4 Reasons to Embrace Technology on Your Next Holiday

4 Reasons to Embrace Technology on Your Next Holiday

Technology and travel go hand in hand nowadays. Rather than leaving your gadgets behind next time you set off on an overseas adventure, why not take them along for the ride? Travelling with electronics can make your trip easier to organise and more enjoyable. Here’s how.

1. Organised Travel Made Easy

Holidays can be tricky to organise – especially if you’re planning to visit multiple countries. There’s just so much to see and do. And you may encounter language barriers, border crossings, and unexpected attractions you simply have to squeeze into your itinerary. Instead of squashing paper maps and bulky phrase books into your luggage, use technology. Your suitcase will thank you!

From booking accommodation to navigating public transport systems, planning your trip right down to the smallest detail is easier with a device like a smartphone. Of course, it’s important to be careful when using your phone overseas, as data roaming is notoriously expensive. To avoid coming home to a huge bill

• Be sure to investigate your data roaming options with your provider before leaving the country
• Use complimentary hotel Wi-Fi whenever it’s provided
• Consider buying a pre-paid sim card from a local provider (just make sure your phone is unlocked first, or the foreign sim card might not work). 

Getting your phone set up for overseas travel can seem like a hassle, but just imagine the convenience of having the internet tucked away in your pocket. You could navigate your way through the streets of Paris, ask Google how to say “one slice of pizza please” in Italian, or research the history of Switzerland while travelling through the Alps. The possibilities are endless!

2. Capturing Memories 

No matter where you’re travelling, there are sure to be plenty of photogenic destinations. If you want your memories to last a lifetime, technology has made it much easier to capture your experiences. You don’t need to be a highly skilled photographer or own expensive equipment to take great shots of your travels – a small digital camera or your smartphone should suffice.

If you’re not all that confident behind the lens, try these tips:

• Think outside the square – Everyone wants to capture those iconic tourist destinations (like the Leaning Tower of Pisa), but a little creative thinking can help your images stand out from the crowd. Try walking around each landmark to find the best vantage point. You could also experiment with taking photos at different times of the day (or night) if your schedule allows. 
• Be aware of maintenance works – Many famous sites, particularly ancient buildings, require regular upkeep. If you happen to be visiting when a landmark you were hoping to take a photo of is covered in scaffolding, don’t be disheartened. Try using the scaffolding to create a cool contrast between ancient and modern materials, or simply crop out any parts of the building that are under construction. Smartphones come with plenty of editing apps, so you can easily modify your photos while travelling. 
• Get in front of the camera – Even if you turn out to be an amazing photographer, you should still be able to prove that you actually went to your destination! Make sure you’re included in at least some of your holiday snaps. 

For more tips on how to make the most of your smartphone camera, we’ve written a whole blog post on this topic. Read it here. 

3. Staying in Touch 

While staying organised and taking photos is great, no beneficial aspect of technology quite compares to the way it allows us to contact loved ones. Just a few decades ago, going overseas meant being virtually cut off from family and friends. Without the internet, sending postcards was one of the only ways people had of getting a message back home. Phones have been around for a while, but international calls were extremely expensive and not always easy to access back in the day.

If you’re still undecided as to whether you really need to embrace technology on your next trip, this reason alone should be enough to motivate you to pack at least one gadget. Your days might be filled with sightseeing and adventure, but you’ll probably still get a little homesick. Whether you want to call your family and friends using an app like Skype or FaceTime, write them an email or chat to them via social media, you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to staying in touch.

4. Easy Travel Apps 

Here are some key travel apps that have been tried and tested by our local 

• Trippit - This amazing apps consolidates all of your itineraries into one easy place on your smartphone
• Social Media - Facebook, Instagram, or Tik Tok - what ever your preferred platform, it is a great way to share with your family and friends at home your amazing adventures.
• Airline Entertainment Apps  - keep yourself entertained on your flights by ensuring you have downloaded in advance your airline's entertainment apps
• Rome to Rio - a fantastic trip planner that includes driving distances, public transport. The best app to figure out how to get anywhere by any means
• What's App/Viber - call your friends and family for free by utilising free WI-Fi

Have we convinced you to embrace technology on your next trip? Or are you determined to travel old-school style? Either way, we can ensure that you enjoy your trip, with or without technology. To start planning your holiday, take a look at our selection of destinations today.