There’s nothing worse than trying to pass the time while you’re on vacation. Thankfully, there are family card games to bring with you while you travel to keep you busy!
I’m a big games person — whether it’s a board game, a card game or even a video game, I’m in my happy place.
While I love reading books to pass the time on vacation, sometimes it’s more fun to play games. Thankfully, card games are the perfect game to bring with me when I travel. They’re small and packable, but they’re also just so much fun.
This list features ten of my favourite family friendly card games to bring with you when you travel. From competitive to relaxing options, these card games are perfect for players of all ages.
Whether you’re spending time on a train or waiting for a flight, these are the best card games to play with family and friends while on vacation. I guarantee you’ll find a new favourite on this list!
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The Best Family Card Games for Travel
CLUE — 3 to 4 players
There’s nothing better than playing a game of Clue. Unfortunately, it’s not the most travel friendly game. Thankfully, the Clue card game allows you to bring the fun of the classic game with you when you’re on vacation. This game is sure to keep your family busy while passing time on your trips!
COVER YOUR ASSETS — 2 to 6 players
Cover Your Assets is a relatively new game for me but it’s quickly become a favourite. In this game, players try to become the first millionaire by collecting assets. But, assets can be stolen by other players. It’s such a fun and engaging game that so many will enjoy. Watch out though, it can get really competitive, especially with all the stealing. I also love that there’s a basic gameplay option and an advanced version.
EXPLODING KITTENS — 2 to 5 players
Exploding Kittens is one of my all-time favourite card games to play. To play, avoid the exploding kittens and be the last one standing. The cards in this game are so much fun — there’s defuse cards and ways to steal cards. When I play this game with friends and family, it gets competitive and there’s always laughter in the air. I can’t recommend this game enough! There are also several expansion packs to add to the original card game, which always refreshes the game experience. If you’re looking for a more kid-friendly version, try Exploding Minions!
GNOMING AROUND — 2 to 7 players
When I was on a cruise a few months ago, my parents and I played Golf every single night after dinner. It’s the perfect game to play with a regular deck of cards. Gnoming Around is exactly like the game of Golf, but it adds some extra elements for fun. When playing a game of Golf with a regular deck of cards isn’t enough, you’ll definitely want to try Gnoming Around.
MONOPOLY DEAL — 2 to 5 players
Monopoly Deal is the perfect card game for travel when you’re missing traditional board games at home. It has all the aspects of the classic Monopoly game without the need to bring the board and pieces with you. I also love how quick you can play this game, which really helps when you’re on vacation!
PHASE 10 — 2 to 6 players
Phase 10 is a classic card game and is a really great option to bring with you while on vacation. When you have more time to play a game, this is the best option. But you can also shorten the game too. The first player to complete ten phases wins the game. Each phase is dictated by the round you’re playing. It can get really challenging but it’s also a lot of fun.
SEQUENCE STACKS — 2 to 6 players
Sequence is one of my favourite board games to play with my family but it’s difficult to bring the board and pieces with you. Although this game does have coins with it, they’re easy to contain. The object of the game is to create a sequence of five cards. The first person to collect five sequence chips, wins! I recently brought this game on a cruise and it was a hit with the whole family.
SET — 1 or more
When I went on a camping trip in high school to complete the Duke of Ed award, my guide introduced me to this game. We played this game every single day — it’s addicting! I love that this game can be played individually or with others. It’s all about matching sets of cards together. The person with the most amount of complete sets in the end, wins!
SKIP-BO — 2 to 6 players
I played Skip-Bo for the first time last year and had a great time. The object of the game is to be the first person to play all the cards in their stock pile. The challenging part is you have to play the cards in sequence — and you’re building piles as a group. It’s such an easy card game to bring with you while traveling and is guaranteed to be loved by every player.
UNO FLIP! — 2 to 10 players
There’s nothing better than playing a game of Uno. But, I have so much more fun playing Uno Flip! It has all the fun of the classic uno but playing a special card flips the deck and completely changes the game. My friends and I love playing this game because it’s entertaining and you never know how the game will play out.
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Let’s Chat in the Comments!
What are your favourite games to bring on vacation? I’d love to hear!
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Thank you for sharing these card game tips. I’m refurbishing a camper and would like to have some fresh card games for it. Pinning for later.
So many of these card games will be perfect for late nights at the camper! Happy gaming!
What a great list! We’re also big game players. Our family plays some sort of card, board or video game pretty much everyday. So I’m always on the lookout for game recommendations. I love, love, love Monopoly Deal and Phase 10 is a classic. I’ve had my eye on Exploding Kittens for awhile now, and you’ve convinced me that it’s time to add it to our collection. Thank you for sharing!
SO glad I’ve convinced you to try Exploding Kittens, it’s honestly one of my all time favourites — I’ll never say no to a game! I hope you and your family love it!
I love card games! I own and play many on this list, but haven’t heard of Cover Your Assets or Gnoming A Round before! I’m going to check those out for sure. Thanks so much for sharing these card games that are perfect for travel.
Card games are just the best! I hope you enjoy both of them, when you get the chance to try them 🙂
I didn’t know I needed this list! We often travel during the weekends and some of these card games for travel would be ideal to have on hand. Thanks for sharing!
SO happy you enjoyed this list! I hope you find some new games to play 🙂
This is such a great list of family card games to bring with you while traveling. I always love a good game of Uno and it’s nice and portable! Great ideas!
Uno is a classic for a reason! Glad you enjoyed the list!
Our family loves playing games together these are some great suggestions. I will need to look into Cover Your Assets specifically!
Thank you! I hope you find some new games to add to your family game rotation!