The Best Travel-Themed Board Games (& Games to Pack In Your Suitcase)
Post updated February 13, 2021.
One of the things my husband and I love to do in our down time is play games and of course, many of our favorite travel-themed board and card games!
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Whether it’s jet-setting around the world, rebuilding famous churches or surviving a desert exploration, if we aren’t actually traveling we love to sit at our dining room table pretending we are!
We also love to bring a few games along when we travel for those nights we don’t actually crash as soon as the kids fall asleep or when we have a bad weather day or a slow morning. It’s such an easy and fun way to stay screen-limited while traveling.
Best Travel-Themed Games
We have an entire closet-full of games and our most-used are definitely the travel-themed games! I’d love to share some of our favorites with you.
Trekking The World
This game is perfect for those with wanderlust! Travel the world, take tours of major tourist destinations and rack up souvenirs! One of the cool things about Trekking The World is that each tour card actually tells you a lot about the destination! So you’ll learn a lot and maybe add a few places to your real life bucket list while playing!
Trekking The World also has a companion game, Trekking The National Parks. Check both out on Amazon here.
Airlines
In the game Airlines, you and your fellow game players (2-5 players) race to build flights routes around Europe.
Pick a city, build your hub and start expanding your flight empire! This is also a great game for anyone who likes investments and stocks because at the end of the game you are scored by how much stock you have in the leading airlines.
(P.S. if you are a fan of the next game on our list, Ticket to Ride, the same game designer created Airlines!)
To check it out on Amazon, click here.
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is definitely more mainstream and well-known, but if you haven’t tried it yet, I’m here to tell you it should definitely be your next game purchase! Plus, it’s 2-player friendly, which is perfect for parents who like to play after kids go to bed.
In Ticket to Ride, each player gets objective cards to build rail routes between different cities. Just watch out for other companies (your competitors) who might try to cut you off!
We personally own and love the United States version, but there are so many options! We can’t wait to add more in the series to our collection. Especially Asia, and the kids version when our boys get older.
To purchase, click here.
Sagrada
Sagrada is a relatively new game that I bought on a whim a couple days before Jon’s birthday. The premise is really fun in recreating the beautiful mosaic stained glass windows of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain.
We visited the basilica earlier this year, which makes it a particularly fun game to play and reminisce about our trip.
You play by rolling dice and having to match those dice to window panels. There are a few restrictions and rules and it gets more and more complicated as you play on. This game is perfect for two players, a huge plus for us!
Purchase this game here.
Forbidden Dessert
This game is a little less directly related to travel, but I had to include Forbidden Dessert because I love games where all of the players are collaborating for one goal instead of competing against each other. I love this game for family reunions with my siblings or in larger groups!
You and your teammates are stranded in the middle of the dessert and have to find all of the pieces of your ship to get out of the desert before running out of water or experiencing too many desert storms.
Purchase this game here.
7 Wonders
7 Wonders is also a great game for groups, as it’s 3-7 players. During this game, you can explore the 7 wonders of the ancient world. You experience military conflict, trade and government moves.
This game is definitely a bit more advanced game play, so if you are a board game newbie, just be prepared for a lot of “figuring it out”! Once you understand how the game is played, it will go quickly and you’ll have a ton of fun!
The objective of the game is to grow your civilization throughout three different “ages” or stages of the game and come out on top.
Purchase this game here.
Best Kid-Friendly Travel Games
Ticket To Ride First Journey
This is another super fun game that we got this past Christmas for the kids. Like the regular Ticket to Ride game, in Ticket to Ride First Journey you build rail routes from various U.S. cities. My five-year-old can play on his own and my 3-year-old only needs a bit of help, so if your kids love games, this is a travel game must-have!
To purchase, click here.
United States Bingo
We got this game as a Christmas gift this past year and my kids love it! It’s easy for even the littlest of game player and you learn a lot about the different industries and popular recreation in different parts of the United States. Cards you can draw include Michigan Auto-mechanics, Colorado Skiing, California Hollywood and more!
To purchase, click here.
Explore The World
This game is for kids 7+ but looks like a great game to test your family’s knowledge about world trivia and to learn new things about countries and landmarks all around the world!
To purchase, click here.
World Bingo
Here’s another fun bingo game! In World Bingo, instead of drawing industry or landmark cards, you draw countries! This is a great way to learn about different countries and to recognize their maps!
To purchase, click here.
Best Games to Take on Vacation
Cover Your Assets
Cover Your Assets is the perfect card game for anyone heading on a trip. It’s a card elimination game where the first to get rid of all of their cards, wins. You make groups of assets (everything from diamonds to change under the mattress) and have to protect those assets.
The player at the end of the game who has the most accumulated wealth wins!
Purchase Cover Your Assets here.
Bananagrams
For all of my fellow word-lovers, Bananagrams is the perfect game. Spread out the letter tiles and create words scrabble-style until all of the tiles are gone. Super simple, quick and easy for a night in the hotel.
Purchase this game here.
Phase 10
Phase 10 is a rummy-style game where you play multiple rounds trying to get 10 different card sequences. We like this game because it’s a bit slower and we can chat and talk about our day while we are playing instead of rushing through rounds or competing for tiles.
Purchase Phase 10 here.
Monopoly Deal
If you are a fan of the game Monopoly (or even if you kinda hate it because Monopoly is one of those games you either LOVE or HATE) this version, Monopoly Deal, is perfect to throw in your carryon or personal item.
The game lasts less than 15 minutes and each hand is action-packed. Duel your way into owning properties and collecting rent! Perfect for 2 players as well.
Purchase this game here.
Hit the Deck
This game is a bit more fast-paced and is a competitive race to empty your hand. There is a lot of back-and-forth in Hit the Deck because as soon as you think you’re getting close to emptying your hand you can get hit with the deck and have a whole new handful of cards.
Purchase the game here.
Deck of Cards
Lastly, the options are endless with a simple deck of cards! Whether you are playing Solitaire, Gin Rummy or Hearts, a deck of cards will never let you down. Especially this fun Aviator set.
Card Games for Kids
Stack the Scoops
This game was designed by a traveling family and is a very engaging way to work on simple math skills while having lots of fun as a family! See you can create the most delicious (and highest point value) ice cream dishes!
To purchase the game, click here.
Uno
This is one of our favorite games! Both my 3-year-old and my 5-year-old can easily play this game without help and we can often play many, many rounds before they get bored! You can get a classic set or find one with your kids’ favorite movie characters!
To purchase, click here.
Traditional Kids Games Deck
Of course, the old school hits are still super popular among our kids! We got this set that includes Match, Go Fish, Crazy 8s and Old Maid. We love it because the cards are a big larger than normal and much easier for the kids to handle. Plus the boxes are sturdy to throw in a carryon!
To purchase, click here.
