With the arrival of the vaccine and the gradual opening up of the year-long lockdowns, people are enthusiastically looking forward to some vacation and travel time away from home.
People are eager to plan trips, especially with summer arriving. Life now might finally start resembling something closer to “normal.” But the sudden freedom to travel again doesn’t mean that it is all going to be smooth sailing.
Finding an affordable vacation spot with all the right precautions in place can be difficult. Added to that is the rising cost of travel and we can be sure some diligent planning is required for a dream vacation.
Over 70% of American travelers say they are open to traveling soon, according to Destination Analysts. In addition, 46.3% say they’re planning domestic travel, while 40.7% plan to get more adventurous and ambitious with their vacation plans.
To make the process easier, here are some travel tech suggestions that can be utilized for a streamlined experience.
First and foremost, be clear about the mask mandates and have a sanitization pouch/box ready.
Do not get lax and do away with the hand washing and sanitization process. Keep wipes, tissue, alcohol-based sanitizer, extra masks, gloves ready and available.
Turo
For transportation for your to and for journey and moving around you can use peer-to-peer auto rental app Turo.
It works similar to the Airbnb model. Anyone with a spare car and willing to rent it has to first register with Turo. It will check it for safety and other requirements. The rental price includes insurance and cleaning fees. There is a 24/7 roadside assistance too.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy finds you the cheapest gas station available in your vicinity using crowdsourced data from over 150,000 gas stations across America.
USA Rest Stops
This app finds you the nearest rest area, welcome center, or service plaza.
Flush
Flush finds the closest public restroom from a database of over 200,000. It also details the level of accessibility—like whether a key is required or if you have to pay a fee.
Reserve America
It is similar to a hotel booking site for federal and state lands, and private campgrounds across the US. Put in your desired dates and filter over 100,000 locations and book one that suits you. And if you need a hunting or fishing license, you can do that too.
WiFi Map
WiFi Map connects you to a crowdsourced list of free hotspots around the world, including passwords if they’re needed, so you’re able to keep your affairs in order and send the essential email off or search for the nearest exit or eating or resting place.
If traveling abroad there are currency exchange apps that save you the exorbitant fees charged by banks and such. If you’re transferring $5k to $100k, you can avoid the fees and pay only around 0.5% by using any one of the currency exchange companies’ app.
Wise
The service charges 0.5% one way or 1% round trip. They seem to be able to facilitate a transfer even if you do not have a bank account in both countries. Wise needs the sender to have a bank account and will need the sender to verify their identity with a copy of a passport or similar documentation.
Booking
It is a comprehensive and easy-to-use travel app. This app allows users to book hotels or other accommodations on the go with just a few simple taps. With over 27 million listings you’re guaranteed to find a place across the globe that suits your needs.
