From deep talk to car bingo: how to survive long journeys on holiday
7/7/2026
Translation: Elicia Payne
Feel like the drive to your holiday destination is never-ending? Then fun quizzes, deep talks and travel-size classic games could be the right help.
«Are we there yet?» – If you’ve ever gone on holiday with kids, you know this is probably the most common question from the backseat. The shorter the intervals between two questions, the higher the stress level in the front seats. That’s when you need an urgent solution so that the whole group doesn’t arrive at their destination completely frazzled. And I’m not just referring to families. Even on a road trip with your partner or a whole group of friends, that nagging boredom eventually creeps in.
The good thing is, a trip like this is actually the perfect setting: a closed, undisturbed space where no one can distract you. A chance to really connect with each other again. Here are my top picks for beating boredom in the backseat: from conversation cards for unexpected deep talks to fun travel quizzes and travel-size games.
For surprisingly deep conversations
Having deep talks instead of small talk makes a journey go by fast, but how do you get into the really meaningful topics? GU’s «Deeptalk on Tour – Couple Edition» card box is just the thing to get you started.
Gen Z author Carlott Bru has compiled 80 questions that provide simple starting points for engaging conversations. The cards are divided into two emotional levels: with the Warm-up cards, you’ll ease into questions like «What’s your favourite way to spend the day with me while travelling?» before getting down to business with the «Getting Real» cards. Then you’re asked things like: «What negative trait will you struggle to hide from me while on holiday?»
The box completely avoids clichéd psychological questions and instead creates a relaxed setting for genuinely honest conversations. If you’re travelling without a partner, there’s the «Friendship Edition» to help you get to know your fellow travellers better.
An alternative for a road trip are Simon & Jan’s «Erzählt euch mehr» (Tell us more) boxes which offer a similar experience. These sets don’t rely on a rigid set of rules either and provide clever conversation starters for the long drive.
Card games
Quantity discount
EUR12,18 per piece for 4 units
Simon & Jan Erzählt euch mehr Klassik - Mini
German, 2 Players
Travel-sized classics
If you’d rather play games than talk, you can just bring your game night to your train carriage or the back seat of the car. With the compact Monopoly game, for example, the game pieces are both small and secured so you don’t have to worry about your houses and playing money flying everywhere if you brake suddenly.
Or why not take a travel version of the timeless classic, bingo? In Schmidt Spiele’s «Auto-Bingo» (Car bingo), instead of numbers, there are typical scenes that you can spot when you look out the window. Instead of staring at a screen, as you so often do, you actually get to take in some of the scenery while you’re on the lookout for a tractor, a wind turbine or a red truck.
And then, of course, you have the all-time favourites like «I packed my bag and in it I put...» or «I spy». If that ever gets too boring or you run out of ideas, the «25 Reise-Spiele – Road Trip» (25 travel games) set provides the necessary variety. In this set, you’ll find game ideas that require no additional materials.
Games of chance
Quantity discount
EUR9,30
Schmidt Spiele Auto Bingo
English, French, German, Italian, 1 - 3 Players
Challenges on long journeys
Time flies when you’re solving puzzles, so it’s worth considering them on particularly tough sections of the route. You can solve the puzzles together or on your own if your fellow travellers are getting tired of each other. The «Seitenweise Reisespiele» (Pages of travel games) section, for example, offers various templates, ranging from Battleship to Hangman. Or you can work your way through the specific logic puzzles in «50 Reise-Regen-Rücksitz-Rätsel» (50 Travel, Rain and Backseat Puzzles), one card at a time. If you’d rather make the guessing game interactive, try «Das verrückte Reise-Quiz» (The Crazy Travel Quiz). This card set features fun facts and absurd questions you can go through with your fellow travellers – without anyone having to balance an entire game board.
Not a fan of the above? Then you might find what you’re looking for among these recommendations:
Header image: Silverblack/Pexels
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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