Whether it’s a long-haul flight, bus or car journey, an overnight sleeper train, it’s important to keep yourself entertained.

Traveling for long periods can tire you out if you don’t allow yourself to have enough downtime. Even sometimes when staying in a hotel or hostel, having games to play can help prevent boredom and allows you to be social and meet other travellers.

Card games are a popular leisure activity enjoyed by many for their entertainment value and ability to bring people together. They are ideal for passing the time while traveling with friends, whether on a road trip, flight or in a hotel room, and make for a great bonding experience.

But nowadays, you have plenty of options, whether it's playing games on your phone or handheld device, enjoying traditional board and card games, or gearing up for CS2 games tomorrow on your PC.

Check out our list of the most fun games to play whilst exploring.

 

Classic Road Trip Games

Long before the dawn of laptops, smartphones and tablet devices, travelers had to amuse themselves on journeys without the aid of state-of-the-art technologies.

To younger generations, this might seem somewhat alarming, but to our older readers, this will no doubt hark back to cherished travel memories and road trip games to eliminate the boredom of waiting to arrive at your destination.

If the idea of travel games excites you, this article explores recommended games to play on your travels perfect for traveling with friends, with a particular emphasis on poker. It delves into the basics, offers suggestions for playing while on the move, and highlights the benefits.

Let's dive in!

 

Poker

Poker is a classic game that immediately comes to mind when considering card titles. Below, you will find a guide on how to play it, tips and tricks for playing on the move, and the advantages of choosing poker as a travel companion.

Mastering the Basic Rules of Poker

Poker is a game of skill and strategy that is easy to learn the basics of. The objective of poker is to have the best hand of cards out of all the players at the table. Players are dealt cards and then take turns betting on the strength of their hand. The player with the best hand at the end wins the pot, which is the total amount of money that has been bet during the game.

The basic rules of poker include the ranking of hands, betting structure, and the flow of the game. Regardless of the game you’re playing or where you happen to be playing, the poker hand rankings start with the highest hand, the Royal flush, and goes down to the lowest hand which is a high card.

Betting structure varies in the different variations of poker like Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and Seven-card stud, among others. The flow of the game starts with the dealing of cards, followed by betting rounds, showdown, and the winner takes the pot.

Playing Poker on the Move: Tips and Tricks

Poker is a perfect way to connect and enjoy yourself with friends during travel, but it can be difficult to play on the move. To have the best experience, here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind:

  1. Pack a deck of cards and something to use as chips. It is even possible to use small items like coins or candy as chips if you don't have any on hand.
  2. Set clear rules and make sure everyone is on the same page before starting the game.
  3. Keep the game simple and stick to the basics. This will make it easier to play and understand the game while on the move.
  4. Be creative with your playing surface. A makeshift table can be made out of a blanket or a tray.
  5. Be flexible with the time and location of the game. Playing during breaks or downtime can be a great way to pass the time while on the move.
  6. By following these tricks, you can make the most of your poker-playing experience while traveling around the world.

Advantages of Choosing Poker

In general, poker is a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. It can also be a great way to learn about strategy and decision-making. Furthermore, poker is an excellent game to bring along on trips with friends.

Here are some of the benefits of choosing poker as a travel companion:

  • it is easy to learn the basics of the game;
  • it can be played while on the go;
  • it can help pass time during long car rides or flight;
  • it can create lasting memories during travels;
  • it can enhance strategic thinking skills.

All things considered, poker is a great option for a fun and exciting way to spend time while traveling with friends, but there are also other enjoyable games to consider for your trip.

 

Popular Card Games

Some card games like Rummy, Hearts, Spades, Bridge, and Go Fish can also be played while on a tour traveling around the world. They are also easy to learn and fun to play on the go.

Spades

This traditional trick-taking game is ideal for four players. The objective is to win as many tricks as possible by playing cards of the same suit as the lead card. Spades is a great game for those who enjoy using strategy and outwitting their opponents. Play Spades online here.

Rummy

This is a great choice for a group of 2 to 6 players. The objective is to be the first to get rid of all your cards by creating sets of 3 or 4 of a kind, or runs of 3 or more cards of the same suit. It is a fun, fast-paced game that is easy to learn.

Hearts

This trick-taking game is similar to Spades, but the objective is to avoid winning certain cards, particularly the hearts and the queen of spades. It is a great game for four players and is perfect for those who enjoy using strategy and outmaneuvering their opponents. Try playing Hearts online now.

Go Fish

This classic card game is suitable for 2 to 6 players. The goal is to gather sets of 4 cards of the same rank. It is a great game for both children and adults and is simple to learn.

Monopoly Deal

When we say card games, it really doesn't have to mean an intense game of Texas Hold’em poker, instead, we mean fun family card games for two or more players. Monopoly is one of the world’s best-loved board games, but it’s highly impractical for playing on your travels.

Monopoly Deal is the ideal solution. This card game version requires you to collect three complete sets of property cards, done so by playing them on the table, stealing them or picking them up as rent.

Uno

Uno and Dobble are two more travel card games that are very easy to pick up and play from the word go. Uno operates in the opposite fashion to Monopoly Deal in that you have to be the first person to get rid of your cards, rather than collect them. Of course, the various rules involved mean that getting rid of them isn’t always straightforward.

Dobble

Dobble plays rather like Snap in so much as you have to match symbols between the top card on the table and any of the cards in your hand. The first person to match symbols fastest and get rid of all their cards is the winner; creating a very frantic but enjoyable game that’s guaranteed to while away the hours.

Other

Some more card games we recommend which you might want to research online include:

  • Top Trumps
  • Hanabi
  • Exploding Kittens

 

Classic Non-Card Games

I Spy

A great road trip game option for parents traveling with young children, I Spy is a game ideal for inquisitive youngsters, helping to improve their short-term memory and visual learning. “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…” sees you give the first letter of the object that’s clearly visible from your child’s seat. Each person in your group takes it in turns to guess the mystery item.

I Packed My Bag and in it I Put…

This is another great memory game that tests how good friends and family are at remembering multiple items. Start by naming an item you would pack beginning with ‘A’, with the next player having to recite your item and then add another item to the bag. As more items get added to the bag, it gets a lot trickier to recite, trust us!

20 Questions

The old ones are always the best and 20 Questions can always encourage debate and laughter on your travels. Let your friends or family choose an individual you are going to be and you must guess who the individual is within 20 questions – simple!

 

Online Games

You might be planning to take your laptop or tablet on your travels so that you can keep up with work. However, you should also seriously consider taking your tablet or laptop for entertainment purposes too.

This is because there is now a seriously good choice of free-to-play PC games spanning the full gambit of genres and styles.

Whether you’re into role-playing games or massively multiplayer online (MMO) strategy games, these freemium titles won’t cost you anything – and they’re also developed for use on smartphones and tablets if you’d rather not pack your laptop.

Free-to-play PC games have come a tremendously long way since the early 1990s when FPS Doom was launched as a so-called ‘shareware’ title.

Shareware meant that game developers would launch the first stage or chapter of a game to you absolutely free, but require a small payment to allow you to play the remaining stages or chapters – once you’re hooked, of course. However, fully free-to-play titles immerse you in the entirety of their storylines.

Popular Online Games to Consider

These are some of the top rated online games to check out, whilst you can also buy phystical copies on Amazon:

  • Solitaire
  • Skull
  • Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
  • Bananagrams
  • Pass the Pigs
  • Codenames
  • Connect 4 Grab and Go
  • Catan
  • Sequence
  • Qwirkle Travel
  • Splendor
  • Hanabi
  • Exploding Kittens
  • Forbidden Island

 

Handheld Game Consoles

These are the best handheld consoles to buy which have hundreds of amazing games available including all the classics and latest releases: 

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PlayStation Vita
  • GPD XD Plus Portable Gaming Handheld
  • Nintendo 2DS
  • Sega Genesis Ultimate Handheld Game Console
  • Nintendo 3DS XL
  • PlayStation PSP 3000


Having a deck of cards on your next trip with friends is a great idea as it opens the door to a variety of games to choose from, such as Poker, Go-Fish, Hearts, Rummy, and Spades. It allows for a fun and entertaining way to pass time and can help create strong bonds, lasting memories and also have fun.

Hopefully, our list of travel games have given you some inspiration to switch up your entertainment on the go. If you have any recommendations you would like to share let us know in the comments section below.