The Best Family-Friendly Card Games to Bring on Vacation
There’s nothing worse than feeling bored while you’re on vacation—especially during long flights, layovers, or downtime at your hotel. That’s where this list of card games for travel comes in! Compact, easy to pack, and endlessly entertaining, these travel card games are a must-have for any trip.
I’m a big fan of games—whether it’s a board game, card game, or video game, I’m in my element. And while I love getting lost in a good book on vacation, sometimes I want something interactive and fun to pass the time with others.
That’s why I always bring a few family-friendly card games with me when I travel. They’re quick to pull out, easy to learn, and perfect for playing on the go.
Here you’ll find my favourite card games to bring on vacation. From fast-paced and competitive to casual and relaxing, these are some of the best travel card games for families, couples, kids, and friends!
No matter your destination, you’re sure to find a new go-to travel game on this list!
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The Best Family-Friendly Card Games for Travel
There’s nothing better than playing an exciting game of Clue. Unfortunately, it’s not the most travel-friendly game. Thankfully, the Clue Card Game brings the classic mystery-solving fun into a portable game format. Players race to solve the crime by collecting clues and ruling out suspects. It’s a great card game for families or mystery lovers looking for a quick, travel-sized whodunit.
🧑🤝🧑 2–6 • ⏱ 20–30 min • 🎯 Competitive, fast-paced
As soon as I discovered Cover Your Assets, it quickly became a favourite. Players compete to build valuable stacks of matching asset cards while defending them from opponents trying to steal them. The fast-paced gameplay and surprising turns make it addictive and fun. This is an exciting card game for competitive families and friends who love a little light strategy on the go.
🧑🤝🧑 2–6 • ⏱ 20–30 minutes • 🎯 Competitive, fast-paced
Dutch Blitz is a classic for a reason! It’s a lightning-fast card game where players race to get rid of their cards by playing into shared piles. It’s high-energy, loud, and loads of fun. It’s perfect for teens and adults who love competitive card games that get their heart racing.
🧑🤝🧑 2–4 (up to 8 with an expansion) • ⏱ 15–30 minutes 🎯 Competitive, fast-paced
Exploding Kittens is one of my all-time favourite card games—if you only pick one from this list, make it this one! It’s a hilarious and slightly chaotic game of avoiding exploding kittens while sabotaging friends with defuse cards and steals. With quirky illustrations, simple rules, and endless replayability, it always gets competitive and full of laughter. Expansion packs keep it fresh, and for a kid-friendly version, try Exploding Minions!
🧑🤝🧑 2–5 (up to 9 with expansions) • ⏱ 15 minutes
🎯 Casual, competitive, strategic
I am obsessed with Five Crowns—I’ve played so many games with family and friends. It’s a rummy-style game that progresses through ten rounds, each with a different number of cards. The player with the lowest score at the end is the winner. It’s ideal for families or groups who enjoy relaxed but strategic card games to play on vacation.
🧑🤝🧑 1–7 • ⏱ 30–45 minutes • 🎯 Casual, rummy-style
When I’m on vacation, I love playing a round of Golf with a regular deck of cards. Gnoming Around is a whimsical golf-themed card game where players try to score the lowest points by replacing high cards with lower ones. With charming artwork and easy-to-learn rules, it’s great for casual game nights. It’s a great travel card game for all ages—especially fans of Play Nine.
🧑🤝🧑 2–5 • ⏱ 20–30 minutes • 🎯 Casual, light strategy
When you’re missing traditional board games at home, Monopoly Deal is the perfect card game to travel with. It turns the classic board game into a fast-paced, strategic card game where players try to collect property sets and use action cards to steal or block moves. It only takes about 15 minutes to play, but it feels like a full game!
🧑🤝🧑 2–5 • ⏱ 15–20 minutes • 🎯 Competitive, strategic
Phase 10 is another rummy-style card game featured on this list. It challenges players to complete ten different phases with cards, such as runs, sets, or combinations of both. As you continue to play, each round gets more challenging. It’s a great option for families or travel companions who love longer card games that are both casual and strategic.
🧑🤝🧑 2–6 • ⏱ 30–45 minutes • 🎯 Casual, light strategy
Play Nine is another golf-themed card game on this list where players try to have the lowest score by swapping, matching, and discarding cards over nine rounds. It’s such an easy game to learn and is always full of surprising twists. It’s a card game that travels well!
🧑🤝🧑 2–6 • ⏱ 30–45 minutes • 🎯 Casual, light strategy
Scrabble Slam is a fast-paced word game where players race to change a four-letter word by swapping one letter at a time. It’s a quick game that challenges your brain and is surprisingly competitive! It’s a great option if you love word games or want a quick brain boost while travelling.
🧑🤝🧑 2–4 • ⏱ 10–15 minutes 🎯 Casual, fast-paced
Sequence is one of my favourite board games to play with my family and friends. Unfortunately, the board and pieces mean it’s not travel-friendly. Sequence Stacks is a portable twist on the classic game where players try to create sequences of numbers using colourful cards. It’s a perfect mix of luck and strategy, all in a compact, easy-to-play format. If you enjoy light strategy and number-based card games, this is a great pick!
🧑🤝🧑 2–6 • ⏱ 15–30 minutes • 🎯 Casual, strategic
In high school, I went on a camping trip to complete the Duke of Ed award, and my guide introduced me to this game. Set is a visual brain teaser where players race to find sets of three cards that match or differ across four features. It’s fast, challenging, and the best part—it can be played solo or with others. It’s ideal for puzzle lovers and those who enjoy mental challenges on the go. Be warned—it’s addicting!
🧑🤝🧑 1+ • ⏱ 20–30 minutes • 🎯 Competitive, visual puzzle
Skip-Bo is a sequence-building card game where players use strategy (and a little luck) to play all their cards in order. It’s easy to pick up, but it’s engaging even after multiple rounds. Skip-Bo is a great travel card game for families and travel companions wanting a casual game.
🧑🤝🧑 2–6 • ⏱ 20–45 minutes • 🎯 Casual
There’s nothing better than playing a game of Uno, but Uno Flip is my personal favourite. It adds a double-sided twist to the classic game, with new action cards and a dark side that flips gameplay upside down. It’s fast-paced, unpredictable, and full of surprises. My friends and I love playing this because it’s entertaining, and you never know how the game will play out! It’s a perfect option if you love the original Uno but want a more exciting version to bring on vacation.
🧑🤝🧑 2–10 • ⏱ 15–30 minutes • 🎯 Casual, fast-paced
Unstable Unicorns is a quirky, strategic card game where players build an army of unicorns and use magical abilities to sabotage others. It’s competitive, clever, and comes with a heavy dose of humour. It’s ideal for teens, young adults, or anyone who loves offbeat card games for travel!
🧑🤝🧑 2–8 • ⏱ 30–45 minutes • 🎯 Competitive, strategic
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What are your favourite games to bring on vacation? I’d love to hear!
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This post was originally published in 2023 and updated in 2025.
