Movies, Shows and Audiobooks for the Trip
Published October 2026 · Last verified October 2026
A long flight or a day on the road goes by so much faster with a good movie, a favorite album, or a book read aloud in your ear. The trick is to load it all onto your phone or tablet while you are still home on your own Wi-Fi, so you do not need any signal once you leave. This guide walks you through downloading shows, music, podcasts, and audiobooks the gentle way, with no jargon and no surprises.
A long flight or a day on the road goes by so much faster with a good movie, a favorite album, or a book read aloud in your ear. The trick is to load it all onto your phone or tablet while you are still home on your own Wi-Fi, so you do not need any signal once you leave. This guide walks you through downloading shows, music, podcasts, and audiobooks the gentle way, with no jargon and no surprises.
What's inside this guide
The printable PDF walks through 41 short chapters, in plain language. It also includes an everyday cheat sheet and at-a-glance pictures.
- The Whole Idea in One Glance
- Why Downloading Beats Streaming on a Trip
- Choosing the Device to Load Up
- Why You Must Download Before You Leave
- Making Sure You Have Room
- Clearing Room When the Device Is Full
- Downloading a Show on Netflix
- Downloading on Disney+ and Prime Video
- Why Some Titles Will Not Download
- Picture Quality and Saving Space
- Taking Your Music Along
- Downloading a Playlist on Spotify
- Downloading on Apple Music
- Loading Up on Podcasts
- Free Audiobooks From Your Library With Libby
- Getting Started With Libby
- Audible and Other Paid Audiobook Apps
- Making Audiobooks Easy to Enjoy
- Choosing Headphones for the Trip
- When Your Phone Has No Headphone Jack
- Pairing Bluetooth Headphones
- When the Sound Comes Out the Wrong Place
- The Airline's Seatback Screen
- Watching on Your Own Device
- What to Pack for a Long Flight
- Entertainment for a Long Drive
- Playing Your Phone Through the Car
- Keeping Downloads From Using Data
- Airplane Mode and Your Downloads
- Signing In Before You Go
- Sharing a Tablet With a Travel Companion
- When Library Loans and Downloads Expire
- Watching Without Draining the Battery
- Entertainment for Traveling With Grandchildren
- Free Options When You Do Not Subscribe
- A Quick Test Before You Leave
- Keeping It All Easy to Find
- Tidying Up After the Trip
- The Questions Travelers Ask Me Most
- Your Pre-Trip Entertainment Checklist
- When It Is Worth Calling Me
Get the printable guide
Everything above is a quick summary. The full, printable guide — the same words, laid out to read and keep by the computer — is a free PDF.
Last verified October 2026. Information accurate as of October 25, 2026.
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