A wise person once said to me, that to truly understand a culture, you have to immerse yourself in it. Whenever I travel, I always take that advice with me, and having the right tools in my pocket goes a long way to making the most of my trips. Finding the best food, secret spots, and breathtaking visuals when you are away can make all the difference between a good trip, and a set of memories that will last a lifetime.
DATA: My iPhone has a huge amount of potential in helping me discover the best of the places I visit, and Rome is no exception. So being prepared before I go is essential. First off? Data. Rome is a labyrinth of cobbled streets, fountains and stairways that requires a lot of navigational skill. Maps on my phone made this task infinitely easier, but when abroad, if you don’t have data, it will cost you a fortune. luckily, my contract is with 3, who let me use my plan whilst I'm abroad, completely free. That means unlimited data, and without roaming charges to worry about, I could make use of the GPS that I have in my pocket.
BATTERY: With data sorted, the second item second on the list of essentials is battery. My phone is great, but using GPS and data all day drains my phones battery life a lot more than my normal use when im at home. My solution for this is the Mophie JuicePack. It doubles the battery life of my phone, and is also a case, which means I can use my phone all day for all its potential, without worrying. The juice pack retails at about £60, and whilst there are plenty of cheaper options out there, for ease of use and fitting in a pocket, the JuicePack is my battery case of choice.
APPS: Third on my list: Travel Apps. In addition to maps, having data is useful for a whole host of other reasons. Using the Yelp app saved hours of hunting around for somewhere decent to eat, and meant enjoying the best food, in the best places, at the best prices. (Life in Central Rome is definitely a favourite).
Another App that I have relied on for countless conversations is Google translate. I can speak what I want to say, and google will automatically translate my words into text, and then speak it back in Italian (or many other languages for that matter). The english are known for being particularly ignorant when abroad, and I like to think that making a little effort with the aid of Google translate is appreciated. For translating menus, WordLens is awesome. It works offline, and can visually translate menus, signs and other text from Italian and other languages into english. The only challenge I had with this is that Italian food often doesn't have a translation because it is so universal. Rigatoni for example, is always rigatoni. At 5.99 for the translation pack, its a bit of an investment as far as apps are concerned, but one that I think is totally worth it. Finally, having the right data plan meant keeping my Social networks updated and my friends and family informed a whole lot easier. It meant that I could upload photos as I took them, so I could share what was happening, as it was happening, with people all around the world.
Ben McCaughan
@jamessouzalife
Ben McCaughan
@jamessouzalife
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