During my travel sabbatical, I chose to go without a phone. Part of the reason is because I wanted to be disconnected on the trip, at least not always reachable. I met lots of travelers with smartphones, and I can definitely see the benefits. As long as you aren’t addicted to your smartphone, I think it’s a great tool to have and one I will take advantage of myself on future travels. Read this guest post to find why a smartphone may be the perfect travel tool for you.
Why smartphones are essential tools for traveling
If you are seeking Indiana Jones style adventure or if you simply want a break away, your smartphone is quickly becoming the most essential tool for travelers boasting millions of useful applications waiting to make your next traveling experience the trip of a lifetime. These apps can be accessed through the various online stores whether your phone is an android, windows or IOS.
So no matter where you’re heading off to this year, your mobile phone is bound to help you along the way. Before you have even started your travels there will be millions of helpful applications available to you through the app store that comes preloaded on most current generation smartphones. Packing before traveling is always a stressful experience but with packing assistant apps you can say goodbye to worrying that you have forgotten something and say hello to relaxation before you have even got on the plane or boat.
Finding your way around foreign countries has always been a scary prospect, but with maps built right into your phone you never have to worry about getting lost again. This feature is more impressive with the newer mobile phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Sii as they have more power and can therefore process much quicker. Turn by turn navigation will encourage you to explore and it comes preloaded on most current generation phones, add-on applications have also exploded in popularity recently and the maps application is one of the most popular targets for add-ons.
If you’re trying to find a nice restaurant with good reviews in your area, then the applications can help. If you’re searching out some heritage there is a tour application that will ask you to point your camera at the landmark you would like to know more about and then teach you about that particular landmark.
If you are flying, driving, sailing or even walking on a trip this year then your mobile phone will be more useful than you ever imagined. Traveling around the country can sometimes include navigating busy motorways, causing obvious problems when catching a flight or boat. Applications can show you real time video feeds of roads all around the country giving you the edge when it comes to up to date travel news. If you would rather walk to your destination your mobile phone could be a potentially lifesaving piece of kit; GPS tracking will show you everything you need to know including contour lines so you’re never caught out, and just in case your signal drops most modern applications can be saved to your mobile phones memory meaning that no signal is needed.
Remember to always consult your mobile phone’s network provider before your leave, this will allow you to check the rates you will be charged in foreign countries. If you would prefer to share your travel experiences over Wi-Fi then be sure to download a Wi-Fi finding application to save you time
and stress.
So your mobile phone has now become the ultimate travel gadget. It doesn’t matter what your interests are in, the new wave of applications are certain to help you get the most out of your trip.
