One of the last things we think about when planning an adventure is how we’re going to spend the travel time. It sort of makes sense, there’s so much else to think about after all. Where will you be staying, what adventures you’re going to go on, the sights you’ll see, the new food you’ll discover. However, this often means that when it comes time to hop aboard that train, or board that long-haul flight, we’re woefully underprepared. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered. If you’re a fan of gaming then you’ll love this selection of great games that will hopefully make your travel time fly by.
Roulette
Casino fans are spoilt for choice when it comes to travel suitable gaming. It’s now possible to find all imaginable casino games on the internet, with various different formats to choose from. Live casino gaming has become hugely popular recently, as it allows players to feel closer to the action than ever before. Live gaming requires a real-life croupier who deals out cards, collects chips and whatever else would be required of a croupier in an actual casino. Whilst they’re doing this, they’re filmed on several high-quality cameras so that viewers can see the action from all angles. Then, they’re live streamed to the player’s computer, tablet or mobile phone screen. If roulette is usually your game of choice, then you’re in luck. There are lots of different options for roulette and a plenitude of online platforms out on the internet. It is possible to play French, American and European roulette, all from your favourite gaming device. Although you won’t actually be inside a casino, it’s about the closest you can get to the real deal from inside a plane. Unless you’re rich enough to have a casino built into your private jet…
Poker
But it´s not just roulette that is alive and well on the internet. All you need to know is that it is also possible to play all kinds of other casino games in the same fashion. However, we’re going a bit more back to basics with this next tip.
Although physical poker might not seem like a very portable option, with smaller travel-sized kits, it actually can be. It’s also a great icebreaker, so if you’re on a business trip, or are travelling with people you don’t know too well yet, then bring a portable poker kit along. You can play for just chips if you want to keep things friendly and to just pass along the time without too much at stake.
The joy of portable poker kits is that they’ll fit on an aeroplane tray table quite easily, so as long as you’re all sat together then you’re good to go. Of course, if you’re travelling alone then the option of online poker is always available, just make sure that you have the basics covered first. Online can be a great place to learn as some sites will let you play for free until you’ve found your feet.
Blackjack
Blackjack is without a doubt the most portable casino game, all it requires is a deck of cards and for you to be travelling with at least one other person. The rules of the game are simple, you need to get your hand to add up to as close to 21 as possible, without busting. It’s a great game for sharpening your mental maths skills at a basic level and as you get more confident, working out odds as you go will sharpen up your fractions.
If you’re travelling alone then, just like the others, this game is easy to play online. You can play with actual people from around the world, against a computer dealer, or in a live format. The choice is yours.
Chess
Whilst casino games are undoubtedly great, light-hearted fun, sometimes you want a game that is a little more challenging. So, if you’re after a game that will test your logic skills to the max then it doesn’t get much better than chess. This game has lasted centuries and still remains one of the games with the most prestigious competitions around. If you’ve got aspirations of becoming a grandmaster then you can actually spend your travel time practising towards achieving this enormous accolade.
It’s possible to play either online, using the in-flight wifi if you’re so lucky, or there are a huge selection of apps that you can download pre-flight. If you want to play straight chess then any app will be perfectly sufficient, but those looking to be matched with people of a similar level, or who want to play something more specialist such as quick chess might prefer to try out a few apps first and settle on the one that fits their needs the most closely.
Rummy
There are a whole host of card games that you can choose from, in fact we’ve already recommended a couple of them! Cards make the perfect travel game because they don’t require any internet, take up such a small amount of space and give you the freedom to play an enormous variety of different games. Rummy is a great game to start with because it’s really simple to pick up and doesn’t have to be adapted, regardless of the number of players. Whether you’re sat at a table of four on the train, or you’re just travelling with one other friend, you’ll be able to enjoy it exactly the same.
You usually begin with seven cards and try to get either a full run of seven cards, that’s all cards from the same suit in numerical order, or a combination of three and four of the same rank. Whoever achieves this the fastest is the winner. Depending on the variety of rummy that you’re playing, how the game progresses past this point will change, but that’s part of what makes this such a versatile travel game.
