Hi , 
 

Welcome to our new monthly feature at JourneyWoman: Things She Loves. This is our place to share and recommend tried and true products and services that we love — no marketing gimmicks, just honest and candid feedback from women, for women, to make solo travel easier. 

Today's issue focuses on 'Travel Technology'.  For this feature, we asked the wise women in our private Solo Travel Wisdom group for their best tips and recommendations for technology products and apps that make travel safer and easier. From eSims to universal adapters and mobile apps, they have some practical and helpful ideas.

That said, there's no question that many of us reflect fondly on the days of printed maps and schedules. As Vivian F. says: "Technology isn't always reliable. We should all have and know how to use actual maps."  At age 70, Deborah P. finds it "disconcerting and disheartening that we are now required to rely on technology for absolutely everything." 

While we agree, technology has become part of the travel experience and there’s no going back!

10+ Things She Loves: Travel Technology Items 

1. Smartphone: According to Judy J., the most important technology is a smartphone with a great camera and lots of storage. Kitty P. recommends an iPhone and an Apple Watch. “Then, to "blend in' a little more while walking around, pop in your AirPods but don't turn them on. It makes you look like every other person walking around, tethered to your phone, even if you are looking at map.” Lois P says: “As someone who is phone averse at home, I took my iPhone on a recent trip to Sicily, mainly to eliminate the need to also take a camera.” 
2. Earbuds and Headphones: Shekinah says she would never travel without good noise cancelling earbuds. “They're not as effective as the headphones, but are a lot easier to carry. I sprang for Bose a few years back.” Kitty and Suzanne recommend that iPhone users take a free class with your local Apple Store. Kitty says: “I took the basics last week and actually learned a bit. i did the Framing Architecture class yesterday afternoon and it was fantastic. I wish i had these two classes before I went to Europe this summer! AND, they are free! AND, you get a $25US credit to use in the store that day - always good for picking up an extra cable or power block.”  

Suzanne says: “The Apple store classes are great. Both for how to get the most out of your phone/ipad but also for photography on those devices.”  

Hot tip: Want to use your own headphones on a plane? Use a bluetooth adapter, like this one from Twelve South. 

3. IPad or Kindle for reading: Kitty says she always has a tablet & a Kindle Paperwhite. Judy likes her little Kindle paperwhite. “It is excellent for reading a ton of books, in all kinds of lighting conditions, has a nice footprint, and if it’s lost or stolen it’s not a huge cash loss. I like to take my little iPad rather than heavier iPad Pro or laptop, because I can do almost everything on it I need a “computer” for, and it’s lighter in weight and much less of a financial loss if it’s lost or stolen. 
 

4. eSim Cards: For years, we’ve used SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards in our phones when you travel. The newest solution is called an “eSIM”. The first eSIM was introduced in 2016 by Samsung, and in 2017, Apple introduced eSIM support in September 2017 with the Apple Watch Series 3. Now, eSIMs can be used in most major phones including Google Androids, iPads, and iphones. Carolyn recommends Airalo, which she has used now in six countries. With Airalo, you download the app, choose a celluar plan for the country or region and pay a fee for the length of service that you need (eg week, two weeks, month etc). For example, Airalo charges $20USD for 5GB of data in Europe. Make sure your phone can use an eSIM before you purchase one, and make sure you practice setting it up before you leave home so that you avoid roaming charges. If you’re not ready to try this, Rachel H recommends a dual-sim phone, like a Samsung Galaxy, and a local sim card with enough data for your stay. “I usually stop and buy one in the airport because the people there usually speak English and won't try to sell you a subscription.”

5. Contactless credit cards: Kitty P. just returned from the UK and recommends that you make sure your credit cards are contactless. “One of my credit cards was not contactless - meaning I couldn’t tap to pay. It was a real hassle.” “A trick someone showed me for contactless credit cards (like my Visa) is that if you have an iPhone, put it in your wallet. Then you can use it from your wallet on your phone or Apple Watch as contactless! Got me through Europe this summer.” Judy J. says: “In much of Europe, contactless credit/debit cards are THE way to pay for EVERYTHING and many of these countries use ApplePay - so an Apple Watch can be very helpful in paying for purchases [I use it in my home city of NY as well, and pay for my public transportation with it - Apple Watch is helpful in lots of other ways, too].” Another alternative to major credit cards is Wise. I just returned from the UK and my daughter showed me how to load a Wise card, load it up with local currency, and use it to tap on and off the tube. This also saves currency conversion costs for each transaction. You can set up a Wise account here, and add the card to your wallet (on an iphone).
 

6. Charging Cords + Batteries: Shekinah M recommends a lonnnnng charging cord, saying it’s “worth the bit of extra space it takes up. Lisa S. says “I'm on a bus now from Quimper to Nantes, France - a longer cord to plug in would be helpful.” 
Kitty recommends a multi-i-port charger, like an Anker 543 4-port. “I personally like the chargers that use an electrical cord rather than a straight plug-in; adding an adapter to the plug-in makes it want to fall out of the wall socket AND with the cord you can usually find a nice wall socket to plug into and be near the bed.” Lois says a good backup battery is essential. “I like Anker products and I like a long braided charging cable that has adapters for lightening, USB-C and micro USB.” Patricia D always brings a portable charger, long cord, and a waistpack with a hole for the cord. ”Plus I love my adjustable crossbody strap on my phone case. It's long enough to slip the phone in my pants pocket or waistpack.” Cynthia McK. also recommends a portable power pack, like this one from Anker. 

Barbie L. says: ”As a writer and photographer, I bring too much, but necessary crap. Camera and drone with batteries and sims to spare. External hard drive.” A couple of pinch/squeeze flashlights on internal luggage zippers and as a zipper pull on my jackets, and a good little keychain AAA battery flashlight - it’s amazing how often I’ve used it.

7. International Adapter: Lois uses an international adapter for electric plugs. “I take the bulky Epika Universal Travel Adapter - and can plug all my devices into it and use it in the EU and UK.

8. Headlamp: While having a light on your phone is helpful, many women recommend a headlamp, like this one from Energizer. Kitty says: “I always pack a headlamp - it leaves both hands free in case of emergency.” Jane C recommends a hat with a built-in light

9. Cloud storage: Judy says cloud storage is essential. “I keep a copy of passport and ID and itinerary etc on the phone and also in the cloud so if something is lost or stolen you have backup.” Some options include Google or iCloud for Apple users.

10: Travel Tripod: Solo travel doesn't have to mean you only get to take awkward selfies or trust a stranger to snap your photo. Tripods, like this one from Atumtek, have gotten much smaller over the years, and are now built to hold all different sizes of smartphones.

Pro tip from Judy J: Zip lock baggies to protect your electronics.

This newsletter is presented by Kim Allan Silk. Shop now!

Have an idea about what we should feature in our next issue of Things She Loves? Or something of your own to recommend? Just fill out our form here and we'll include your tip in an upcoming feature. We want to profile women-owned businesses that you can support if you decide to purchase these products. Let us know if you have one to recommend!