It feels like summer came early this year. So if you are one of those caught by surprise and are still planning your summer vacations, here are suggestions to assist you with high- and low- tech.
Let’s start with the planning and preparing.
Whether you’re still picking your destination, or just need ideas about what to see and do when you get there, check out Stuck on Earth– Free World Travel Guide. It’s a new Android and iOS app that helps you find great places to visit based on stunning photography. It can serve as a tour guide to help you explore places, build your itinerary, and inspire your photos. At the very least, it also can virtually transport you to awesome places to add to your Bucket List.
Back to basics and the itinerary. Tripit remains my favorite travel-planning app. It automatically turns all your flight, hotel, car and travel details into itineraries that can be viewed on your mobile device or easily emailed and shared with others. Tripit integrates and formats your travel schedule and details –and voila, it even adds local maps and restaurant recommendations. Tried and true. Easy and useful.
For the prep part, I think a vacation checklist is always a good idea – whether traveling alone, with family or preparing to leave behind a pet at home. TimeToo , a website home to family scheduling and organizing products, also offers free helpful vacation planning lists. From organizing packing to home prep and more: How to handle your mail, newspapers, plants, and home security – Check. Pet sitter instructions for while you are gone – Check. “Out the door” checklist with all the last minute to-dos and reminders for tasks like watering plants, cleaning out fridge, setting thermostats and remembering tickets. Check.
But let’s get to the enjoy part!
I don’t know about you, but good food is always a priority on my travel agenda.
The Food Traveller’s Handbook is a guide to eating safely in developing countries, street side fare and discovering a new place and understanding the local culture through the food. One of its reviewers on Amazon equated the author’s style to “part Anthony Bourdain and part Hemmingway… full of advice, lessons learned and suggestions on how to make the most out of your next food adventure anywhere in the world.” How cool is that.
Last week we talked about dangers of over-sharing, but what would a trip be without sharing it? Travel iblog HD – is a premium new travel companion App for iPad and Mac that allows you to create beautiful blog entries and share them by exporting to PDF, PNG or JPEG format ($7.99) – and only share with only those you want and/or love…
On a note about sharing and connecting: beware of free Wi-Fi hotspots. Defend yourself by always making sure the Wi-Fi has an “https” as a prefix, signifying that it has a secure “socket layer.” I also strongly recommend, for extra peace of mind, download our free AntiVirus app for Android mobile devices (which also helps find lost phones). For additional tech travel suggestions and info, check out our AVG Student Guide. Though conceived and geared for student travelers, it’s applicable info for travelers of any age – covering iPacking your technology to staying connected.
At AVG we are experts on security and privacy, for devices, data and people, but we can’t stop users from falling for the “let me take your picture” (and there goes your camera phone) – or erroneous moves like logging into your online accounts/banking in insecure zones, or other travel scams that abound.
One final painfully learned tip: if you’re traveling to Egypt this summer, particularly around the Pyramids, beware of this travel scam: a man encourages you to get on his camel for a picture. The camel obediently lies down so you can get on. Now, the catch: to get down again, you have to pay extra, or you’re stuck. Talk about literally being taken for a ride! Adding insult to injury I not only had to pay to get off the camel but once down the camel turned, let out a loud baying sound and released a stream of saliva all over my white slacks and blouse
Travel can be a wonderful, broadening experience. Just be aware, and you won’t be taken for a ride – Dromedarian or otherwise! Safe travels to all.
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