Tips and Modern Tech for Easier and Safer Winter Travel

photo: flickr

 

Winter can be a beautiful time of year to travel, but icy conditions, snow storms and sudden squalls are known to cause major delays for even the most seasoned sojourners. Brace yourself for bad weather and the hassles that come along with it when you tote a selection of tech-savvy gadgets that might just save the day while you’re vacationing.

 

Forecast the future

With a smart phone or internet tablet and a detailed weather app, you really can predict the future, at least as far as weather conditions are concerned. Weather Live is a free app from Apalon that offers a sweet selection of features, including but not limited to a seven-day weather forecaster that can give you a pretty good idea of how the weather will be at your vacation destination. Additionally, the Weather Live free app provides accurate barometric pressure readings, precipitation and snowfall information, and to-the-minute sunrise and sunset times.

 

Keep connected with well-charged devices

Digital Trends magazine offers a number of gadgets, gizmos and tips that are sure to increase your winter travel security in a significant way. One of their best travel tips involves a portable battery, a surge protector and a cable to which several devices can be connected. These three things are especially useful for keeping family members’ electronic devices charged and ready for social media sharing, tweeting and posting vacation pics on Snapchat. The portable battery will provide electricity to power computers, cameras and other devices when you are unable to locate a proper power outlet. A three-in-one USB charging cable can be an invaluable gadget when you need to juice up three different digital devices simultaneously.

 

High-tech travel gadgets to know about

Jacana magazine recommends that travelers avail themselves of global positioning system, or GPS, location services as much as possible whilst away from home. Although GPS may not be available in all areas to which you wish to travel, the service generally offers enough useability to be worth the download and installation.

Travelers who fly can tap into a crafty collection of apps that are designed to reduce the stress of air travel. AirPort Life is an app that assists in mapping major airports and provides up-to-the-minute flight data, as well. AirPort Life also offers instant access to TSA regulations, weight limits, and carry on baggage restrictions. As if that weren’t enough, the app also provides a user-friendly car location service. Although it’s not as high-tech as some travel devices, the GasBuddy app is well worth the minute or so it takes to download and install. With GasBuddy, it’s super simple to find the very best fuel deals in town, no matter which town you happen to be in.

Local, regional and global travel are some of the most enlightening joys of life on planet Earth. Ensure your good times when you plan ahead and take along a few of the most useful apps and devices for travelers.

Author: Charlie Holmes has worked in the travel industry for over a decade in a variety of roles. He shares his travel stories and tips around the web with his articles.