Ideas for Passing Time During Long Drives

Driving can often feel like a chore, even if your destination is somewhere you are excited to go. Sometimes, this seems to make the travel days feel even longer! Owners of RVs, travel trailers, and 5th wheels are used to long road trips and spending extended periods driving. Staying engaged on a single task for hours at a time can be challenging, but we know this is required for driving. If you have a long road trip ahead, check out some of these ideas to switch up your driving experience and stay engaged from start to finish!

Audiobooks

Audiobooks can make time fly while driving long hours! Audiobooks are, on average, 10 hours worth of listening content. Depending on the length of the book you choose and how far you have to drive, it’s possible that you may be able to finish an entire audiobook in a single drive. Find a captivating mystery, and you won’t want to stop driving until you discover how it all ends!

There are subscription services specifically for audiobooks, but did you know that you can also rent audiobooks from your local library! Popular audiobook paid-subscription services include Audible, Audiobooks.com, and Scribd, just to name a few. A paid subscription is probably not worth it if you only listen to audiobooks during long road trips. Still, they will typically have the most extensive library of options, the newest titles, and may even offer unlimited access. If these seem appealing to you, check out this comparison of some of the top-rated audiobook subscription services to find the best option for you!

Renting audiobooks from your local library is also an option but will require a library card and the Libby app. Getting a library card is as easy as stopping in with a form of identification and speaking with a staff member to get set up. Some libraries may even offer the option of signing up for a card online. As long as your address is within your local library’s coverage area, your library card should be free. The availability of audiobooks in your local library works similarly to hard copies of books; only a certain number of copies can be rented out at one time, and there is a time limit on how long you will have access to each title. Remember this when planning for your trip and have a few options in mind just in case-specific titles are all checked out. Also, check a couple of weeks ahead of time for popular titles in case there is a waiting list.

If you’re looking to learn something new, audiobooks and long road trips are a great combination to really dive in. Biographies, memoirs, personal finance books, and other non-fiction genres can teach you new things, improve your personal habits, and provoke a unique style of thinking and problem-solving. If you have a designated block of time for driving, why not use that time doing something that is passively productive?

Podcasts

Podcasts have sky-rocketed in popularity, seeing an average of 10-20% increase in audience size per year. The amount of available podcasts is also continuously growing, so there really is something for everyone. Podcasts offer a unique experience from our typical media options in a few ways.

Almost anyone can create a podcast because production costs are relatively low - you only need a computer and a microphone. Because of this, individuals are able to create content they are passionate about. More people are given a chance to contribute their thoughts, ideas, and feelings in a way that can quickly reach many people. Certain music subscription services, like Spotify, include podcasts in their available content, but there are multiple ways to access podcasts. Most podcasts post content directly to their websites and allow free listening. If you are listening to your podcasts without an internet connection, be sure to download the content before leaving for your trip to avoid using large chunks of data.

Niche interests are well represented in podcasts. There are many different kinds of podcasts spanning a wide variety of topics. If you’re a huge television fan, try finding a rewatch podcast of your favorite show. In most rewatch podcasts, the hosts go through a series, episode by episode, and engage in entertaining, often comical, discourse regarding each episode’s plot, characters, and overall theme. Maybe true crime is more your thing. Well, you’re in luck because this is one of the most popular podcast genres. It shouldn’t be hard to believe that there are even several RV-specific podcasts that discuss life in an RV, provide tips for camping, and share reviews of campgrounds and facilities around the country.

Not every podcast is going to be great for everybody, and that’s kind of the point. If you’ve tried listening to podcasts before but didn’t find one you enjoyed, you may not have searched hard enough. Next time, try a simple google search with something you’re interested in, followed by the word podcast. If you love traveling to national parks across the country, try a “national parks podcast” search, and you’ll see that there is a variety of podcasts focusing on that topic alone. I've recently been listening to National Parks After Dark, which you can check out here if you're interested. Check out what episodes are currently available for that podcast and if there is only one or two that seem interesting out of a hundred, maybe try to find another.

Music

Music is my go-to whenever I’m in the car, but I sometimes get tired of listening to the same thing on long road trips. If music is your preferred form of entertainment, but you find yourself in the same boat, use long drives as an opportunity to discover new music. Music streaming services allow users to access and download unlimited music for a monthly fee. In addition to this basic service, many music streaming platforms take personalized listening to a whole new level by creating custom playlists tailored to your personal tastes. These services may also suggest songs that aren’t currently in your library but are similar to your top hits so that you may add them. If you are going this route, make sure that you have a co-pilot to control your phone for you.

If your current RV stereo is outdated or incompatible with your phone, check out RecPro's selection of RV stereos and speakers to upgrade your rig today. Discovering new music is a fun way to pass the time!

What is your favorite form of entertainment during long drives? Do you have a favorite podcast that you would recommend every RVer take a listen to? Let us know in the comments!