An around the world card game turns a long flight, train ride or rainy afternoon into a small trip of its own. The name covers a few different things: geography-themed decks you can buy, and homemade versions you can play with an ordinary pack of cards. This article covers both, plus how to choose the right one for your group.
What people mean by this
There isn’t one official game with this name that everyone agrees on. Several publishers have used the title or similar ones for travel-themed or geography card games, and the rules differ between them. If you’re buying a boxed game, read the description, check the age range and the number of players, and read recent reviews to see how it plays. If you’d rather not buy anything, a standard deck is enough, and the house version below takes minutes to learn.
A simple DIY version with a standard deck
These are our own house rules, not a published game. Adjust them to taste.
- Each suit is a continent or region: for example hearts for Europe, spades for Asia, clubs for the Americas, diamonds for Africa and Oceania.
- Deal five cards to each player and put the rest face down as a draw pile.
- On your turn, play a card and name a place in that suit’s region. It can be a city, country, landmark or food. You can’t repeat a place that has already been named.
- Higher cards need harder answers. A 2 to 5 means a country or city. A 6 to 10 asks for a landmark or dish. A face card needs a story, such as something you ate or saw there.
- If you can’t answer, draw a card. The first person to run out of cards wins.
It works for two to six players and costs nothing, which is handy on a plane when you’re short on luggage space.
Variations for different groups
- Kids: Name an animal from the continent instead of a city.
- Adults: Add a point for every place you have actually visited, and double it for places you’d like to see.
- Language learners: Say the place name or a greeting in the local language.
- Quiet mode: Write answers on a napkin so you don’t disturb other passengers.
Popular alternative card games for travel
| Game | Players | Why it travels well |
|---|---|---|
| Rummy-style games | 2 to 6 | A standard deck is enough |
| Cribbage and gin | 2 | Quick and strategic |
| Uno or Skip-Bo | 2 to 8 | Easy for children |
| Hearts or spades | 3 to 4 | Classic trick-taking games |
| Solitaire | 1 | Fine on your own |
Why a card game is worth packing
Cards are light, silent and don’t need a charger. They fit in a pocket, survive any weather and work in airports, cafes, trains, ferries and camping trips. They also help break the ice at hostels, where a game of cards can lead to travel tips and new friends. Unlike a phone game, nobody gets stuck on a screen, and it’s easy to stop when the boarding call comes.
Buying a travel-themed deck
- Look for sturdy, plastic-coated cards if you’ll play on a tray table or outdoors.
- Check the box size. Small tins or pouches are easier to carry.
- Read the rules in the language you’ll play in.
- Confirm the age rating. Some trivia decks are meant for older players.
- Find out if the game needs extra items like dice or a board.
On a flight or train: etiquette
Keep the noise down, and avoid spreading cards over the armrest. A lap tray or a hardcover book makes a good surface. Check that you’ve collected every card before you leave, as one missing card spoils a deck. Put a rubber band around the pack and keep a spare deck at home.
A game for a longer trip
For official details and updates, see playing cards on Wikipedia.
If you travel for weeks, keep a running scoreboard in a notebook. Each time you visit a new city, add a point for every player who can name one thing about it. By the end of the trip, you’ll have a record of places and a funny summary of what each person remembers. An around the world card game doesn’t need to be complicated to be fun, and it often ends up as a small tradition that families bring along on every journey.
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