(image source) I recently had the chance to make 2 trips to former Eastern European cities. I went to Warsaw on business and to Budapest for a short vacation. Both experiences really made me realize how my needs when traveling have radically evolved in the past few years. Allow me to state the obvious. iPads […]
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Traveling in the age of iPhone & iPad

Jun 27th 2011 by

(image source)


I recently had the chance to make 2 trips to former Eastern European cities. I went to Warsaw on business and to Budapest for a short vacation. Both experiences really made me realize how my needs when traveling have radically evolved in the past few years.

Allow me to state the obvious. iPads and iPhones have replaced a number of things we once used on holiday. Watches, alarm clocks, books, magazines, media entertainment – does anyone really watch hotel TV anymore? – the list is veritably endless.

Here are just 4 habits of mine that have changed:

1. Out with the printed guidebook

I’ve bought many a guidebook in my day. And when I need them again I can’t find them. Now, in the age of iPad, I can browse apps like Trip Advisor or Lonely Planet, which have the added advantage over printed guides that they are regularly updated and often work without internet access, so you can check proximity to landmarks, hotels or restaurants. And with apps like Google translate you can even attempt to impress the locals with basic phrases.

2. Desperate for wifi

It riles me to no end that business travelers are still being ripped off in certain hotel chains in Europe where you are expected to pay €20 for wireless internet access for 24 hours. When Burger King and McDonalds can afford to offer free wifi I should think a bloody 5 star hotel should be able to afford it too </rant>. And no I don’t need wifi. I want wifi. I want to check my RSS feeds, post pics to Instagram, consult wikipedia, waste time on facebook or download my podcasts. Even on vacation.

3. Virtual hotel search is fun

My husband would energetically disagree with me on this one, since his fondest memories of our past vacations revolve around us landing in a city, and spending an hour or two scouting out hotels personally. He would certainly claim that we found gems otherwise hidden from the beaten path. And he would be right. But for our stay in Budapest I spent many carefree hours on Booking.com (app link) taking virtual tours of hotels, making sure we found a place with free wifi and reading travelers’ reviews. I booked online and our stay surpassed our expectations. I don’t miss seeing 10,000 grungy places before getting tired and settling on the nearest option.

4. GPS replaces maps

I haven’t used a printed map in years. Perhaps even 10 years. The iPhone Maps app is simple and straightforward and works for us every time. So far I have managed to resist paying €89.99 for TomTom for iPhone, which is probably worth it for all its sophistication but not for me.

Honourable mentions:

  • Need I say how cool it is to be able to check in beforehand and present a mobile boarding pass at the gate? Didn’t think so.
  • Currency conversion? Painless due to apps like Convertbot.

For those of you nostalgic for a time before technology ruled, let me just make a final point on what I think is the main difference between today and yesteryear. Previously it was easy to get lost in a foreign place, to fall for some tourist trap, to pay too much money for a meal we didn’t like. Today’s devices put us in control. If you want to, you can inform yourself beforehand or during your trip. You can immerse yourself in a place and its people and discover gems, just like we used to do.

 

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