Traveling around on a student’s budget can feel somewhat restricting, especially if you’re not experienced in the first place. Worry not though – you’ve got some very useful tools in your pocket and backpack that can make the whole experience smoother and more relaxed in multiple ways. Your phone and laptop can often contribute a lot to a proper trip, and it’s important to take full advantage of them if you want to have a really good time. And considering that it all comes down to getting the right apps and subscriptions, you really have no excuse for ignoring this.
Scouting Out Places Ahead of Time
Making the most of your time is going to become a valuable skill if you want to avoid feeling like you’ve wasted an opportunity after coming back from a trip. You should make it a point to organize your trip from start to finish and know where you’re going to be at each step. This will minimize the risk of some common problems, such as finding out that a place is closed during your visit or dealing with major traffic delays. Google Maps or Waze is quite useful for this purpose, so don’t underestimate having it on your phone during your trips.
Staying Organized
There will be no end to the list of things that you want to do and see, and it’s easy to forget some details along the way too. Especially if you keep learning about these things during your actual trips. You probably won’t have the ability to memorize everything very effectively. Use a good note-taking app to simplify that process and ensure that you always have the most important pieces of information written down. Good organization apps can easily synchronize your data between your phone and laptop, so you won’t have to do any tedious manual copying yourself. Look for the best notes app for Android or iPhone, or read best notes app reviews.
Discovering New Things
Some apps will take you beyond basic navigation and will point out interesting places that you should check out. Spotted by Locals is probably one of the most famous ones in this regard, and it has a unique twist to the standard idea. It focuses on things that were – you guessed it – spotted by locals, giving you much better reassurance about the quality of entertainment you can expect at each of those places. The app has a very social aspect to it, so make sure to contribute as much as you can if you want to see it growing. That’s the only way it’s going to stay active in the long run!
Of course, don’t keep your nose stuck to your phone all the time. Use it as a tool for navigating, exploring, and reminding yourself of important details. But don’t go overboard and remember to take a look around and take in your surroundings as much as you can, exploring every nook and cranny in detail, and recording your experiences using the best notes app. That’s the main reason you’re taking these trips in the first place, everything else should.
