by Taryn Tangpricha, International Education Director, Office of the President
Ok, I'm going to sound REALLY old here. When I traveled abroad in college, I didn't even have a cell phone. Yes, they existed, but they looked like this:
I consider myself pretty tech savvy these days, but I do love a well-written, color travel guide. Being able to unplug while abroad and read about the destination while sitting on a park bench, at the beach, etc. is something that can't be replicated. In addition, you don't have to worry about data usage fees when you don't have access to Wi-Fi!
So, I'm going to take the middle road and say that there are some really great guides and free apps that help in any travel situation. See below for a list of recommendations and links
So, I'm going to take the middle road and say that there are some really great guides and free apps that help in any travel situation. See below for a list of recommendations and links
HARD COPY GUIDE BOOKS
Lonely Planet- this guide is a good and balanced guide- geared slightly towards a younger crowd, but still with the color pictures and range of reviews travelers love.
Rough Guide- Rough Guides are more text heavy, but have great descriptions and lots of info for budget travelers.
Fodor's- with their beautiful, in-color pictures, this is a favorite classic travel guide.
Rick Steve's Guides- Rick Steves' specialty is Europe! Check him out.
Let's Go- this guide book is geared toward the younger student and college crowd.
Note: Almost all of these hard copy guides have corresponding free apps to download as well.
Rough Guide- Rough Guides are more text heavy, but have great descriptions and lots of info for budget travelers.
Fodor's- with their beautiful, in-color pictures, this is a favorite classic travel guide.
Rick Steve's Guides- Rick Steves' specialty is Europe! Check him out.
Let's Go- this guide book is geared toward the younger student and college crowd.
Note: Almost all of these hard copy guides have corresponding free apps to download as well.
Apps
The key to successful app use abroad is to confirm how good or bad your Wi-Fi access will be where you are traveling. If you are traveling to remote areas or think you won't have regular access, be sure to download the app and all of its offline content before you leave home!
Weather
The Weather Channel has a great app with nice pictures...but you need to be connected to Wi-Fi to download the latest weather!
Currency Conversion
Oanda Currency Converter, Currency, or XE Currency will help you figure out the exchange rate on that cup of coffee.
Language
Google Translate stands out as a leader in this category. Great for reading menus or conversing with locals!
Communication
Skype allows you to make free voice or video calls over Wi-Fi to fellow users' computers and phones. What's App, Text Plus, and Textfree are great for text messaging, but both parties need to have the app installed in order for it to work.
Directions
Another win for Google here! Google Maps is bar none the best.
Travel Recommendations
TripAdvisor's app gives you access to millions of user reviews of restaurants, hotels, and sights. However, there are a big range of preferences for Trip Advisor reviewers, and sometimes they can miss the mark. Yelp will help you figure out where to have your next great meal!
Filesharing/Photosharing
Dropbox saves files from your computer in an online account, which you can access from anywhere on your phone or computer- there is a storage limit for the free version. Genius Scan allows you to turn pictures of documents into PDFs and send them via your phone.
Weather
The Weather Channel has a great app with nice pictures...but you need to be connected to Wi-Fi to download the latest weather!
Currency Conversion
Oanda Currency Converter, Currency, or XE Currency will help you figure out the exchange rate on that cup of coffee.
Language
Google Translate stands out as a leader in this category. Great for reading menus or conversing with locals!
Communication
Skype allows you to make free voice or video calls over Wi-Fi to fellow users' computers and phones. What's App, Text Plus, and Textfree are great for text messaging, but both parties need to have the app installed in order for it to work.
Directions
Another win for Google here! Google Maps is bar none the best.
Travel Recommendations
TripAdvisor's app gives you access to millions of user reviews of restaurants, hotels, and sights. However, there are a big range of preferences for Trip Advisor reviewers, and sometimes they can miss the mark. Yelp will help you figure out where to have your next great meal!
Filesharing/Photosharing
Dropbox saves files from your computer in an online account, which you can access from anywhere on your phone or computer- there is a storage limit for the free version. Genius Scan allows you to turn pictures of documents into PDFs and send them via your phone.