In this episode, we are going to help those who want to travel more and better with some tips on tools that will make your travel and travel planning easier and better.  These are tools that we use while planning and while on our travel adventures.   Some are apps that you can install on your phone, and some are websites that will make your planning easier and faster.  So grab your laptop and phone and let’s get started.

While this is not an all inclusive list, this list intends to tell you about the ones we reach for over and over again, regardless of our trip or destination. 

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1. The mobile app for the airline you are flying.Be sure create a login, become a member of their rewards program, and have the reservation loaded into the app. Also make sure to use it to check in online, select seats, check in and pay for bags and other options offered by the airline.  Not doing this in the app ahead of time can cost you more money. 

2. The mobile for the hotel or accommodation you are staying at.  Be sure create a login, become a member of their rewards program, and have the reservation loaded into the app.

3. Trip Advisor - We've been using Trip Advisor since 2015 when our brother in law used it to find the number 1 ranked restaurant on our trip. You can find things to do, restaurant recommendations (you can make folders and save places to eat and stay etc) I like that it rates the top places and you can filter by near you, meal, type of cuisine etc 

4. Google Maps - create an account and log in and save places to a folder for the location where you are traveling.  Also make use of downloading offline maps if you won't have data when traveling or are traveling to a place where service is limited.

5. A ride share app such as Uber, Lyft or Bolt (when traveling in Europe). Create an account and load profile information and a credit card payment ahead of time.

6. Xe Currency Converter so you'll know what you're actually paying for something.  Tip: Get a travel credit card that doesn't have foreign transaction fees and pay for the item in the local currency of asked.

7. Google Translate - We have seen this evolve so much and now being able to record a phrase and then have it translate or pronounce for you is life changing!

8. Google Flights (can also look into others such as Kayak, Hopper, Skyscanner) - use this when planning a trip and watch flights to check prices.  The desktop version has lots more features to be able to search by prices on a calendar and also by nearby airports.

9. Credit Card and Banking apps - create online logins and know your passwords etc.  This way you can contact your credit card company and bank in the case of a lost or stolen card or denied transaction, etc. Alert your bank and credit cards ahead of time where and when you will be traveling.

10. UpLift to Ease Jet Lag - Listen to Episode 6 for our Full Jet Lag Remedy - it really works!

11. Our Itineraries - Our Itineraries give you quick access to all of the information on how we got there, where we stayed, where we ate, and what we did.  All you have to do is grab one of those itineraries and book your trip.  We’ve taken care of all of the research.  If you are a more seasoned traveler, this will help spur your research on a location and hear directly from us about what worked and what didn’t.

Final Tip: Organize these into a TRAVEL folder on your phone so they are easy to locate all in one place. 

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Music Credit

Music by OYStudio from Pixabay