It doesn’t matter if it’s for business or leisure. Travel is fun. You can change the scenery, see new things, try different foods, and meet new people. But hidden beneath the fun, there’s stress and costs.
After the pandemic, everything became more expensive, including travel. Also, hidden fees can catch you off guard if you’re unprepared for them.
Luckily, technology can save the day. It doesn’t matter if you’re driving to a nearby city or flying to a country on the other side of the globe. These 6 tech tips will make travel cheaper and less stressful.
Use GPS To Track Your Things
You’ve arrived at the airport and have just enough time to go to your accommodation, shower, and catch a taxi for an important meeting. You’re waiting for your suitcase to roll up in the Baggage Claim area. Five minutes pass by, and you’re starting to worry. Ten more minutes go by, and nothing comes out. You’re going to be late for the meeting.
While you can do nothing while waiting for the airline to unload the luggage, you can at least get peace of mind. Get a few AirTags, and place them in your bag, on your keys, wallet, car, or even your dog.
You lose things when travelling because they don’t have their usual spot. But it doesn’t have to be that way. AirTags use GPS technology to pinpoint a location. You’ll know if the airline is still processing baggage, whether you left your bag in the hotel room or your keys fell out of your pocket in a restaurant.
Use a VPN To Get Cheaper Flights And Hotels
Sometimes, technology feels like magic. For example, a VPN lets you change your online location. That doesn’t seem like much, but it makes a huge difference when booking flights and hotels.
Airlines and hotels charge foreigners more than locals through price discrimination. But there’s a way to go around it. You can use a remote access VPN and pretend to be in the same country where you’re booking a room. All it takes is one click, and you’ll get a cheaper offer. As for flights, use the VPN and, if possible, pick a departure time before 3 PM, and make sure it’s a Wednesday. Your flight won’t be late, and you’ll get the best value for the price. VPNs are like a hack to get better deals.
Use Mobile Passport Control
Thanks to this tech tip, waiting in line at passport control will become a thing of the past. The US Customs and Border Protection service released an app to help you save time and get home faster. The app is called Mobile Passport Control and is free to use. You download it and fill out the information it asks when you land on a plane. When you complete the documentation, go to the designated lane for Mobile Passport Control, and you’re all set. It’s fast, easy, and simple.
Have Multiple Copies Of Important Documents
One of the worst-case scenarios that can happen while travelling is for somebody to steal your wallet. You might lose it in a restaurant and have an AirTag to see where it is, but if somebody took it, they could throw the tag away. That’s when you get in trouble because you’ll lose important documents.
Having digital copies of all your important documents is a must. There’s a document scanner on every phone, and you can save your ID, passport, insurance, and even car info in a Google Drive folder.
But this comes with an added risk. Cybercriminals are on the rise, so you must follow the best cybersecurity practices to keep your devices safe. The number one tip is never to connect to free Wi-Fi without a VPN.
Use AI To Plan Your Trip
ChatGPT might replace a few jobs here and there, but it’s definitely going to revolutionise the travel industry. AI apps entered the market, and they’re like travel guides on steroids. You enter where you want to go, how much you want to spend, and whether you want an adventure or something more romantic.
In a matter of seconds, the AI will spew out exactly which landmarks and restaurants to visit, what to do at each location, and how much you’re going to spend. Say goodbye to the stress of planning, crawling forums, and reading digital nomad blogs.
Download games and books
When you’re in another country, you won’t have access to the internet all the time. You’ll learn how to live without Instagram and Snapchat for a while. But you also need to do something in your downtime.
Download a few books, offline games, movies, or podcasts on your phone or tablet. You can even bring a notebook with a pen to doodle to see if you’ve still got it. Or, you can catch up on some much-needed sleep. No matter what you pick, it’s better to be prepared.