KatPen

I now travel with an iPhone 4s, iPad, and Kindle, and am interested in hearing your tips on how you use technology today during your travels. I will be relying on WiFi, so just checked out ways to make my documents available offline if necessary. I think I will send them to Google Drive and enable the "Make available offline" option. Any other suggestions (Documents? EverNote? Anyone use these?) Months before each trip I always create a Word doc and paste into it any tidbits I read on Fodors or elsewhere while researching. Then I organize the doc and like to have it handy to look up restaurants or whatever as I go. For this trip I used TripIt for the first time to organize my itinerary. Looks like a good app. Anyone use Waze? Any other must-have apps? I am really interested in hearing how you make technology work for you while travelling.

Sassafrass

I am so not technologically savvy, but really put our i-pad to use on a recent trip to Provence.
Trip was last minute with only one apartment for one night and a hotel for one night a few days later, booked ahead, and no transportation booked. The morning after we arrived, I got on and quickly booked a hotel for that night, looked at train schedules and booked a train the next day, etc.

Not what I would recommend; we really took a chance, staying as long as we liked in one place, then booking everything for the next day. We got so lucky, finding a wonderful apartment that had only four days open for weeks, and the four days worked perfectly for us. Could never have done that without easy access to the internet. We were already signed up on airbnb, otherwise that would not have worked.

Schedules for trains and busses are pretty clear and easy in Provence, once you know which lines go where, and that was not difficult. Nearly everything was easily booked on-line.

The other thing that was absolutely great was simply putting maps and schedules into photos. Then, no matter where we were, a street corner with no wifi or a bus, we could just go to photos and pull up the map or the schedule or the apartment info. It was easier than flipping a 2x5 card, no app needed, no internet access, nothing. This has to be my favorite use of the i-pad the whole trip because other people were always asking us for directions or when a bus was coming, etc. and I had it all as a picture.

Truth is though, that being able to book everything last minute, instantly was of the most value.

E-mailing home and friends, checking on cats - a given.

thursdaysd

Pulling out your iPad on a street corner may be OK in Provence, but there are a lot of places I've been where I wouldn't dream of it... Smart phone, maybe, but there have been a lot of stories of those getting snatched out of people' hands, too. Somehow paper maps just don't attract the same attention, lol.

I definitely want internet connection when I travel, but I save it for my hotel room, or the occasional cafe.

Sassafrass

Thursdaysd, you are so right! I would probably not do it in Rome, and certainly not in Barcelona or parts of Madrid. Honestly, I didn't even think about it where we were, did it the whole trip, two weeks. Foolish on my part, and lucky. You gave me a good reminder to play it smarter.

Must say, though, the very detailed map with pictures of the actual buildings and streets we were looking for was super nice when we rented apartments and were walking round looking for them.
I also liked not having to unfold and carry around paper train schedules.

Still, your caution is spot on.

dulciusexasperis

I am fairly tech savvy I would say but I use 'technology' as little as possible when travelling. I see it as taking away from the travel experience.

Studies of people who take photos for example showed some interesting results. Basically, what it showed was that people could not remember much about what they took a picture of. In other words, their focus on taking the pics took away their focus on where they were.

You might want to give that some thought KatPen.

https://www.google.ca/#q=article+tak...memory&tbm=nws
Given the current ways people spend so much of their time on their Iphones, Ipad and other technology today, it isn't much of a stretch to see how all of it can be taking away from your experience and memories.

suze

Because my trips are vacations, I travel with no 'technology' of any kind. I use an internet café for occasional emails.

november_moon

I take my smart phone on trips and occasionally my tablet. I use my phone for communications, but also for looking things up, boarding passes, etc. I like to use Tripit to organize things. It is a pretty handy ap. I use Yelp to find things locally, Open Table to make reservations at restaurants in the US. I post pictures to FB, send an occasional email.

NewbE

We find Tripit and Open Table very useful, too, as well as access to the Internet in general. For example, I used my phone to prepay the toll on the Golden Gate Bridge while SO drove--very convenient! So far, our iPhones have sufficed; I wouldn't like to travel with a bunch of expensive gadgets, at least not now, because that seems like more of a burden than an aid.

SeattleTA

I can't recommend the iphone app CityMaps2go enough! You download the map(s) of where you are going, and they are available for you to use without any internet or cell phone connection. They rely on your GPS, and you will NEVER be lost again! They are very detailed, and even show which direction your phone is pointing, so if you're confused which way to go once you come up out of the subway, problem solved! Just point your phone towards your objective, and start walking. I have used them in Budapest, Prague, London, Tokyo, Kyoto and a number of cities in Germany. Download before you leave home, cuz you DO need an internet connection to download.

ShelliDawn

I travel with my smartphone, a Lumia 820 Windows Phone. For many of the reasons mentioned above (storing notes, accessing email etc.) But, one of the things I really love about it is that is has real GPS.

I can use it without data to find my way around, though I have to download the map of the region I'm interested in first (not a big deal). That was really handy this year during my trips to the UK and New Orleans when both walking and driving.

In the past I've used translator apps on my phone (though it was a different phone).

doug_stallings

I would not travel with both an ipad and a Kindle. I'd take one or the other. You can get most of your functionality from your smart phone and then read on the Kindle (though not watch movies unless it's a Kindle Fire). Or you can just install the Kindle app on the ipad. But two devices is enough for me.

dulciusexasperis

Reminds me of the story (some say urban myth) of the American and Russian astronauts. The Americans invented the 'Space Pen' that would be able to write in zero gravity, upside down, etc. at a huge cost. The Russians used a pencil.
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

My sons see themselves as being contactable with their cellphones. I see myself as losing privacy with my cellphone.

Recently, in a supermarket a mother and daughter were in front of me and I overheard the daughter saying to her Mother, 'she's got her phone turned off. That's ridiculous, how does she expect anyone to reach her if she doesnt' have her phone turned on?'

It never seemed to have occured to her that the person might not WANT to be reached. LOL

Heimdall

Anyone who has tried to read a book on an iPad or other tablet in bright sunlight will understand why I travel with both an iPad and a Kindle. Also, Kindles are much cheaper than tablets, so not as much a temptation for thieves.

KatPen

Thanks all. Dulcia I agree with you about taking pictures and I find I almost don't take any. I have stopped taking a camera, and just use my phone if there is something I must catch. I also loved your urban myth!
SeattleTA, thanks for the tip on CityMaps2Go. But I downloaded a map of Athens only to discover it was in Greek! I sent an email to their support and they said there was nothing they could do as they rely on OpenMaps and that is what you get. I suggested they should prompt users before they spend time and memory downloading a map in a foreign language. But I did download other maps that look great.Heimdall I also think that once you are used to reading on a Kindle, an iPad is heavy and much less comfortable. But it certainly has many other uses.
Would still love to hear of more apps and tips...

Heimdall

<i>Heimdall I also think that once you are used to reading on a Kindle, an iPad is heavy and much less comfortable. But it certainly has many other uses.</i>

Yes, that's why I said I travel with both. My Kindle Paperlight is great for reading on the beach or anywhere else where you want to just sit in the sun, and is easier to hold when reading in bed. The iPad takes the place of a laptop or netbook, and many are finding the iPad Mini to better for travelling than the full-size version. Incidentally, any book with illustrations or photographs is much better to read on an iPad.

danlev

I'm on Android and a couple of years ago I got a Note 1 smartphone for use in Europe, with a Bluetooth foldout keyboard for writing emails, and a Telestial sim card that works all over Europe, at a moderate cost per minute. The Note thus functions as camera, e-reader, phone and computer.

I have pdf images of all my train and plane tickets on it, as well as passport, driver's license etc. Google Maps lets you save 4 locations for use offline, so I keep updating that as I travel. Also I custom create my own phrasebook with Google Translate before I leave.

Essential apps include aMetro (has all the major metro maps), Tripadvisor, converter for currency, kilometres etc. There are apps specific to destinations I will be. Oh, and a flashlight app is essential. Kindle, of course, and various news apps to stay in touch, like Politico and Slate. I subscribe to the NY Times and that's bookmarked in the browser. Some games. A reading glass/magnifying glass app. A timer, very useful. A compass, believe it or not! Yelp can be very helpful for major cities. Oh, and if my Note is stolen I can lock it, even erase it, from afar, using the SeekDroid app from another computer. I think perhaps you can track your phone via GPS too...

Actually, my last trip (28 days in Oct 2013, all over Europe) I had to bring a lightweight laptop for work purposes, and loved it. I normally pack very very light ("every ounce counts") but the laptop was only 1.3 pounds and it was definitely worth having. Left it in my hotel/apartment, in a suitcase with a small combination lock on it. And discovered a neat trick - in my room, with wifi, I would do a search for directions on Google Maps. Then, with my phone, I'd take a photo of the screen with the path clearly marked, and take the phone with me, using that map photo as a reference walking around (or tramming or whatever)! Then, when back, just erase the photo... sounds dumb but it worked great.

Oh, and I always carry a spare battery for the Note phone, so I don't worry about a battery running out.

That's everything I know!

KatPen

Great idea to create your phrase book. I am in Greece now and was just about to look for one online. Also will definitely look for a magnifying glass app.