Technology and Travel

A dream of mine is about to come true. For years I have thought that perhaps one day I would be fortunate enough to see the world. To be honest, I already consider myself…lucky is not the word… privileged - to have travelled to some incredible countries. Sightseeing around Europe, however, has been something I have yearned to do for a very long time. Some of you may already know, and for others this may be news - I am taking the next school year off to travel with my husband. He has been doing a tonne of research on the places, and I have gravitated toward researching the technology that will help us on our trip. I have been watching various travel vlogs, and each person has advice as to what a traveler can/should do to streamline the process and to keep one’s technology devices safe. In this article I will share my findings.

First, I will talk about physical items a person can purchase, and then I will share some useful apps. Let’s jump in! Have you ever heard about something called “juice jacking”? Until recently, I sure hadn’t. I have learned that “juice jacking” can happen when you plug in your device to charge; either malware is transferred to your device or your personal information gets stolen. To prevent this from happening you can get a device called a data blocker. (See the link.) I ordered a similar one from Amazon and had it within a couple of days. As you can see from the link, you can use it with a variety of ports, therefore you can use it with all your devices.  You simply plug the data blocker into your device and then plug your charging cable into it, before plugging the cord into an outlet. This way, the data blocker can do its thing as the electricity is charging your phone/computer/tablet.

The next item I purchased was a set of air tags. They were also recommended by the travel vloggers I follow. The air tags are easy to use and a great way to keep tabs on your luggage. This was a no-brainer to me, and I bought some right away. They pair easily with your phone and if you’re an Apple user, you simply use the Find My Phone app to track down your suitcase (or whatever else you decide to attach the air tag to or put it in). Fear not Android users, there are also items that you can use to track your luggage. Click this link to see an example.

While recently chatting with my dad, I learned about photo sticks. He is a step ahead of me because I didn’t know they existed. He said he had one. I thought if he has one, then I need one too, especially since I plan on taking A LOT of pictures of my travels. You can plug the photo sticks directly into your phone to back up your pictures; you don’t even need a computer. I thought this was a fantastic idea. The one I bought has 512 GB of storage. Here is the link.

Yet another item I purchased was a portable charger. Doing this was recommended by travel vloggers on YouTube and a friend. My friend said it would be another way to help prevent “juice jacking” because your phone wouldn’t be connected to an outlet when charging. So now I can use it if I’m running low on battery while out and about, and I will know that since my phone isn’t attached to an electrical outlet to charge, all my data is safe and I will not be given any malware.

These are all the physical items I bought. As mentioned earlier, I also downloaded several apps. The first app was recommended to me by three friends who travel overseas a lot. It is called the Wise app. This app allows you to convert money into various currencies from around the world. It saves you from having to worry about carrying cash and finding a currency exchange place to do so. You do need to allow the app to connect to your bank, but they have very positive reviews and millions of users. The Wise helpline is great too. I have used it twice already and was able to get through right away.

You can order a physical card and/or use a virtual card that you can put in your Apple Wallet. Sorry Android users, I’m not sure how that works for you. Once you transfer money into your account, you can then convert it into the currency of your choosing (over 40 currencies are available). You can use your card to purchase your meals, merchandise, tours, etc., and even withdraw cash. You do have to be careful though because there are limitations of how many withdrawals you can make before you start to incur fees.

Some honest feedback regarding the app thus far… it was a pain in the behind getting myself registered. You have to share a picture of your driver’s license or passport and then take a picture of yourself in live mode to prove that it’s you. I had a heckuva time getting my picture uploaded. I tried for 45 minutes the first time before finally giving up. I kept getting a message saying that my image wasn’t clear enough. After contacting the helpline, I tried to upload my selfie again. This time I went outside into the sunshine, and it worked right away. The second time I had to reach out for help, I wasn’t able to transfer money from my bank. Jay, at the help desk, worked with me for an hour before we finally figured out how we could transfer money from my banking institution. Some banks apparently work better with the app than others. Don’t let my experience dissuade you from using the app. I have a friend who uses a different bank than I do and he was able to transfer his money to Wise seamlessly. Now that I know what I am doing, the next time will be easy. Also, the money generally comes right away. I imagine it depends on your bank. Oh, another thing you should check into is how much money your bank will allow you to transfer at one time. They may have limits that you may wish to adjust.

When putting money into your Wise account, you are given about five options regarding how to do so. With each possibility it is clear how much you will be charged. The cheapest methods are to do an interac e-transfer, add Wise as a bill payment, or use direct debit.

Additionally, there is a currency calculator so you know how much purchases cost in your own currency, and Wise notes each expenditure so you can see where your money is going. Since I haven’t yet used the app, I don’t know if they need authorization for each purchase apart from a pin. I guess I will find out in about a month’s time.

Okay, enough about Wise. The next app I would like to tell you about is Rome2Rio. This app makes it easy to figure out the best way to travel from one city to another. You punch in a city, your destination, and the date on which you’ll be travelling. The app will then show how long your trip will take, depending on whether you're taking a bus, train, car, ferry, or flight. You can then go ahead and book your trip directly with the service provider(s) of your choosing.

If you haven’t yet heard of e-sims, they are a game changer! Why people pay $10 or more per day with their own carrier when they are in a foreign country is beyond me. I used Airalo when I went to Peru and it was terrific! It took a bit to figure out how to install it, but once I did, it worked perfectly, and I saved a bundle. You pick how much data you want over how many days. There are quite a few options to choose from.

Surfshark is yet another app that I will be installing on my devices. Two of the travel vloggers I follow recommend it. Surfshark helps prevent attackers from intercepting your data when using wi-fi, it hides your IP address to prevent others from tracking your on-line activity, and it includes built-in features to block ads, trackers, malware, and phishing attempts. As well, it allows you to change your VPN (Virtual Private Network). You might want to use this if you're trying to watch Netflix shows available only in your home country—or in a different country altogether. It can also be useful if your bank doesn’t recognize your VPN while you're abroad. By making it appear as though you're accessing the internet from your home country, this tool can help prevent issues with services like online banking. Gee, don’t I sound like I know what I’m talking about? LOL!

The final two apps that I’d like to mention are Viator and Tripit. Viator helps you find tours and activities in various cities. You type in your city, and it populates results. There are filters to help narrow things down including activity, time of day, duration, and language. Viator lists the activities and the price. It also lets you check the availability and read reviews. The app tells you what’s included in your activity, the meeting point, and you can even book through them. In saying this, I feel like I remember hearing that it would be best to book directly with the company hosting the activity. Finally, Tripit. This app keeps all of your travel bookings in one place so that you’re not looking for confirmation emails amongst all your other emails in your inbox. Once you get your confirmation emails, you send them to Tripit and they put everything in order for you.  It’s easy to see at a quick glance important details like flight numbers, departure and arrival times, hotel addresses along with hotel check-in and check-out dates and times, and confirmation numbers. I second guessed getting this app at first and then I tried it. I totally see its value.

And there you have it—some useful information on tech devices and apps to consider for your future travels. As times have changed, our lives have become increasingly intertwined with technology. I hope this gives you some helpful insight into what to consider as you navigate technology and travel.