Travel Gadgets
What gadgets should I bring with me when traveling?
Should I bring my laptop on vacation?
What is an 'international electrical adapter'?
An international electrical adapter allows you to use your own electrical equipment while you're travelling in an international destination, because many countries operate on a different voltage level than we do here in the U.S. What it allows you to do is plug in your cell phone and plug in your hair dryer. But basically a lot of hotels these days actually offer them in the rooms. If you don't see one in your room, just call down to the front desk. They'll usually bring one up for you at no charge.
What is a 'GPS' system?
It's basically a Global Positioning Satellite system. And what it does is it gives you real-time data of where you are. It reads satellites from space and tells you exactly where you are. And what's really neat about it is, say if you're driving in Europe, and you're in small streets in Italy, it tells you exactly where to go, how to get there, and it saves you from driving in circles. It's something I rely on a lot these days.
How can I find out if my cell phone will work where I'm going?
Should I rent a phone for my vacation abroad?
A lot of people will rent what's called an international cell phone, or a GSM type of cell phone and that will allow them to make calls while they're travelling internationally. And something that's nice about that is that they have one phone that they can use during their entire trip, and also they can give that number to co-workers, friends and family, so in case that those people need to contact them, they have a nice, convenient way of contacting them.
What is a 'satellite phone'?
A satellite phone is a phone that works anywhere in the world, because it works off of satellite signals instead of cellular towers. It's a very nice tool to have. However, it can be very costly. In most instances, for most average travellers, a global satellite phone is really not necessary. I think that they can rely on their cell phone or, if they need to, renting an international cell phone.
What is an 'international calling card'?
An international calling card is a card that you can buy in most countries, and what it allows you to do is, maybe you'll put 5 dollars onto it, or 10 dollars. So we'll give you that much money in credit, and basically you dial what is equivalent to an 800 number, and you can make your calls and it will be charged to that card. So it's a way of pre-paying for your calls. Sometimes it's a little bit more expensive per minute, on a per minute basis, but it's a very convenient way of maintaining your costs and making calls while you're traveling.
Should I travel with an alarm clock?
Now, whether or not you travel with a personal travel alarm clock is really a matter of personal preference, because there are some people who want that extra layer of security. Basically, a lot of times your hotel room will have some sort of alarm clock, and then there's also the ability to call for a wakeup call. Another thing to think about, is a lot of times, your cell phone will have some sort of alarm clock in it, as well. So I think it comes down to your level of personal preference, in which you're most comfortable with.
What is a 'water purifier'?
What are the dangers of foreign water?
Some of the dangers of drinking foreign waters is that they tend to have a higher level of bacteria. What that does is that can give you sub-symptoms like diarrhoea, and can give you flu-like symptoms. What you want to do is try to stick to bottled water that's going to be a little bit cleaner and easier for your body to take.
How can I keep my luggage safe while traveling?
