Best travel hacks to use when traveling

With vacation time fast approaching and your suitcase packed and airport chaos hopefully avoided, all that is left for you to do is board the flight…Right?

Well, there are actually some essential steps that you should take in order to ensure that your trip goes as smoothly as possible. For the things that are within your control, these tech travel hacks recommended by Schnell,a bespoke UK tech company, can help make travel safe and enjoyable.

Take photos of your travel documents 

You always need identification when travelling, but it’s also wise to have a digital backup. If you lose your wallet or it’s stolen, getting to and from your destination will be smoother if you have photos of all your important documents. 

Passports, vaccination documents
and travel details should be
kept in your phone as well as
paper copies. 

The easy way to do that on an iPhone is to use the handy document scanner built into the native notes app. On an Android device, you can take photos of documents and mark them as favorites in your gallery. This removes the hassle of searching for documents in your luggage. 

You can also save identifying documents as PDF files and transfer copies to other devices, such as a Kindle.  Then you will be able to access documentation offline, especially useful when you don’t have a secure internet connection.

There are many kinds of tracking
devices at all price points.

Keep track of your belongings 

Losing your belongings is devastating and can leave travelers stressed out when they should be relaxing. To combat this, use a digital tracker to help you keep up with your valuables and track them if you lose anything. These trackers can be used on laptops, phones, wallets, keys, and luggage. 

There are many different types of trackers that can be used, some will be Bluetooth and others will use GPS. A quick search on Amazon will provide you with trackers at a range of prices so you can ensure the safety of your items even on a limited budget. 

Have multiple access to boarding passes 

In addition to printing paper boarding passes, include the digital option. Log in to the airline’s website and ask them to email your boarding pass. It’s also a good idea to download your airline’s app to access it additional information about your flight.

Make use of a GPS to map your route

Your phone can be an excellent GPS to provide navigation details and traffic details. It can help you avild long traffic queues and alleviate navigation issues in a destination that you are unfamiliar with.
Apps such as citymapper can  reduce the chances of getting lost.  

Smartphones offer
excellent GPS systems.

Booking your stay

For peak travel times book well in advance by using one of the apps that are available to search for accommodation in different locations. Make sure you check the reviews before booking. Loyalty programs will help you save money on accommodations. For example, you can use expedia points or booking.com’s genius program for extra discounts. 

Loyalty programs can save

money on hotels and car rentals.

Load your playlist 

When travelling, there will be periods where you are bored waiting in queues or on a layover. Create a personalized Spotify playlist and download podcasts, and you will never be bored!

For accessing on a plane, it is important to have playlists, podcasts, and films downloaded so you can access them offline. Even better, make your entertainment productive by listening to a travel podcast about your destination. 

One bit of tech looming on the horizon is the electronic driving license, so keep an eye out for it.

Information courtesy of Schnell, www.bespoke software development.com

from Eve Loffman, eveloffman@journalistic.org