When travelling, you need all the help you can get. Traditional maps are now outdated, but there are several apps for your smartphone or tablet you can use. From communicating to finding specific locations, here are seven apps that will make your trip easier.

 

Google Maps

Imagine all the maps in the world at the palm of your hand – that is what Google Maps essentially is about. Available for all sorts of Android-, OSX- and PC-based devices, it will assist you not only pinpoint the exact location you are looking for, but also measure the distance between two places – this is of great help to me in big cities like Tokyo and New York – give you directions and allow you a 360° view of certain places.

TripAdvisor

Another app available for basically all known platforms, this is a mobile version of a popular website. It allows a detailed search of hotels, restaurants and other venues you are looking for when travelling, but it also heavily relies on customer reviews. These feedbacks give you the real picture of a certain location and I always read them when choosing where to stay.

WiFi Finder

When in another country, even a neighboring one, you have to pay attention to roaming regulations and not use your mobile data package. That is why it is essential to find Wi-Fi and an app like this is more than useful. It scans available connections better than your device’s default app and alerts you which are free and ready to use.

Instagram

A popular social network – also available on all devices – has a location-tracking option, so you can see all the photos taken at a spot you want to visit. This allowed me to prepare for my last year’s trip to Rome better. Moreover, it has a hashtag search, so you can view photos with certain city tags.

Google Translate

This great app can be used even by professional translators when they get stuck on a specific word, but it is more than handy when abroad, too. For example, I had a great conversation with an elderly Chinese man in Paris once – he spoke no English, I spoke no Chinese, but we used Google Translate and managed to understand each other just fine.

Trippeo

This app is used by business- and travel-oriented people who want to calculate their spending. It is basically an expense tracking app that collects receipt data – both online and physical – and calculates how much money you have spent, providing you with a list of expenses. When on a trip, it helps you a lot because it is connected to your credit card and tracks even the smallest expenses you could easily forget – I always forget postcards and stamps, for example.

AccuWeather

There is a difference between wearing a sweater on a hot summer day and leaving your house without a jacket when it is -10°C. That difference lies in whether you know weather conditions or not, and with AccuWeather, you will always be updated. Extended forecasts and minute-to-minute synchronization are available and even how certain weather affects your health.

Other Apps

In the sea of travel apps, you do not need to install them all, but opt for an efficient combination of these seven essentials and perhaps one or two made specifically for a certain city. Foursquare is also useful – when I was in Rome, I found the best bars in Trastevere by reading the recommendations of locals on this app.

About the author

Marie Nieves, student of economics who loves unusual trips and have a plan to travel the whole world. She has always loved to travel, and she loves to talk about her experiences. On her travels she likes to read poetry and prose and loves to surf the Internet. Photography lover.

Find Marie on Facebook or follow her on Twitter and G+.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the best bits of advice I could give anyone is to travel while you’re young. You have your youth and your health on your side. Trust me, once you get bogged down with a career, mortgage and family commitments, it is so much harder to do the budget, backpacker thing for any length of time. My twenty year old daughter is just about to complete her tourism studies and has plans to don the backpack and head off. We’re in full support of this knowing it will probably be the only opportunity to experience the true freedom of backpacker travel.

Working out which travel insurance is right for you can be a challenge, and when it comes to seniors travel insurance it gets even more complicated.

Older Australians are travelling more than ever before, but they have several extras to consider, with insurers setting different criteria depending on your age and pre-existing medical conditions.

If you are over a certain age, some travel insurance policies may only cover you for a particular length of time overseas – such as three months – so it’s a good idea to check the fine print.

It’s very important for seniors to compare travel insurance policies – especially those aged over 75 who don’t require any medication.

Travel insurance tips

NRMA Travel Insurance spokesman Maureen Mullins says seniors should buy travel insurance at the same time they book their trip so you are covered from day dot if you need to cancel.

Also be upfront about existing medical conditions.

“There are many conditions that are automatically included and some that need to be assessed,” she says.

Cruising is one of the most popular forms of travel for older Australians, but most on-board medical services are not covered by Medicare, so you will need travel insurance even if you are only cruising in Australian waters.

Ms Mullins also says you should leave a copy of your travel documents and itinerary with a friend or relative in Australia, and also keep a copy of your policy emergency numbers and travel documents with you.

It’s a good idea to visit your GP to discuss your travel plans before you book, and again for a general check-up before you leave to make sure regular vaccinations, such as the flu shot and tetanus, are up to date.

If you are taking medication with you, get a list from your doctor saying their generic names, dosages and how often you take them. Get a couple of copies and keep one separate from your main luggage.

Read your Product Disclosure Statement

The Insurance Council of Australia’s financial literacy program Understand Insurance says it’s important to compare products and features between companies, not just price.

“Most travel insurance policies have age limits or restrictions, but several travel insurers offer policies specially designed for retirees or senior travellers,” a spokesman says.

Make sure you let your insurer know if your health circumstances change before you head off on your holiday.

In certain countries, including the US, Japan and throughout Europe, it’s important to have unlimited hospital and medical cover.

It’s essential to read your Product Disclosure Statement and check you are covered for full medical evacuation in case you have to be flown home in an emergency.

Australia has reciprocal healthcare agreements for seniors with some countries, including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Norway and the Republic of Ireland, which means emergency care is available.

But you still need to get travel insurance. It’s also a good idea to check with Medicare for the latest information on countries participating in reciprocal healthcare agreements

Running out of money while abroad is every traveler’s worst nightmare. The situation can be horrible enough to put a dampener on even the best laid plans.

In order to avoid running through all the cash set aside for a trip in a few days, it is advisable for travelers to draft a realistic budget. This budget will enable an individual to have an idea of how much cash to set aside for the trip, keep track of expenses and to choose the most cost-effective means of travel, food and accommodation. A travel budget makes it easy to regulate spending and allows individuals to make the most of the cash they worked so hard to save.

Running out of money

Several situations can result in a loss of funds whilst abroad. The most common include being robbed of all cash, ATM cards and other documents, overspending on food, accommodation or travel costs, local exchange rates that are higher than expected, ATM failure and medical emergencies while traveling.

Although being abroad without funds presents a difficult dilemma and can be downright debilitating, it does not necessarily mean that a trip has to be terminated. The most important thing for vacationers to do is to keep their wits. Though dire, the situation does have solutions.

There are various ways in which individuals can get cash back into their pockets when they find themselves broke in a foreign country. Being aware of the potential solutions would make it easier and less stressful to deal with the scenario, should it arise.

How to survive

The first step is for the individual to analyze the situation with a clear and open mind. Being broke abroad can mean one of two things: that the person has completely exhausted all funds that they had or that they have sufficient funds but lack access to them.

Solving these two problems requires slightly different approaches:

• Seeking temporary local work

This solution is ideal if the traveler is completely broke and has no reserve cash. No matter how remote or foreign a place is there is usually some opportunities to earn money for those who find themselves broke. For instance, such individuals can earn money through bartending, washing dishes, serving or busking on the streets. Some can even earn decent cash by teaching English as a foreign language.

• Cash transfers

Another solution to salvaging a doomed trip is by receiving a cash transfer. This is a viable option for those who have temporarily lost access to their cash. Nowadays there are a variety of firms, such as Trans-fast, offering reliable, secure and fast money transfer services. The travelers can ask their friends or relatives back home to transfer money to them. They can then pick up the remittance in cash or they can have the funds transferred directly into their bank accounts.

If all else fails, vacationers still have the option of asking their local embassies for help. Most embassies can loan money to their nationals abroad to cover the costs of getting back home.