Before you go away, find out how easy it is to become a tech-savvy traveller, with these helpful holiday hints
1. Scan and save
From Google Drive to Dropbox, iCloud and Box, cloud storage is the easiest way to keep digital copies of all your important documents when travelling. Save a colour copy – apparently necessary at some embassies – of your passport, your visa, your hotel accommodation booking and travel insurance.
2. Power trippin’
Instead of worrying whether you have enough adaptors for the plugs at your destination, travel with an extension cord. Not only is it a cheaper option, but it will mean you can easily plug in your laptop, tablet, fitness band, hairdryer, camera, cellphone charger, power bank, music player, Bluetooth headphones, etc, in one place. Another option is a world plug (like this option from Skross), which is a square that can adapt to wherever you’re heading.
3. The perfect amount of padding?
Whatever tech devices you choose to take along with you (sometimes it’s all of them, we get it), it’s important to keep them protected. Laptops, especially, require a padded case, as tiny parts can get unhinged with bumps along the road. Invest in a good laptop bag (Knomo is a good brand) or padded case (Typo keeps a good variety of options in-store). Another good investment is a padded cable pouch – it may seem silly, but try replacing a broken MacBook cable once and you’ll never look back.
4. Data-free GPS
While most mobile carriers provide different roaming options, if you’re in a city with good Wi-Fi, you’ll be surprised how little you need to roam. One of the easiest ways to get around internationally is by using Google Maps. If you sign in using your Gmail address, you’ll be able to save an offline area to your mobile device for 30 days. So, if you don’t have any Internet connectivity, Google Maps will use your offline areas to give you directions. Apple Maps and Waze work on caching, which means if you’re on Wi-Fi and set a route, you’ll be able to follow it to the end… just don’t veer off the path!
5. Pack smarter
“Oh, no! What if my bag is overweight?” Most hotel rooms are not equipped with scales… so why not bring your own? Portable travel scales – like this cute one from Kikkerland – fit comfortably in your hand and can easily weigh luggage up to 40kg. Overweight surcharge anxiety solved.
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