The Best Travel Tech for Your Next Trip – Apps and Devices That Make Travel Easier

Meggan: [00:00:00] hey everyone, and welcome back to the Travel Mug Podcast. We are so glad you are joining us. How are you today, Jenn?

Jenn: I am doing well. How about you, Meggan?

Meggan: I'm good, thank you. Uh, it's a little early for it to be dark almost outside, and I'm gonna have to adjust to that, but we'll get there

Jenn: Yep, yep. It's, it's time

Meggan: It is time indeed.

So today's topic, like almost every aspect of our lives, tech can also play a role in how we travel. It doesn't have to, but there's certainly no shortages of different kinds of apps or gadgets being advertised to travelers as the thing that can make the difference as you head out into the world. So we just thought we would take a little bit of time and talk about a few of them. Now, we're not recommending you use these. As always, do your own research. We're simply bringing you the information in case it interests you

Jenn: Yeah, alright. I love some technology. So Meggan, uh, tell us about the first thing on your list

Meggan: [00:01:00] Yeah, we have talked about this before, but it is worth, in my opinion, mentioning again, and that is using eSIMs. So gone are the days of using your personal data at a high cost, although I'm sure some people actually probably do that, but you, you don't have to. And there are some plans out there that aren't as predatory with international data as others, so something to keep in mind in case you have a great data plan already. And you no longer have to arrive in a foreign airport and have to buy a physical SIM to put in your phone. I actually have never purchased a SIM at an airport, Jenn. Have you?

Jenn: Uh, no. Nope, I have not.

Meggan: No, indeed. Data was something for me that I simply overpaid for, but I have never purchased that SIM card somewhere else, and now I guess luckily I'll never have to because we started using eSIMs back in 2022, and we haven't looked back. We have tried a few different ones and have landed on one we really like, which is Nomad. It is easy to install with great coverage in many, [00:02:00] many, many countries around the world, although there are, of course, many different ones, um, including Saily eSIM, which is actually owned by NordVPN. It's one I see a lot of YouTubers using and promoting, but honestly, there are so many options.

Just read reviews first, make sure it has your country, all of those things that, um, work for you. Now, they are not a physical SIM, so you do need to ensure that your cell phone supports the use of eSIM technology, also that it's unlocked and that it has a compatible operating system. And you should always download your eSIM before leaving home, and then that way when you can use a Wi-Fi connection, so you get to the country, you simply turn it on, and then you're able to have data.

You also, of course, can still connect to Wi-Fi while you're abroad, which saves on using that data, but it's just something you can use while you're out and about to look at maps, et cetera. It's really, really convenient to have

Jenn: Yeah. Uh, one thing I'll mention about eSIMs [00:03:00] is, um, my credit card actually includes an eSIM. So it includes, like, I think 30 days, uh, like a 30-day plan abroad, like, once per year. So yeah, something else to look at. Uh, maybe your credit card also has that. But yeah, it's definitely gotten a lot easier to access the internet while you're traveling

Meggan: It has indeed, and like now that I use it, it's makes things so much easier, especially if you're going by restaurants and you wanna look up a quick, quick reviews or whatever. Like, I know we survived before, but it, it wasn't, we weren't as informed

Jenn: Yeah, like see Jenn in London 2015 with printed out Google Maps directions, okay? I'll never have to do that again, thank goodness

Meggan: Yes, there are some things that are meant to be left behind

Jenn: Yeah, Yes

Meggan: All right, what, what do you wanna chat about first?

Jenn: so if you listen to my Alberta trip report, uh, which was a few episodes ago, you know [00:04:00] how much we loved driving around using the GuideAlong app. So this app works with GPS, so you don't even need to have internet access, don't even have to have that E-SIM downloaded. Um, uh, you just need to download and purchase your GuideAlong, uh, trip while you have internet, and then it plays automatically based on your location to give you directions, give you historical context, point out places to stop, and so much more.

It's basically like having a tour guide in your car, which is really cool. So we used this in Alberta, Canada, but the GuideAlong app has over 140 self-guided audio tours, which includes driving, walking, and hybrid tours. And there are plenty of different destinations that include US national parks and scenic road trips, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Iceland, Scotland, and Australia.

Uh, you can purchase your [00:05:00] tours for a one-time fee, and there's no expiration date, and it includes future updates. So in, like, 5 or 10 years if we decide to go back to the Rocky Mountains, we have access to this, um, app again. And one thing I really did notice is that it is, like, extremely up to date with things that are going on.

Like, for instance, when we were in Jasper, some things, um, attractions were still closed because of the wildfires that happened in 2024, and everything was super up to date with, um, the closures and everything like that. So that was really good to know that they weren't gonna, like, lead you down a road that, you know, closed 10 years ago or something like that.

Meggan: right

Jenn: I feel like literally every time we travel now I'll be checking to see if there's a GuideAlong tour available. Like, I'm really bummed that they don't have one for the Cabot Trail. I think that is a missed opportunity. So GuideAlong, GuideAlong Gary, which is what we named our GuideAlong app, um, if you're listening, let's, let's get the [00:06:00] Cabot Trail on there.

Like, it's an amazing drive

Meggan: Yeah, no, you're exactly right. It's amazing they have it for Iceland. If we ever go back, I'll definitely be using it. But I, I ... So you purchase it literally one time for a specific destination,

Jenn: Yes

Meggan: if you wanna do another destination, you purchase for that.

Jenn: Correct. Yeah, that's correct. Yeah, and there's actually some free ones as well if you wanna check them out. The, there was a free, um, Calgary to Banff, I think, uh, or Calgary to Canmore, one of those. That was free, but then within the parks, all of those tours we had to pay for. But it really isn't that crazy expensive.

Like, I think we paid maybe $40. Um, and like we got extremely great value out of it. I really, really enjoyed it

Meggan: So Gary really did you a solid

Jenn: Listen, I'm telling you, he's like part of our travel family now.

Meggan: Thank you, Gary. All right, I [00:07:00] want to talk about some translation tools. So there are a lot of translation tools out there. They do come in very handy. Um, ones we've used, of course, are Google Translate, very useful of course for phrases, but also taking a picture and then using it to translate the words in that picture so that we can read them.

We have found this very useful with grocery store items and also on restaurant menus. I'll never forget being in Iceland and looking at a tub of something, and like I thought I knew what it was, but I, like there were no vowels, um, in, in the word, and it did turn out to be potato salad like I thought it was.

But we did have to ask someone. So it does, it does come in handy when you're in situations like that. The new, uh, versions of Apple AirPods are also possible to use for translation by listening to someone speak in another language, and it translates for you in your ears or on the Apple Translation app. Um, I've not had the chance to use this yet, but it's really cool technology. And of course, you need [00:08:00] to ensure you have the language you will be translating downloaded in advance. That's always, it's always helpful. There are, uh, other translation apps you can certainly download, but these are the ones we've tried ourselves and from watching travel YouTubers. There are times these kinds of apps have been pivotal, in helping them like out of sticky situations or allowing them to chat with people around them, which is oftentimes, you know, why people are exploring the world to start with, to understand people better and learn from others. So if you wanna talk to the people around you and literally there's a language barrier, those are some really, um, great tools you can use because, I mean, for simple phrases, it can get frustrating if you're not but not, you know what I mean by frustrating, not that they don't speak English,

Jenn: Yeah

Meggan: that you're just not able to, to, to have that conversation. So I mean, I highly recommend looking into these and, and having them ready for when you travel

Jenn: Yeah, I think that they can be really useful for, like you said, in the grocery stores and, like, [00:09:00] reading menus. I remember, um, re- when we were in Montreal in, uh, the spring, we were with some friends, and they gave us four menus, but they gave us two English menus and two French menus. And I don't know why we didn't switch menus because my husband and I, like, read French reasonably well.

I read, like, menu French completely fine. Um, but I guess it was an Indian restaurant, so, like, French Indian words, I'm not sure. Um, but anyway, like, uh, my friend, uh, that we were with who doesn't really speak any French was just using the Apple, like, translation app on her phone to, like, read the menu, and it, like, live translates on the screen.

And she was also saying that she was in Japan in the last couple of years, and she used that, like, everywhere in Japan and just, like, how convenient it was. And I think that this is, uh, another tool, like similar to the eSIMs, that just, it really makes travel so much easier than it used to be. Um, and, and I think [00:10:00] that, yeah, it's, it's great. I love them so much.

Meggan: Definitely, alright, what's up next?

Jenn: Okay, so the next thing is AirTags. So obviously no one wants lost luggage, and I think AirTags have slowly become, like, a travel staple in my opinion. Now they're of course not perfect, uh, but there are a few things I love about them, and the first one is that they are, like, pretty affordable. One AirTag is about 29 US dollars or 39 Canadian dollars.

They don't need to be charged, which, like, is a crazy thing in today's world. Um, but you do need to replace the battery occasionally. I Googled it, like, do you ... How do you replace the battery on your AirTag? And it does say that, um, you might need to replace the battery about once per year, but I think I've had mine for several years, maybe two, and I've never replaced the battery.

Meggan: Cool

Jenn: I know. Uh, so AirTags work [00:11:00] via Bluetooth, so basically it's able to, like, triangulate a location when other Apple products are around. So the downside, of course, is that other Apple products need to be around. So in a crowded airport, like, no problem, but in a rural setting, it might be a problem and it might not work.

So AirTags can actually have a few uses when traveling. So you can put it in your checked luggage, which can help you find your luggage in case it gets lost. Um, you can also have one in your wallet or purse, so you, uh, you can find that if you lose it or it gets stolen. I've also read about people using them especially for kids' belongings since they may be more likely to accidentally leave things behind.

And other great uses for an AirTag while traveling include putting one inside your vehicle so you can always find it in a huge parking lot. Like, at Disney, I can't tell you, we've wandered around a parking lot. Like, that would be so helpful. And then putting it [00:12:00] inside also your passport holder wallet so that you know where that is too.

So obviously, uh, this is for Apple users, but there are equivalents for other devices. There's, like, a Moto Tag, a Galaxy SmartTag2, and Tile trackers as well

Meggan: Now, I have to say, am one of these people, and when it comes to Apple AirTags, that I think it's great. I would rather not know. I can't explain to you stress level it gives me until I literally see where my bag is, and then if it... Like, but if it wasn't there, anxiety that would set in immediately, whether I'm trapped on a plane, so you're leaving, or you're arriving, and then you're like, "Where the F is my bag?"

And like, I would just rather be surprised.

Jenn: I mean, fair enough

Meggan: Peter uses them. He's very happy with them, and I have used them. But I just, I just, I [00:13:00] don't know. I don't wanna know. I can't explain to you the level of anxiety it gives me

Jenn: Fair enough. Yeah.

Meggan: you. Thank

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: me.

Jenn: See, not, not all of these things are for everybody. That's why we tell you to decide for yourself

Meggan: Well, that is right. That is right. right. So I think I've talked on the podcast in the past about how Peter is sort of like the videographer of our life, and it, uh, it's wonderful. I think that it's great that he has the wherewithal to take so much video. And we have recently, I guess not recently, but back in 2024, we purchased the DJI Pocket 3.

Now, DJI has a variety of products, including drones, et cetera, but this is a little recording device. And I know it's not a cheap option for recording our travel memories, but it has been a real upgrade from a bulky video camera or using cell phones, which are kind of intrusive. People know what you're doing. so we [00:14:00] purchased ours when we went back to Iceland for the second time, and what we found, because it is less in your face, we took a lot more video, and really good video, especially in low light. Peter also did a lot of research, as this is kind of more his department, and he watched a lot of video reviews on how to understand the settings and how they work, what would work best for what we were looking to capture.

So doing this is definitely highly recommended. There's lots of info out there. The camera is small and can easily be tucked away. It's easy to carry around in your hand, and it charges super, super fast. I would say our main complaint, uh, with the version that we have is that it isn't waterproof, and it doesn't do well with moisture in general. , It would be the ultimate if it wasn't sort of like a delicate genius. Um, but of course, when that is the case, you just pull out your cell phone. You do what you have to do t- if you wanna get some video. So we just have to sort of plan ahead. You either take the [00:15:00] DJI and put it away for those moments, or you simply pull out your cell phone. And again, I do know this is a costly purchase. I think ours was just over $1,000 when we got it. But if it is in your budget and maybe you wish to sort of share your travel memories with the world, if you wanna do YouTube or keep them just for yourself for the future, which is what we do, it's a great little device to capture your memories. And there are also even now newer versions of the product that we have available, so do your research and pick, of course, what's best for you. But honestly, it's been a game changer. It literally just holds in your little hand like it's a popsicle or something. Like, it's super, super convenient. Um, so I mean, we, we love ours.

Jenn: Some, yeah, no, that, that sounds so good. And, uh, I love that you guys do video. Like, that's so fun. It's not something that we really do, but, um, I, I'm sure it's fun to, like, go back and watch your own. Yeah,

Meggan: It is, it is for sure. Like, there's so many things that we've... 'Cause you for- you're, you do forget.

Jenn: [00:16:00] Yeah

Meggan: as you think you're going to remember, whether you write stuff down or whether you take pictures, which are super helpful, but you're going to forget the little things. And we've watched so many videos and we're just like, "My God, I'm so glad that that's on video," or we've settled arguments because the video was available.

Like, it honestly, it's, it, it is really great. And at first when we met and he had videos for like, he had video cameras way prior to us meeting,

Jenn: Yeah

Meggan: and I always thought, "This is a strange little hobby," but

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: s- I'm so grateful that it exists

Jenn: yeah. All right, so my next thing, and another thing that I can't travel without anymore, is my Kobo, which is an e-reader. And I know so many people prefer real books, and I agree, there is something magical about a real book. But an e-reader is, in my opinion, the best choice for travel for so many reasons.

And the first one is that I like to read on a plane, and if it's like an overnight flight or a flight where people are trying to [00:17:00] sleep, and if you wanna read a real book, you have to turn on the overhead reading light, which I'm sure annoys people. I'm sure it annoys me sometimes if I'm trying to sleep.

Um, so with a Kobo, it's backlit, so you can just read anywhere without a light on, and that is super convenient. It's also great in the evenings if you're sharing a room with someone and they wanna go to sleep, but you wanna keep reading for a bit. And another great reason I think to travel with an e-reader is that you don't need to pack a bunch of heavy books that take up space in your luggage.

So my husband is reading the Dungeon Crawler Carl series, and those books, especially later in the series, are huge, and they take up so much space in your luggage. Uh, he took two of them in his carry-on to Australia, and I was like, "Do you want my e-reader?" And he's like, "No." And I was like, "Okay, well,

Meggan: fine then

Jenn: then."

Um, but, uh, anyway, a Kobo is [00:18:00] small and light and easy to throw in any bag or purse. And lastly, another reason why I really like it is, uh, if you finish your book when you're traveling, you can get another one immediately. So when I was in Copenhagen, I ended up reading on the balcony way more than I anticipated, and I ended up finishing, I think, three books.

Um, so you know, if I had only just packed one physical book, I would've been, been like, "Okay, now what do I do?" Uh, so it was great to just start another one right away. I will say a few reasons why I like my Kobo specifically over other kinds of e-readers like a Kindle or a tablet. So the first one is it doesn't need to be charged very often, especially compared to like an iPad or something like that.

So that's awesome for traveling. You can also read library books on a Kobo, which is the main reason I got it over a Kindle. So using OverDrive and Libby, you can borrow, um, e-books from your library, which is, again, super convenient. I [00:19:00] did read apparently Americans can read library books on Kindle, so that is something to know. Though if you're American, maybe you have a choice. But I love my little Kobo. Um, it's one of the best things I've ever bought, and actually it was a gift, so it's one of the best things my husband ever bought for me.

Meggan: Yes, I think my mommy and daddy bought me my Kobo. I can't remember. Um, but I also love mine. You're right about the charging. Of course, it holds as, so many books at once. The only place I haven't taken it and used it is on, like, beach travel. I do take regular books because I don't want sand or water to get in it accidentally.

If I throw it in a beach bag, sand could get inside of it, et cetera. So that is the place I definitely find... I still have real books here at home that are, they stare at me each time I enter my room. Um, but I do find that is where I leave the Kobo home, but otherwise, all of the things you mentioned are exactly why I love mine, too

so the thing I would like to talk about lastly is a portable [00:20:00] Bluetooth speaker. Now, I say this one with a word of caution because we do live in a world full of inconsiderate people.

Jenn: True

Meggan: please take this item with you, but use it responsibly, and that, um, is something that I say with my full chest. We do have one, and we love it. It's really great to relax in the evenings when you're away and listen to podcasts or music. There are so many sizes and brands for all needs and budgets, including waterproof ones, um, and some that look like fun little objects. Like, there's, there's so many varieties. We've even noticed that a lot of Airbnbs have their own Bluetooth speakers now, which you can hook up to.

We don't usually do that. We always just use our own. I don't think-- I don't know if it's a trust issue or what it is, but we may as well just use our own since we purchased it. Now we never use ours, uh, when we are in public or at a resort on the beach because no one should ever be forced to listen to what someone else deems good [00:21:00] music. so we only use ours when it won't disturb other people for our own enjoyment, and we really love having it along to add something like extra to our trips. This is also, um, some travel tech that does not have to be expensive. There's lots of lower-end brands that actually sound pretty decent for under $100, and of course, they can range also into the very expensive, but it doesn't have to be. So it's something that, especially if you're a music lover or again wanna relax with a podcast or whatever at the end of the evening, um, it is something really great to have along

Jenn: Hmm. I have a portable Bluetooth speaker, but I've never brought it anywhere traveling with me. I know, so this is a new one to me. I use it at home. Um, you know, sometimes we put on some music when we're, like, cooking dinner, but yeah, we could just as e- as easily do that in an Airbnb, so.

Meggan: Indeed

Jenn: Awesome. I know. All right, so the last one I wanna talk about is smart luggage.

Um, it is not something I own, [00:22:00] but it is something I, and is something I thought about. So what is smart luggage you might ask, and it is luggage with technology built in. So usually, like, power and charging, like being able to plug in a USB or even a plug. Um, sometimes Bluetooth-enabled tracking, so, like, kind of similar to AirTags.

Um, it could also have a biometric lock. Some even have built-in scales so you know how much it weighs. Some even ... One I looked at can, is, like, motorized and can double as a scooter. Like, literally everything exists now. It's, I was like, "Okay."

Meggan: Wow

Jenn: Uh, so the thing about smart luggage is that the battery needs to be removable because the lithium ion batteries are a fire hazard.

Uh, it's the same reason why you need to keep your portable chargers on your person when you're on a plane. So just make sure when you're picking out smart luggage, that the battery is easily [00:23:00] removable. You know, I have looked at these. Ultimately, I've just decided to stick with my portable charger, which I think is a great piece of travel tech, um, because when you're using your phone a lot to, like, map yourself or take photos, your phone can die super quickly.

So yeah, I think that a portable charger is much easier to use, and you can use it out and about, whereas you're not gonna drag your smart luggage walking around a city just so you could charge your phone, you know?

Meggan: Mm.

Jenn: Yeah. All right, so that is it for this week's episode. Please let us know what pieces of travel tech you can't live without.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook at Travel Mug Podcast. You can also leave us a comment on our YouTube video for this episode. Uh, we would also really appreciate it if you left us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can support the show on Buy Me A Coffee, or share the show with a travel-loving pal.

And until next time, don't [00:24:00] forget your travel mug. Bye.

Meggan: Bye