Six Personal Travel Insights

I've had the privilege to travel three continents, seven different countries, and at least half of the states of America. I've done this as family vacations, trips with friends, study abroad, as a child, adult, and somewhere in-between. I've seen some of the world wonders, and some of the poorest third world countries. I've met so many incredible, life changing individuals who I still am in contact with to this day. I've learned how to take each and every good and bad travel experience to enhance my next trip, and to apply those life lessons back in small-town Iowa. So what exactly have I learned?

1. Ask my parents- EUROS ARE NOT, IN FACT, THE SAME AS MONOPOLY MONEY DOLLARS. I should have taken advantage of the exchange rate app in my International Travel App Blog. Although I came home from Europe in the summer of 2012 broker than a joke, I cannot say that I regret a single euro spent. I got the opportunity to see amazing places, do exciting and daring things, as well as try out one too many new restaurants and mysterious foods.

2. Be as friendly and open to new people and new cultures (even if that culture wears utterly terrifying outfits) as you can without getting "Taken". You'll see new outlooks on the way you live your life, make life-long friendships, and uncover travel/local-city secrets. Thank goodness for Skype and social media for allowing me the chance to keep in touch with these individuals. God forbid I would actually have to mail a letter :).

3. No matter how detailed you coordinate your trips, you will still have delays in transportation. I missed numerous buses, planes, and trains due to delays or strikes. While getting utterly lost, dead-sprinting through foreign airports, and losing luggage is an experience I think we all need at some point- taking advantage of real-time travel apps could've saved so much frustration. Kayak from my Domestic Travel App Blog, for example, can track your luggage, flights, and map out most airports.

4. Take the cool, fun pictures of every single angle of everything you encounter. But, don't let it detract from your experience taking in the beauty and history. We can get so caught up in getting the perfect shot of us paragliding through the sky that we forget how blessed we are in the first place to be soaring above a breath-taking island for only a half hour. Take a few quick photos and videos, then LET IT BE. Chances are, one out of the 47 (I just showed three to keep you all sane) pictures you took in front of the Platform 9 3/4 sign are profile picture worthy. I do have to put in a shameless plug for my Google Glass blog post as this would signifcantly reduce the time it takes to whip out your camera and set-up the perfect shot.





5. Do your research before you spur of the moment go somewhere. Make sure you have your Visa before you fly into Vietnam and get temporarily detained in a government hotel, know your Bed and Breakfast Address before you enter England and get questioned by London Authorities, and make sure you know the laws for what you can and cannot have in public plazas in Madrid. That being said, save time to just explore the new city you're in. Wander around, talk to locals, and chill by a river in Porto for hours on end basking in the sun. Most of us only get a little precious time in each place we visit- make the most of it!

6. Finally, utilize the technology available to you! I could've avoided carrying extra toilet paper in my purse from being used to Spanish public restrooms not having any. I could've stayed clear from nasty hostels, saved more money, saved more time by going through the "local" entrance of an exhibit, checked into my locations and mapped out my travels for easier blog writing, and saved myself a third-degree burn in the Canary Islands. Technology can really make a huge impact on your travels- please take my word for it! :)

Google Glass- The Future of Travel?

Technology becomes more and more advanced with each and every breath we take. Google Glass is the prime example of how technology will transform our everyday lives more than we could've ever imagined. It is a portable computer with an optical display that you wear similar to eye glasses. It can be considered a camera and display that works by simply taking the environment around you. You can interact with it using your voice, and see the result set of anything you'd like right in front of your eyes.

So how does this relate to travel? Being released as early as 2014, Google Glass utilizes Augmented Reality to take in the scenery in front you and can function integrating with WiFi and Bluetooth- perfect for on the go. In essence you could stand in a crowded street in Rome and turn around in a circle and see places pop up based on what you are looking for: the Trevi Fountain, the nearest place to get world renown Gelato, or the best ristorante for pasta in town. It can pull up facts in front of you in real time of the nutrition value of the menu of the place you're eating in, pull up a map of the airport terminal as you are running late, and can let you take videos and photos of everything you see as you see it in front of you without even moving your hands- you simply say, "OK, Glass" and the photo you just snapped of The Colosseum is instantly uploaded to your Instagram news feed. It allows you to concentrate more conveniently on the experience of your travels rather than fumble around with with your clunky camera.

It could let you do many of the things this blog has talked about previously- take the Google Translate App for example. You're trying to figure out how to ask a street vendor in Chinese for three pounds of vegetables. You say: "OK, Glass: how do you say, "How do you ask for 'three pounds of vegetables' in Chinese?" and instantaneously get a response to communicate efficiently. This can totally change the travel and technology industry as we know it.

See an example demonstration of Google Glass:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo96VxzM_4A

Isn't this technology amazing? It seems unreal that this is what the future can possibly hold. What are your thoughts on it? Would you use it?

Quirky Apps to Aid Your Travels

This blog has thus far covered those travel essential applications for both domestic and international travel. While some of these apps may not be a first priority download, they are all worth looking into as they can transform your trip from just average to a substantially first-rate endeavor.

SitOrSquat- powered by Charmin, this app is something every traveler can appreciate. It lets you search bathrooms based on your current location. Not only does the search show you the results of bathrooms near you in a "can-no-longer-hold-it situation", but you can also see how cleanly the bathroom is based on the color of the roll. See the screenshot below of a district in London. Avoid the red rolls like the black plague or be prepared to squat. If you encounter sub-par bathroom amenities, be sure to leave your own ratings to help out your future fellow travelers.

Convert Clothes (Apple) / Clothing Size Conversion (Android)- This app is a lifesaver for the shopaholics of the world. When you're shopping and want to quickly figure out the conversion of your 7.5 shoe size into the measurements of another countries' seemly bizarre numbering system, this app is extremely handy and saves time. It also converts dresses, blouses, rings, socks, pants, and hat sizes for your own purchasing pleasure.

Tipping Bird (Android) / GlobeTipping (Apple)- When you're traveling around the world you will encounter various culture differences. One important difference is tipping. For example, in Japan is it extremely rude to leave a tip of any kind. Tipping Bird takes away the uncertainty of not knowing whether to tip, how much to tip, which situations to tip in, and it can even convert the percentage of the tip into that country's exchange rate- pretty neat! The best Apple equivalent is GlobeTipping which does the same basic function, but costs $0.99.

GateGuru- Most of us have had those long, drawn-out layovers at some point in time. I've spent countless hours trying to sleep, roam around and explore, play cards, and entertain myself in airports all over the world. If you travel extensively, this app is a lifesaver. It features more than 120 airports across the globe. It helps you find cafes, services, relaxing areas, workout facilities, yoga stations, and anything else you can dream up. My favorite part are the reviews and tips. See an example tip to the left giving security advice for the San Francisco International Airport. 

Sunscreen- One of the best things about travelling is kicking back and relaxing in the sun on a sandy beach. One thing we can all sympathize with is the overzealous thought that if we don't apply that second round of sunscreen we'll just tan and not get burnt. I don't know about you, but I get fried every dang time. This free app can detect the UV rating of your current location, lets you input your skin type and SPF of choice to count you down until your next needed lathering of sunscreen to keep your skin nice and healthy.

HopStop- This app named a Top 10 Mobile App by Travel Magazine is an on-the-go necessity. It gives you taxi, walking, biking, and metro directions in over 300 domestic and international cities. There are schedules, city guides, and updates in real-time to let you know any possible delays in travel. Whether you need to snag a bus out of Wales, or hitchhike your way across Saint Petersburg, you'll find this app extremely helpful. 

Foodspotting- Arguably one of the best parts of travel is trying the best local dishes and restaurants. This app visualizes popular dishes and eateries near you. You can type in what you are craving at the moment, but take note that there is no disclaimer for your salivary glands inevitably going into overdrive. Foodspotting makes it easy for you to save your favorite dishes or hide the ones you don't desire to sample. You can keep track of what your friends are trying out, as well as expert food critics on the Travel Channel. See what popped up on my radar in Cedar Falls, IA below (Scratch Cupcakery made the map hint, hint)!

What are other apps you like to use while travelling? Have any of you had experiences with any of the apps above?

Top Five Essential Apps For International Travel

Traveling abroad is unfamiliar, exciting, adventurous, expensive, and even frightening to some. Whether you're a world renown traveler, first timer studying abroad, or you frequently have business trips internationally- there is something to be said about using applications for travel. While some find appeal in losing yourself in an unfamiliar city without use of any resources, there are perpetual benefits that utilizing technology while travelling will reap. It doesn't have to be unfamiliar, expensive, or even frightening with the aid of these free applications available on most devices.

If you see my past post on "Five Advantageous Apps for Domestic Travel" you can see that four out of five of these apps can cross over to be used internationally such as Kayak, Yelp, Photaf or Photosynth, and Trip Journal.

 Skype (all devices)/Facetime (Apple only)- Part of what makes travelling so frightening is that you may be leaving your loved ones behind. Skype or Facetime allows you to talk in real time, and feel like you are in person communicating thousands of miles away. Let's be honest- some of us utilize it because it lets you see your beloved pets that you leave behind (see one of my many snapshots of Skyping my wiener dog abroad to the left). For those of us who prefer texting our friends and family, use TextPlus which lets you send unlimited text messages for free in any WiFi location directly to your loved one's domestic phones.

 Google Maps- Google Maps is my favorite free app for getting to where you need to go. You can see transportation options to get you from The Vatican back to The Pantheon; maps for indoor locations including some airports, shopping centers, and stores; 3-D maps to get a realistic sense of your destination; as well as the street view option of the location you're trying to find. My favorite part of it is the turn-by-turn GPS navigation feature making it nearly impossible to get lost.

 Google Translate- Going to be in a rural mountain town filled with local inhabitants, a rustic village deep in the country-side, maybe lost in the heart of Barcelona, or perhaps just desperately need to tell your French waiter in a Crêperie about your allergy to strawberries? This is exactly what you need. Take out the stuttering uncertainty and hurried flipping through an English to Spanish Dictionary, and simply speak what you need to say into this app complete with over 50 languages. You can either type out your needed translation or speak into it. While it may not be on target for grammar 100% of the time, you can get the message across you're trying to convey successfully. If you're willing to spring for a $0.99 app, try out "Languages" as it's best feature is that it can be used offline.

 XE Currency Exchange- It can be hard to maintain your finances overseas- especially when euros look like Monopoly money. XE Currency Exchange tells you the exchange rate in many countries in real-time if you are connected to WiFi to allow you to optimize the best time to take out your money to stretch your American dollars. My favorite part about it is that it remembers the most recently checked rate. This means you can still convert your cash with accuracy even when you don't have an internet connection.

 Time Out city guides- This is the best free guide for the most popular cities in the world. It provides insights on hotels, dining, shows, and night-life. The best feature is that it gives expert local knowledge so that you can see popular touristy spots, as well as a city's best kept secret.

 My next blog will cover the best essentric and fun travel apps- so stay tuned!