Remember when phones were useless on holiday? The signal was bad, the charges were expensive and you even had to tell your network where you were going before you set off. Thankfully, in recent years everything has changed with the rise of the smartphone leading to some fantastic handheld travelling innovations. Whether it is used for checking the weather, scouting out activities or restaurants, or just for keeping in touch with friends and family at home, the smartphone is now the perfect travel companion.
Although there are apps for every element of the holiday experience, this list is made up of those which help regular travellers smooth out their trips and reduce stress. From organising travel documents to keeping track of time zones, travel geeks will appreciate having these tools on hand wherever they go.
Circa
Keeping in touch with friends and family at home and abroad is one of the hardest things to do when travelling. Although it can sometimes be tempting to unplug from the world, sometimes for pleasure or business you might need to contact somebody back home, and doing do can be complicated with all the different time zones. Circa attractively displays all the time zones around the world so you can easily plan a FaceTime with a loved one or remember a Skype call from your boss.
App in the Air
For regular flyers and one-off travellers, App in the Air is a crucial bit of kit. The clever software syncs with your email, collecting all your important travel information and putting it in one place. This means you can avoid scrambling through emails at the check-in desk, resetting passwords in departures and running through terminals. The app also works offline which is mega useful when internet access can’t be relied on.
Packpoint
Never know what to pack? Just enter your trip destinations and activities into Packpoint and the app will create a packing list just for you. Perfect for forgetful backpackers, Packpoint will make sure you remember everything from toothpaste to underpants. If you are planning to do a specific activity such as hiking, the app will put all the necessary equipment and clothing on your list. Combined with weather updates for chosen destinations, you can’t go wrong with Packpoint.
Been
This app is handy for travellers who have been to loads of different places. If you have travelled around a lot it is easy to lose track of where you have been and what you have done. Been allows its users to log everywhere they visit and the app turns that information into some really nifty graphics which can be shared with friends.
Protect Your Phone
With all these apps becoming indispensable as you widen your travels, it’s a good idea to invest in some gadget travel insurance to protect your smartphone. Unfortunately, mobiles are easily misplaced and can be stolen so it’s always useful to cover your gadget. Travel insurance is also a must, as any veteran traveller will testify.
Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let's Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and his expertise in providing the ideal insurance cover allows them to do just that. If you're looking for the best gadget travel insurance Let's Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers to offer a range of competitive insurance without compromising on cover.
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