Favorite Traveling Gadgets

Technology can make life both easier and more complicated. But when it comes to traveling, there are tech gadgets that are game changers. These are my favorites. 

* Smart Phone

This is a no brainer. I don't know anyone who can live without their phone period. Whatever smart phone you use currently is fine to use for traveling. The essential parts are 1) being able to make phone calls if you need to and 2) looking up things online if you need to. I just use the international data plan on my current phone plan. I'm sure there are cheaper alternatives. I acknowledge that I am paying for the convenience of just using my phone wherever we are.

* Digital Camera 

You obviously need a camera to take pictures during your trip. Some people have fancy digital cameras. Most of us just the camera on our phones. I LOVE the camera on my phone. It's easy to use. The quality of the pictures are amazing. All the pictures for this blog are from my phone.   

* Selfie Stick 

These use to be super popular and everyone had one. I don't see them as much anymore. But I think they are really useful. It's great if you're traveling solo and want to take pics. It's great even if you're not solo but don't want to ask people to take a pic for you. It's also great for angling up high for landscape shots in the background. 

* AirPods 

I don't know how I traveled before I got these. I have the pro version which is noise canceling. They work better than any ear plugs. I use them to sleep on the plane and in hotels. But they are small and easy to lose and expensive to replace. I left mine in a hotel in London after the Taylor Swift concert. I still had the case but I left the AirPods. So now I not only obsessively check to see if I have the case but also if the AirPods are in the case. That's maybe the best tip I've ever given. Look inside the case too.

* Portable Charger 

You will use your phone a lot more when traveling than you do at home. Certain apps on the phone also use more battery like the camera and navigation (which are the two most commonly used apps when traveling). A portable charger will make sure you have enough power to get through the day. Nothing is worse than not having your phone to use at the end of the day. Or not taking as many pictures as you wanted because your battery is low.  

* Apple Watch 

I swear I'm not advertising for Apple but the navigation on the watch is really nice for walking directions. It tells you literally how many feet to walk, turn left now, you're here. It buzzes when you're supposed to turn. The only caveat is that because it uses Apple maps, it doesn't have navigation for every city but a lot of the major cities in Europe and Asia are there.

ApplePay is also really useful. A lot of transit systems (i.e. trains, buses, trams) in many countries now accept ApplePay so you don't have to buy a separate transit card. I just tap my watch to get in and out of trains. I tap my watch to pay in restaurants and stores. You can tap your phone too of course but since your watch is already on your wrist, it is easier to tap your watch. You read this and think I'm probably just nuts, it cannot be that big of a difference. But just think of not having to dig out our phone 5-10 times per day.  

* Traveling Apps - these are my absolute favorite traveling apps.

- Google Maps - I can honestly say google maps has made traveling 100x better for me. I'm terrible with directions. I get lost inside of a parking garage. This app is really good for transit systems and walking directions. Some cities have their schedules linked with google so it will tell you what platform, what time down to the minute. There's also a compass on the navigation so you know if you are walking in the right direction. Google maps is far superior to Apple maps in my opinion. The only caveat is that not all cities will be on google. For example, Seoul was not usable on google. They had their own navigation app.

- Google Translate - This is so useful I set it as the widget on my home lock screen. The "google lens" is my personal favorite. You basically use the camera to take a pic of something to translate. You don't even have to set the language, it will detect that for you. It's amazing. I use it all the time for signs and menus when I travel. The same app has speaking and written translation too. 

- Currency Converter - I just have a generic currency converter app. It's useful when I want to know how much something cost and the conversion is not simple math.

- Uber/Lyft - I'm not advertising for them but they are the two largest ride share in the US. Uber is also in many cities across the world. I prefer the ride share app over taxis because it removes the language barrier. You just punch in where you want to go. And you can pay with the card you set up so it's super easy. A lot of taxi drivers also use Uber to get business in other counties.

- Airline Apps - I think I have all the US airline apps. Checking in and getting flight status is much easier on the apps than online. United is by far the best app but the others are acceptable.

What are your essential traveling gadgets or apps? Leave a comment!