working from the road

Tech must-haves for travellers

Tech and travelling can often be seen as opposites – many people go travelling to escape being glued to their screens at work, away from Whatsapp group messages, constant emails and other demands for our attention. But tech can also be a real help to make things easier in a new place: we can book accommodation online, google local attractions and find our way from A to B with ease. Technology and travel can work pretty well together, so check out these tech must-haves for travel to ‘hack’ your next adventure.

Save time comparing prices

Save time looking for delivery companies online for all types of deliveries with Shiply, whether it’s sending a gift home to your friends/family for the holidays or getting some of your belongings sent from home to your new location, use Shiply to compare delivery prices and save up to 75% off standard delivery prices. Shiply works as a reverse auction marketplace where you create a listing for the delivery job you need doing, and wait for delivery companies to send you quotes. Once you’ve had a look at the companies and their quotes, accept the one you like best.

international currencies

Switch to a travelling-friendly bank

In the past few years we have seen the arrival of several internet-only banks, many of which have several benefits to travellers or those that often work with several currencies simultaneously. A Monzo account gives you 0% on international purchases and all spending shows up as a notification and is converted immediately into your own currency on the app so you can keep track of your spending in real time. You can also withdraw a limited amount of currency in any country per calendar month without having to pay fees, but anything above that will have a 3% charge. Other banks to look out for are Revolut and Loot.

Download maps in advance

Download offline maps in advance of travelling so you’ll not be caught without internet when you need it the most (i.e when you’re lost). Before you go, use apps like Google Maps or Scout to download maps of entire countries (or continents!) in advance so you don’t need to worry about spending money streaming location data or worrying about loss of signal when you’re exploring new areas. This is particularly useful if you hire a car as you can use your phone as a satellite navigation device – invest in a phone cradle too for the car to make driving in a new location as easy as possible.

Try out language apps

There are some fantastic language apps you can download on your smartphone. Apps like Duolingo or Memrise can teach you languages quickly in a gamified style, making your learning into a habit you’ll want to keep. Perfect whether you’re a beginner or already have some skills with a language. There are so many different languages available to learn, even some more unusual ones like Klingon and High Valyrian!

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