Travelling is fun, no doubt about that. But what’s not fun is a long and tedious fight that is so hard to bear that by the time you arrive at your destination, you end up feeling grumpy and jetlagged. So, how can one survive a long flight?
No one likes long flights, trust me. Would life not be so much easier if you could travel to your favourite place as soon as you want to? Alas, this cannot happen and is not likely to ever happen either.
Until a few years back, scientists and engineers did try to make flights that would not take days, but this came with consequences. Flights such as these would cost a lot, for starters. Not only that, but such flights also cause a sonic boom. A sonic boom happens when an object travels faster than the speed of sound and creates shock waves in the atmosphere – which in turn, causes damage to surroundings.
Now that you know why a fast flight is not the best idea, it still does not mean that you have to endure the boredom that arises due to long flights. There are many ways you can keep yourself occupied and have fun on a long flight.
Read a book
Books are the single best form of entertainment when you are stuck on a long flight. Books do not end in few hours and demand a lot of concentration from your end. It means you can get yourself immersed in a book and get lost in its world, and you will not even feel the time passing by. If you are a reader, then I am sure you can relate to this. When the clock strikes 12, but you still can not put the book down even though tomorrow is a workday, that is what happens when you pick up a great book!
Everyone has a different preference for books, but my top suggestion would be to pick suspense. Suspense is one of those genres that pretty much everyone loves – it’s my favourite too. When you choose a book with a suspense storyline, it would naturally be hard to put it down again. And that is what we want!
Books by known writers such as Sydney Sheldon and Agatha Christie will never disappoint. These are the writers whose books are enjoyed and cherished by almost everyone.
Read more: Books that will get you in the mood to travel
Watch a movie
Although books are my one source of joy, that does not mean it is easy to read a book for five-plus hours straight. Reading books requires a lot of concentration, so it is easy to get tired of them. And when you are stuck on a long flight, it is not always flattering to get a headache from reading so much.
And so, this is why watching a movie is a great way to survive on a long flight. Watching a movie is the easiest and simple way to spend your time. It is a great way to keep yourself occupied without actually doing too much.
When it comes to movies, there are many genres you can choose from, but my recommendation would be to go for a film that will not take up too much of your brainpower.
Avoid science fiction or suspense and instead, go for something light like comedy and rom-com. Nevertheless, if you want a movie that will keep you guessing, then do go for suspense.
Read more: Movies and shows to get you into travelling
Plan for your trip
It does not matter if you have planned for your trip beforehand or not, planning on the plane is a great way to pass the time. There are many ways you can brainstorm ideas for your vacation on the plane. Go to Pinterest and search up the place you are visiting and look for all the must-see locations in the city/country.
Many people prepare for their trips beforehand, but it will not hurt to do a little more digging and planning!
Furthermore, this can be a great way to keep yourself occupied and also have fun on the plane. It will also increase your excitement levels and thus when you reach your destination, you will not feel too tired to explore the place you are travelling.
If you are into journaling, you can start putting up some points on your initial planning and budgets for the trip.
Talk to the people around you
If you are travelling alone, then a great way to survive long flights is to befriend the people around you. Chances are those people are travellers like you, and thus you can make plans with them or if they are locals of the place you are visiting then, even better! You can ask them for their favourite locations and what you should and should not do in the city.
Talking to the people around you will give you a temporary fix to the boredom of long flights and, it can also be a great way to get to know others around you and learn a little about them.
Take a nap
The one piece of advice which no one would have an issue with is taking a nap. It is best to take a nap when you are on a long flight as you will have energy when you arrive at the destination. Taking a nap is also a quick fix to the boredom of a long and dreadful flight. Although, I somehow find it as easy to sleep on an hour or so flight as I can on the longer ones. What can I say? I just love my beauty sleep.
Of course, taking a nap is not always easy for everyone, but if you are one of those who can fall asleep anywhere, then take advantage of that superpower and doze off.
Travelling is fun but long flights, not so much. Long flights do not mean you have to endure a painful few hours before you can finally have fun. Instead, treat these long flights to the best of your ability and find something productive to do in this time.
Everyone has their unique way of passing the time. What is yours? Leave a comment below! XoXo
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