Taking a solo road trip can seem like a daunting proposition. The idea of spending hours on end in a vehicle with no one to play road trip games with doesn’t resonate with some of us. However, you might encounter a situation where it’s just you, the car, and the open road.
You can pass the time on a road trip by yourself by listening to a podcast, music playlist, or an audiobook. You can also listen to local radio using your car stereo. Alternatively, you can travel in silence and enjoy the scenery.
This piece will detail the above and offer more ways you can pass the time while on a solo road trip.
1. Listen to a Podcast, Music Playlist, or Audio Book
With the growth of streaming services like Spotify, podcasts have become increasingly popular. Multiple multimedia platforms, including YouTube and Spotify, contain podcasts you can enjoy during your journey.
Ensure you have enough mobile data if you plan to stream the podcast. If the platform that hosts your favorite podcast has a download option, you can download as much content as you like before you set off.
Downloading will guarantee you a hassle-free listening experience during your journey. Use your solo road trip to catch up on that podcast
series you abandoned because you lacked the time or to start listening to fresh content.
Thanks to the wonders of technology, you might find someone who’s the perfect public playlist for your road trip. You don’t have to create playlists anymore: the chances are there’s someone with your taste in music who’s already done the job for you.
However, if you have time and are unwilling to trust a stranger’s music compilation, you can create your own playlist. Again, I advise you to download the music if possible to avoid interruptions during streaming.
You can also use a solo road trip to catch up on your reading. However, as driving will occupy your hands and eyes, I recommend downloading an audiobook from a platform like Audible.
Gone are the days when book consumption involved tired eyes, paper cuts, and fingertip moisteners. These days, all you need is an audiobook app or web service to enjoy the conjurings of your favorite authors.
Connect your device to your car’s speaker system or use earphones to listen to your preferred content. For safety reasons, don’t play the content too loud and maintain concentration on the road, no matter how engrossing the playlist, audiobook, or podcast.
2. Listen to Radio Channels Using Your Car Stereo
If you have no interest in audio content from your phone, you can use the car’s stereo to listen to radio channels. You can luck out on a channel that keeps you entertained during the journey.
The issue with radio channels is they often change frequencies as you move along. Therefore, there’s a chance that you’ll lose an engrossing radio station during your journey.
Thankfully, most radio stations have websites detailing the frequencies at different locations. If you lose a channel while traveling, find a safe space to pull over, access the internet, and find out whether there’s coverage in that area.
A good radio station can provide some respite from the, at times, mundane nature of a solo road trip.
3. Enjoy the Scenery
Sometimes the fastest route to your destination isn’t the best route. If your goal is to make it from point A to point B as quickly as possible, then, by all means, drive through miles and miles of monotonous cornfields.
If you want to enjoy the drive between departure and destination, take the scenic route and soak in the breathtaking sights as you move along. The picturesque route may be longer on paper, but it will likely seem shorter due to the enjoyable drive.
Before a solo road trip, research to see which routes possess better scenery. You can stop at various points to absorb the views and take photos.
Taking the scenic and perhaps longer route may have downsides: you may use more fuel and encounter slow, bendy roads. However, the experience will take away all the blues of a solo road trip.
Note: If you drive an electric car, you may have to stick to the boring route. The range limitations of electric vehicles may prevent you from taking a detour on a road without charging stations.
Therefore, if you take a longer road, ensure you have enough juice in your electric vehicle to drive to the next charging station.
4. Call Someone and Have a Conversation
You can use your road trip to have phone conversations using a hands-free device. If you have someone you can engage with for hours, they are the perfect person to call during a road trip.
You can also use the time to catch up with a friend you haven’t talked to for a while. Your traveling buddy doesn’t have to be in the car with you for you to enjoy each other’s company – they can simply be a phone call away.
However, while using a hands-free device to communicate while driving is legal, it can sometimes be dangerous because you can get distracted. A report by the National Safety Council concluded that nearly a quarter of car crashes involved cell phone conversations.
Therefore, if you choose this option, take extra care to prevent yourself from getting distracted.
5. Stop Periodically To Eat
You can carry snacks to eat on your journey, but stopping for meals can prove more beneficial. You can carry a meal and have a mini-picnic at some point on your route or sample the eateries along the journey.
Stopping to eat allows you to rest before the next leg of the journey. The food also gives you an energy boost that can make solo driving more tolerable.
Solo trips can become boring if they run long. In general I don’t recommend going beyond two weeks. I’ve written a comprehensive guide to help you decide the length of your solo journey. [How Long Should a Solo Trip Be? How to Decide]
Conclusion
Listening to a podcast, music, or an audiobook is the best way to pass the time during a road trip. You can download as much content as you need, and once you hit play, you can listen for hours.
You can also decide to listen to the radio or travel in silence, taking in the earth’s beauty.