Personalized Travel Games + Books
A big reason that people travel is for leisure. Vacations and weekend visits are all about having a great time. At Mark and Graham, we totally believe in the maxim that ‘half the fun is getting there.’ We want you to enjoy yourself to the max both at your destination and on your way there too. Even business trips can be a lot of fun when they include some time to see the sights, check out local delicacies and do things you don’t normally get the chance to do. Looking for some travel ideas to extract every ounce of excitement from your trip? Here a few possibilities.
One mainstay of long flights and road trips are travel games. Of course, they’re not limited to your time on the airplane, since things like chess, checkers, backgammon and cards are a lot of fun while you’re staying at the hotel too. In a car, magnetic boards and playing cards are awesome since unexpected bumps don’t upset your progress at all; cards tend to adhere somewhat to surfaces thanks to static electricity. On an airplane – depending on the size of your tray table – there’s usually plenty of stability so feel free to break out your travel dominos for a quick game or two with the person sitting next to you. That’s one of the best things about travel games on a trip with friends or family: they give you a way to spend time together and relax at the same time, without feeling pressured to talk if you don’t feel like it.
Another way to pass the time and enjoy yourself? Catch up on a favourite novel. Some people like the texture of a print edition, and others prefer to read using their tablet. Lean back in your seat, grab a drink and lose yourself in the world of unstoppable spies, romantic heroes and heroines, or invading armies from other parts of the galaxy. Chances are you won’t even notice when your plane taxis into the gate.
When you’re heading to an exotic location for the first time, reading up on your destination is a fun way to rest and get prepped at the same time. You can plan a few places you really want to visit, make note of some highly-recommended restaurants – after all, food is an awesome and memorable part of your trip in its own right – and maybe even squeeze in an extra location or two to your itinerary. Vacations are about you doing what you want to, so it can be a lot of fun to leave some wiggle room for things that capture your attention.
Flights offer an opportunity to practice a hobby. If you're a budding writer, the stress-free ambience of vacation has a very inspiring effect on your creative juices. The same thing goes if you’re cultivating your talents for other artistic endeavours like sketches or fashion. It makes you happy when you have the freedom to express yourself.
Is it alright to bring a laptop along for ride? Well, laptops, tablets and smart phones make it easy to watch a movie or play video games. For business trips, they let you communicate with people at your office and clients that might be waiting for you on the ground. For vacations, the decision of whether to cut all ties with the outside world or check in from time to time is totally up to you. Go with whatever helps you feel more relaxed, stress-free and happy. After all, when you’re refreshed and recharged, your productivity at work shoots up afterward.
There’s usually nothing wrong with using travel time to catch up on sleep too. A nap helps pass the time quickly and gives you extra energy when you arrive. Does sleeping on the plane cause problems with jet lag? Many experts say no, unless your trip takes you past two or three time zones. For visits to Europe or other distant places, you might want to follow the time zone of your destination – try to do some activities instead of sleeping during daytime – starting a few days or a week before your trip.