an airplane seat. From gaming to papercrafts to writing and hiking, there’s so much you can get out of on-the-go hobbies. 

Keep this in mind for your next adventure. The more you have to take with you, and the lighter the bag can remain, the more chances for fun you’ll come across!