My sister and i about to take off on our 10 day adventure in istanbul and dubai!
I just returned from an incredible 10 day trip to Dubai and Istanbul. While Jole stayed home with the baby, my sister and I experienced a journey I'll always remember to celebrate my birthday. And while I was definitely off the grid in many ways, I still had to keep in touch with things at home for many reasons, from managing ongoing consulting projects to sending little videos to Mia to help tuck her in at night. Tech was an essential part of my trip planning and daily life while we were away and beyond some old standbys, I discovered some invaluable new tools on the trip.
Apps
XE
Free; Available for iOS/Apple Watch/Android/Desktop
A few swipes of the XE app gives you the latest currency exchange rates wherever you are, essential when you’re dealing with unfamiliar currencies. The Apple watch app is amazing for this—I loved figuring out what I was paying with just a few finger taps. I didn’t even need to take my phone out of my purse and it was a great tool for haggling in souks and bazaars.
Whatsapp
Free; Available for iOS/Android/Desktop
Whatsapp helped me keep in touch with people at home AND new friends on the road. Around the world everyone already seemed to use it so the learning curve was gone. When we wanted to connect with folks for a night out we could text or call on the phone or desktop, and it was also the main way I kept in touch with family at home. The ability to send and receive images, videos and voice messages in addition to basic texts was stellar, and the app never had any downtime around the world. And its free!
The hopper App is great for researching flights, and you'll get a notification when its time to buy to get the best fares.
Hopper
Free; Available for iOS/Android
There are a bunch of flight trackers and Hopper worked beautifully for me this time around. When we decided to visit Istanbul in addition to Dubai, Hopper made it super easy to find and book our flights. I added several cities, got notifications on the best time to buy tickets, and I pulled the trigger one night laying in bed on my phone. Easy-peasy!
FaceTime Audio
Free; Available for iOS/Mac Desktop
International calling and data use is insanely expensive. I added a global package for $30 to my plan—it barely worked AND ran out a week into my ten day trip, so I was really restricted on how I could use my phone. FAIL! Luckily I found tons of Wi-Fi around, but not every network allows calls over Wi-Fi. FaceTime and FaceTime Audio is a way around that restriction.
iOS PhotoStream
Free; Available for iOS/Mac Desktop
Travel means pictures and PhotoStream is the best way to merge iPhone images from multiple devices. Simply set up a stream in Photos and invite your fellow travelers to add their images to it. It’s also a great way for folks back home to keep track of your travels. Just add them or send them the URL if they aren’t iPhone users. You can also add pictures to the stream from your camera via Mac desktop.
Open flio when you get to the airport and watch the magic happen!
Flio
Free; Available for iOS/Android
Open Flio when you arrive at the airport and get details on accessing free airport Wi-Fi and information about all the services available. If you have long layovers its especially helpful to track down showers, lounges, shopping and other things to do. It also includes discounts!
Apple Watch
This year my husband asked me if I wanted an Apple Watch I said no and immediately regretted it. He bought me one anyway and gave it to my a few days before I left on my trip. Honestly, I love it. Having the watch made a big difference in my travel experience. Thanks to the customizable faces I could see the time where I was and back home, the weather, and any other essential details. With the XE app (see above) I knew instantly what I was spending in dollars on the Turkish rugs and Emirati gold I bought. The alarm function was great for our crazy flight times. Beyond that it looks cool as hell and was a great conversation starter with people from around the world. Plus Jole and Mia used it to send me cute little messages drawn on the screen. It’s not a must-have, but it was really cool.
Even in the desert my apple watch was handy!
iPhone
It just works.