If you’re a seasoned traveler, you already know how to dress for a trek in the Andes or what tech to bring for an excursion to the Scottish countryside. Are you equally aware of the digital goods you’ll need? You know, the intangible but essential products attainable online that make any trip more fun and exciting. Here’s our list of the must-have digital goods to take with you wherever in the world you go next!
Photo by depositphotos.com
Travel Apps
Travel apps could easily star in several articles due to how useful, diverse, and prevalent they are. Since we’re talking about digital goods in general, there’s only so much room to go over their benefits.
The right assortment of apps can turn your smartphone into a specialized and indispensable travel tool. They cover everything from trip and accommodation booking to transportation arrangements, translation, currency exchange, meetups with like-minded travelers, local weather, and so much more.
Digital Boarding Passes and Tickets
Gone are the days of quieting up at check-in counters and box offices! Digital versions of boarding passes and event tickets are a godsend since they massively improve convenience and functionality. You can pull them up anytime if you have a smartphone or email access. Getting past security checkups is faster, and the contactless approach makes everyone safer. Finally, not having to rely on all that paper makes digital tickets much more environmentally friendly.
Online and Offline Guides
While some of us can take off to unknown destinations on a whim, others prefer to do a lot of research first. The right blog or skillfully written travel guide can give you the inside scoop on a travel destination and enrich your stay. Download such a guide to your smartphone, and you can make changes to your itinerary or leave local tourist traps behind in search of a more authentic local experience without having to rely on internet access.
A VPN
There are times when you absolutely need internet access, though. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially if you use public Wi-Fi as your access point. A VPN encrypts and protects any internet connection completely. This means no one can track your online whereabouts, and no one can get a hold of any information you type in or share.
You should set up a VPN before departing, even if you don’t care much about cybersecurity. One of the main reasons people invest in reliable VPNs is being able to adjust their geographical location effortlessly. It’s super useful when traveling when you want to access all the content you could consume back home that might not be available at your destination due to geo-blocking.
Reviews
You’re far from the first to travel to most destinations, so take advantage of it! People love to share their experiences with restaurants, tourist attractions, and cultural sites with others on review platforms. Take in the reviews before heading out to discover worthwhile sites and be better aware of potential scams or hidden fees conventional guides wouldn’t warn you about.
eSIM Services
Have you ever groaned at the prospect of having to fiddle with a SIM card every time you land at an airport in a new country? If you own pretty much any modern smartphone, you don’t have to! That’s because they come with embedded chips that let you activate eSIM plans without ever opening the phone up.
All you need to do is choose and activate the most affordable plan for a given country from a trustworthy eSIM service before departing. You can enjoy cell data, calling, and texting at the best rates without losing access to your domestic carrier. Better yet, you can easily change plans for each destination, even if you’re on an international romp across Latin America or Europe.
Digital Media
You might have come up with an adrenaline-filled itinerary, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t time to kill before you get there. eBooks, audiobooks, podcasts, and music make even ten-hour flights pass by in an enjoyable blur! They’re the perfect time to finish that doorstop of a book that’s been on your to-read list or psych yourself up with travel podcasts and native melodies.