Traveling can be one of the most exciting and fun recreational activities on the planet, but there’s no denying that it comes with its own set of risks and challenges. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to use a variety of amenities and services to make your trip go smoothly. Traveling internationally is a unique experience, requiring you to adapt to a different culture, a different climate, and often, an entirely different language that you may not be familiar with. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you think about how to best plan for a big international trip, but there’s no need to get stressed with the number of resources available to savvy jet setters. Read on to find out about four services that make international vacations much easier.
1. Private Charter Service
When planning an international vacation, finding tourist activities that you want to try is often high on the list of priorities. If you’re heading to a destination that’s on the water, a private excursion for yourself and your friends can be a lot of fun. If you want to see the sights in style, consider a charter service like LuxCharters, which operates tours in Portugal. You’d be surprised at how affordable it is to take a boat trip, a cruise, or even to sail on a private yacht, especially when sharing the cost with friends. For photographers, charter services also offer incredible opportunities to photograph nature and wildlife while on a trip.
2. Cloud Storage
There’s no doubt that any vacation is going to include a lot of photographs, especially to share on your favorite social networks. Especially when you’re traveling internationally, you’re going to be able to take a lot of prime photos, and you don’t want to run out of photo storage. Smartphones don’t have unlimited storage, and neither does your computer, so it can often take up significant space on your hard drive to save all your media there.
A cloud storage service is a great option for saving and sharing all of your best images and favorite vacation memories, and it’s more secure than you may realize. You don’t have to worry about running out of space for selfies when you have unlimited cloud picture storage. Cloud storage often comes with a subscription service, allowing you to store your files in a way that keeps them off your hard drive and accessible anywhere you can connect to the internet, at a reasonable monthly rate.
3. Translation or Interpreting
It’s always a good idea to try to learn a few words and phrases in the native tongue if you’re traveling to a country where you don’t speak the language, but sometimes you might want a little more help than that. Languages that use a different alphabet than the one you’re accustomed to can be particularly tricky since you won’t be able to rely on sounding words out. Using a translation service for all or part of your trip means that you’ll never have to worry about not being able to communicate. Translators often also have good knowledge of local history, so they can be informative when touring a new city.
4. International Phone Plan
Before you travel, it’s essential you make sure your cellphone is ready for the trip. Charges for calls that require data roaming can be pricey, and transmitting data overseas is even more so. Call your cellphone provider, and for longer trips, sometimes it’s more affordable and easier to just buy a cheap mobile device once you’ve arrived at your destination and use an inexpensive weekly or monthly plan until you’re home.
An international trip is an incredible opportunity that you should be excited about, but the best way to ensure you have a positive experience is to invest adequate time in planning and preparing. If you’re traveling somewhere that you don’t speak the native language, it may be a good idea to invest in hiring a translator to help you get around. There are plenty of other services that can provide help during a trip as well. From phone plans to photo storage, the important thing is that you make a plan and find out what’s right for you and your itinerary. If you’re careful and smart, your international vacation will be as low-stress and enjoyable as possible.