Planning a holiday brings people an equal feeling of anxiety and excitement. If you’ve ever bought a plane ticket, you know the thoughts that race through your mind before you make the final click.

“Is this the best deal?”

“Do I really want to spend all this money?”

“What happens if I don’t like the destination?”

All that is usually overcome after you make the purchase and now it’s time to get excited. You’re going on a trip! But before you grab your bags and passport, it’s time to check off your pre-travel checklist.

The wave and necessity of technology mean that your trip preparations have changed a little bit. How can you go about making the most of your technology to ensure a safe and easy trip?

Screenshot Everything

No matter what type of vacation you have planned, whether it be a road trip or one stop destination, you (hopefully) have some kind of accommodation lined up. It could be an AirBNB, hotel or hostel to rest your weary head.

The best way to keep track of all this information is to screenshot every piece of information you have and keep it stored on your phone. Screenshot the directions from the airport to the hotel, public transportation routes, the address, your reservation number, their phone number and more.

While you’re at it, make sure you’re screenshotting everything. Restaurant reservations, lists, tour reservations and whatever else you have reserved. 

Even though you can use your cellphone throughout the entirety of the EU, coverage may be spotty or you could be travelling to Asia and staying in in the middle of the forest.  

It’s just safer to have a “hard copy” of everything on you.

Put a VPN on Your Devices

VPN, or virtual private network, is a method of protecting your internet connection for your laptop, computer, or phone. While it’s not a be all-end all of cyber security, it’s going to help protect your device from any prying eyes.

When you’re travelling, you’re bound to be using plenty of public WIFI networks everywhere from your hotel room to the restaurant down the street. While using a public WIFI network is perfectly fine, checking your bank account or any private information on one is running a significant risk. 

While yes, the odds are small that someone will steal your information, it’s still an unnecessary risk. Install a VPN on your devices before travelling.

Back Everything Up

Useful advice for your files and photos as well as the dance floor. 

Before you head out, make sure you have a cloud service connected to your phone so you’re not losing any of your contacts, photos, or videos. The majority of smartphones are already connected to such a service, such as iPhoto, Google Photos or Microsoft’s OneDrive. 

You’re never planning on having your phone lost, stolen, or damaged but it pays to be prepared. You want to at least be able to show off your adventures!

Bring an Extra Charger

Remember that great time at the airport, when your phone battery was dying while you run around, looking for an outlet to charge your phone? Great memories, right?

To avoid this scenario, or any like scenario out in the wild, make sure you’re packing an external charger. Many external chargers fit in your hand and can easily fit into any purse or pocket so you can charge on the go.

While you’re at it, turn your phone on airplane mode when you’re not using it in order to save battery. For a bit of a quicker charge, switch on airplane mode when you want to quickly charge your phone.

Download it All

If the only French you remember is from grade school, you might want to brush up. If you find becoming fluent in one week is a tall task, then download a language pack.

Google Translate is an easy-to-use app that lets you download language packs for just about anything. That means you’ll be able to use the majority of its functions when you don’t have coverage.

In addition, make sure you download the maps of your destination cities. Your phone doesn’t need an internet connection for maps to work. You can simply turn on airplane mode, turn on the GPS feature and use your downloaded maps in order to navigate the streets.