How to Travel While Stuck at Home

Travel is life. You learn so much from it, being able to escape your life back home and be a completely different person.

Seeing and experiencing different cultures is what I look forward to. But it is not always easy to travel. Whether you can’t afford it, you are unable to leave your responsibilities back home or there are underlying circumstances that are making you unable to travel.

So how are you able to feel like you are traveling from the comfort of your own couch. How to travel while stuck at home?

Here are 11 different ways to make you feel like you are traveling, without having to use your passport, worrying about what to pack and without having to board a plane.

Yes, it will not be the same feeling you get from actually traveling, but when you are unable to travel these tricks will help to fill that empty void.

1. Explore A City Using Google Earth

Google Earth is a pretty cool tool. For anyone that has never used it before you really should check it out. It allows you to climb a mountain, scope out a city you have been wanting to check out or even get a birds-eye view of your own house.

It will take you anywhere you want to go all from the comfort of your own home. It is a great way to travel while stuck at home. If you have been wanting to get to Paris, but can’t travel there. You are able to get on google earth and stroll the streets of Paris all from the comfort of your own home.

I find it great for checking out islands or other places that are less traveled. It leaves no stone unturned on this planet. A great way to spend the afternoon traveling from home. 

2. Learn A Foreign Language (DuoLingo)

What is travel if you don’t get lost in translation? It is what makes it fun, frustrating, but for the most part memorable. So why not brush up on a language while you are stuck at home dreaming about traveling. It helps to keep your brain fresh and we give you a head start when you are actually able to book that ticket. 

Duolingo is my favorite tool. It is a free app and comes with pretty much any language you would want to learn, plus they are always adding more. They even have fictional languages that you can learn. Plus they make it so easy you can do it from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere with your smart-phone.

The best way to feel like you are in a foreign country is to learn a new language. 

3. Watch A Movie With Subtitles

Get transformed with a movie. There are so many good foreign films out there these days that you will feel like you teleported to another country. Sit back, relax, maybe make some popcorn or some other good snacks and get emerged in another culture. 

This is also a great task to do if you are also trying to learn a new language. You might even be able to pick up on more than you thought you would be able to. Learning a language is great, and watching a movie in that language is even better. If you are unable to travel and looking for a way on how to travel while stuck at home? This can be a great way to do so. 

4. Read A Travel Book

Reading is great for the imagination. It is a great way to picture a place all on your own without the influence of TV or Pictures. This is a great way to transport ourselves to a place with knowing little to nothing about it. It can also help with creativity, and help us step back in time with our travel. 

There are so many great travel books out there, that either take place in our current area or in a different time frame. Reading is great because it not only can transports you to another place, but you can also pick the time area that you want to travel to. 

5. Listen To Travel Podcasts

I love Travel Podcasts. They give me so many great ideas on travel tips, money-saving ideas, where to go and where to avoid. They are great background noise when I want to put them on and carry on with other tasks around the house, or I can put one on and listen as I fall asleep.

There are so many good ones out there that it is almost travel podcast overload. I love Travel Like A Boss Johnny FD does a great show and interviews great people. It is more focused on nomad travel and expats, so it might not be for everyone, but I love the down to earth style he has. 

There are tons of other great ones out there as well, so it’s easy to find the one that is right for you. 

6. Learn A New Foreign Dish To Cook

I love cooking… It is passion of mine and the reason why I become a chef on private yachts. Nothing beats learning a new dish as well. When I am unable to travel, I pick a country I want to discover and learn all about what they eat and what I can create in my kitchen.

Food is so much a part of culture and why I love to travel. Learning a new dish or having a theme night at your house, can take you on a journey all without having to leave the comfort of your own home. It is a great way on how to travel while stuck at home. Not only do you get to learn a new skill, but you also get to enjoy a fabulous meal. 

7. Plan A “Trip”

I have to admit, I am horrible when it comes to trip planning. Besides picking a destination and where I am going to stay, I don’t do too much planning ahead of time. However, I do like to get to a city or destination and give myself plenty of time to see everything I need to see and soak it all in.

Planning can be a great way to get you excited for a trip. To look into everything a place has to offer and plan your days accordingly. You can get excited, and you almost feel like you are on vacation before you even arrive. It is a great way to travel while you are stuck at home and have nothing else to do. 

8. Look At/Organize Old Travel Photos

I’ll be the first to admit it. I have years of travel photos that are not organized, and I always seem to find a reason to put it off or find something better to do with my time. However, looking through old travel photos can remind you of previous trips. 

It is a great way to feel like you are on vacation all without having to leave your house. It also helps you to check something off the old todo list. So not only are you being productive, but it will also give you the sense that you are on vacation. 

 If you are looking at organizing old beach holiday photos, why not turn up the heat in the house make a couple of blended margaritas and really make it feel like vacation.

9. Finally Watch Old Family Travel Videos

Remeber the good old days when you used to come home from family vacations and forced to watch the horrible footage that your parents took while you guy we away? They were horrible to watch, but now it might be fun to take a trip down memory lane and actually get to enjoy the old family footage. 

It will not only take you back to another time in your life, but also another place. Helping you to travel all from the comfort of your own home. 

10. Read A History Book

Reading is a great way to transport yourself, we already discussed this. But it doesn’t have to be a travel book to make you feel like you are on vacation. You can read an old history book about where you are planning to go or where you want to transsend to. 

I love doing walking tours when I am in a city. They are great, free, and you learn so much about the history of a city. But if you are unable to travel and trying to virtually travel from home, why not read a history book. It is a great way to get a feel for a place back in time. Making it a great way to travel from the comfort of your own home. 

11. Follow Travel Bloggers

If you are unable to travel, why not live vicariously through someone that can. Following travel bloggers, instagramers or even friends that are out on the road or just in another location than you are can really help to fill the travel bug.

Sure, it is not the same thing as being able to hop on a flight yourself and get out there, but for the time being it can help. 

These are just a few ideas of how to travel while stuck at home. It won’t be the same of actually leaving your house or couch and getting out there, but they can be great for either traveler’s who can’t afford to travel or when there are strict travel restrictions in place and you are unable to leave.