Travel Planning Tips for the Best Trip Ever

Travel planning can be a lot of work, but we have a few tips that can help to make the whole process easier!
travel planning

Travel planning can be stressful. Picking the perfect flights, shuttles, stay… There’s just so much to do when it comes to the actual planning process. The last thing you want is to realize you forgot something important when you’ve already arrived at your destination. We’ve rounded up a list of all the little things you might have missed during your pre-travel planning to help keep you from stressing while on your vacation.

Back-up photos on your device

Having photos to show off your travels is great.  What’s not so great is having your Eiffel tower selfie interrupted by a full storage warning. Consider backing up your photos to a cloud service, downloading them to your computer, or even saving them all to a USB drive. This will free up space on your phone to make sure you can record all of your travel memories.

Build a map with all the places you want to see

The internet is a fantastic resource that allows you to be your own travel agent. Before you’ve even set foot in a foreign country, you can have an entire map filled with places you want to visit. Creating a map with pins on the specific locations you want to visit can not only help you cut down on time spent wandering around, but it can help you organize your day while you’re in destination. Make it even more stress free by pre-booking tickets to popular attractions and making online reservations for ‘Gram worthy restaurants.

Build a shared itinerary

Whether you’re traveling solo or traveling with a group, having a shared itinerary is always a great idea. With a shared travel itinerary, you can let those at home know where you’ll be or keep everyone in your group aligned on when and where to be places. There are lots of smartphone apps to build a travel itinerary, but you can also use shared document services or the shared notes feature on phone for something a little less formal.

Learn key phrases in the native language(s)

Once you land in a foreign country, chances are you’re going to feel at least a little overwhelmed. Start brushing up on the native language and learning useful phrases a few months before you take off. Not all locals can converse in English, and they’ll greatly appreciate the gesture. You never know when you’re going to need to ask for directions or where the restroom is! Check out your phone’s app store for language learning apps. And don’t forget, search engines and voice digital assistants can help you translate words and phrases in a pinch.

Make sure your credit cards have no foreign transaction fees

Many credit card companies offer cards with no foreign transaction fees but some still charge a fee. Check and see which of your cards offer this perk, , because transactions fees are the worst kind of vacation souvenir.  Another tip is to set travel alerts for your credit cards. This prevents them from flagging your international purchases as fraud and freezing your account.

travel planning

Make a copy of your passport

This is a great “just-in-case” thing to do. Make a copy of your passport and leave it in a safe place at home or with someone who has the details of your travel plans. Replacing a lost or stolen passport while you are out of the country can be an expensive and time-consuming hassle and having a copy can speed the process.

Purchase a case that will keep your phone protected

There are so many phone cases out there and it’s so important to have a good case on your phone, no matter where you’re going. Accidents can happen at any time, whether it’s your phone slipping out of your hand as you step on to the plane or dropping it in a fountain as you’re snapping the perfect selfie, having the right phone case can help protect against all of these things.  Picking the right case for you really depends on the different activities you’ll be doing while on your trip. If you’re planning to snorkel, you’ll probably want a waterproof case. But if you’re heading off to Fashion week, you’d want more of a stylish phone case.

Pick the perfect travel battery pack

Finding a portable battery pack that works for you is one of the best things you can do for travel. We usually recommend a battery pack that isn’t too bulky or heavy, can charge your device quickly and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Program your thermostat and lights

Preparing your home for being away while you travel is also important. You wouldn’t want to come home to a frozen house during the winter or a house that is sweltering hot during the summer. Programming your thermostat before traveling is a great way to prevent that. Just as important are programming the lights in your home. Having your lights in different areas of your home set to automatically turn on at different times can create the illusion that you never even left. With the use of smart lightbulbs or smart power sources, you can also control your lights while you are traveling. Or you can do one better and control your thermostat, lights and more with the Smart Home Manager from AT&T.

travel planning

Set up international calling and data options

Before heading off to a foreign country, you’ll want to set up an international plan that will meet your communications need while traveling. If you aren’t sure how much you’re going to be using talk, text and data, you could always opt for an International Day Pass From AT&T. You can use this feature in over 100 countries, and you pay per every 24 hours of use.

Ready to jet off to your destination? Check out these tricks to using your cell phone while traveling while you’re trying to pass time at the airport waiting for your flight.


This article is AT&T sponsored content written by Tiffani Anderson, a TechBuzz contributor. The statements in this article are her own and don’t necessarily represent the positions, strategies, or opinions of AT&T. 


 

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