The Secret to Screen-Free Family Journeys
Say goodbye to endless screen time battles and embrace a new way to keep your little ones engaged and entertained on those long car journeys!
Introducing the magic of audiobooks.
A good audiobook can turn a motorway, train carriage or airport lounge into a jungle, a castle, a spaceship, an underwater cave or a mysterious island full of strange creatures. No cables of doom. No dropped books under the seat. No backseat scrolling. Just story, sound and imagination.
We’ll show you exactly what to look for in a travel audiobook. And we’ll point you to the one we’d start with — you can try the first hour free, so it’s the perfect “play it on the journey” test.
Loved by over a million listeners and used in thousands of UK schools.
Why are audiobooks so good for family travel?
Audiobooks are one of the easiest ways to keep children engaged when they are stuck in one place for a long time.
They work especially well because they do not ask children to sit silently and do nothing. Instead, they give them something to follow, picture and feel part of. A good story gives the journey shape. It creates suspense. It makes time pass faster.
For parents, this can feel close to magic. One minute everyone is arguing about snacks. The next, the whole car is listening to find out what happens next.
Can audiobooks reduce screen time on long journeys?
Yes, and this is one of their biggest gifts.
Screens can be useful. Nobody is pretending otherwise. But long journeys often turn into hours of videos, games and scrolling. Audiobooks offer a calmer alternative.
Children can look out of the window, watch the world go past and still be absorbed in a story. Their eyes are free. Their hands are free. Their imagination has room to work.
Instead of being shown every character, colour, face and setting, children build the world in their own minds. That matters. It helps them visualise, imagine and create their own version of the story.
A screen gives them the picture.
An audiobook lets them make it.
Are audiobooks educational?
Are audiobooks educational?Audiobooks can be wonderfully educational, but in a way that does not feel like schoolwork.
They can introduce children to new words, story structures, different voices and fresh ideas. They can also help children follow longer plots, remember details and understand character emotions.
For children who do not always choose to sit down with a book, audiobooks can be a brilliant bridge into stories. They still get the language, rhythm, humour and adventure of books, without the pressure of reading every word themselves.
This can be especially helpful on journeys, when reading in a moving car may cause travel sickness. Audiobooks let everyone enjoy a story without green faces in the back seat. Always a bonus.
Why do audiobooks bring families together?
One of the best things about audiobooks is that everyone can share the same story at the same time.
That changes the mood of a journey.
Instead of each person disappearing into a separate screen, the family has one shared adventure. You can laugh at the same joke. Guess what happens next. Talk about the characters. Pause for snacks and resume the story like a travelling book club with crumbs.
Children love it when adults are part of the story too. It makes the experience feel special. It also gives families something to talk about beyond traffic, petrol stops and who finished the crisps.
What makes a great travel audiobook for children?
A strong travel audiobook needs more than a good plot. It needs to hold attention in a noisy, stop-start environment.
Look for:
- A clear story that is easy to follow
- Strong characters children care about
- Voice acting or narration with energy
- Music or sound design, where appropriate
- Chapters that are not too long
- A sense of mystery, humour or adventure
- Themes that spark questions after listening
For younger children, musical audiobooks can work especially well. Songs help them remember characters and story moments. Sound effects can also make the experience feel more immersive.
Basically, if the story can survive a service station interruption, it is doing very well.
What audiobook is recommended for 5–11 year olds?
What audiobook is recommended for 5–11 year olds?A brilliant place to start is Lost on Infinity by Rockford’s Rock Opera — and it happens to tick every box on the list above.
It is a full-cast dramatised musical adventure about Moog, a boy from Battersea, and his dog Rockford, who travel to the mysterious Island of Infinity. There, they discover the last one of every extinct animal species, from the Great Auk to the Thylacine, and must help deliver Infinity’s secret message to the world.
It is funny, moving, strange and full of songs, characters and big ideas about nature, extinction, friendship and hope. That makes it ideal for family listening. There is plenty for children to enjoy, and plenty for adults to get pulled into as well.
Best of all, you can try it before you commit. The first hour is free — long enough to get the whole car hooked before you’ve even left the motorway.
▶ Listen to the first hour free
If everyone’s still listening when the free hour runs out (they usually are), the full dramatised audiobook carries the story all the way to its ending — songs, twists and all.
▶ Get the full Lost on Infinity audiobook
Should we get the book to read along too?
If you’ve got a reluctant reader, this is the bit to pay attention to.
You can add the illustrated Lost on Infinity book so children read along while they listen. The audio supports the words on the page and keeps the story moving, so reading stops feeling like hard work. Younger children can listen and look at the pictures. Older children can follow the text. Adults can enjoy the story, music and humour too.
It’s a screen-free way to keep everyone entertained — while quietly opening up conversations about animals, extinction, the planet and what we can learn from nature.
For the full effect, the read-along bundle pairs the audiobook and the illustrated book together, so you’ve got everything for the journey in one go.
Click book image below ⬇️ and get them both for £14.99 with FREE UK delivery.
Looking for a gift for a family that travels?
Lost on Infinity makes a lovely present for road-tripping families, long-haul grandchildren or anyone who’d rather their little ones watched the world go by than a screen.
And it’s not only the children who get something out of it:
“Enjoyable for both adults and children. I enjoyed listening to it just on my own without the grandchildren.” Amazon Review
Pop the book and audiobook together and you’ve got a gift that lasts well beyond a single car journey.
How can parents use audiobooks on holidays?
A little planning helps.
Download the audiobook before you travel, especially if you are heading somewhere with patchy signal. Choose a story long enough for the journey, or pick a series so children can continue listening across the holiday.
You can also use audiobooks at other tricky travel moments:
- Waiting at airports
- Sitting in traffic
- Train journeys
- Ferry crossings
- Hotel downtime
- Bedtime in unfamiliar places
- Rainy holiday afternoons
Audiobooks are light, portable and easy to restart. No lost pages. No missing bookmark. No “I left it in the other bag.”
Where can I get Lost on Infinity?
Everything’s in one place on our website. You can:
- Try the first hour free the easiest way to see if your children love it
- Buy the full dramatised audiobook to play across the whole journey
- Buy the illustrated book and audiobook for reading along
- Listen to the Stories, Science and Secrets Podcast
Download before you set off, and your journey is sorted.
Can audiobooks help children love stories?
Absolutely. Audiobooks can help children discover that stories are not just something printed on a page. Stories can be heard, felt, sung and shared. They can become part of family life.
For children who already love books, audiobooks add another layer. And for children who are less keen on reading, they can open the door.
For families on long journeys, they can turn travel time into something far better than a battle over screens.
They can make the journey part of the adventure.
▶ Start your free first hour of Lost on Infinity
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