5 Helpful Apps for Traveling

When abroad there were some apps I wish I had known about while I had Wi-Fi back in the States. The apps listed in this post will be incredibly beneficial to you because they will minimize your stress levels and allow you to transition more easily into the culture you are about to immerse yourself in. I recommend you download these before your departure, because Wi-Fi is not always easy to find abroad.

1. Travel app for the company you book your flight with
Download the app of whichever company you buy your flights with. Usually these apps will have your flight ticket already downloaded on them, this makes the flight process less stressful.

2. Google Translate:
This app comes in handy when you are reading signs, menus, or trying to understand what products to by at the grocery. You just hold your phones camera over a piece of text and it will transform the words in front of your eyes – no data required! If you do not know the native language of whatever country you are going to, or plan on traveling to many countries with different languages, Google Translate is a must, there is not way around it.

3. Maps.me
You will get lost without this app, no question. This offers a downloadable map for virtually any city or place you may visit. It will include restaurants, and can tell you the quickest route to use to get somewhere you need! No data required, but it eats up battery power like no other!

4. XE Currency
It is likely that you may have to bum some money off of others, or the other way around while abroad. A lot of places only take cash, and ATMs are scare, so this happened to me A LOT. XE Currency easily converts any type of currency into another with the exchange rates applied – so you will be able to Venmo your friend the amount you need to, or they can send you the funds you loaned them.

5. Travelex / Travelex Card
Travelex made it easy for me to convert USD into euros. The card acts as a prepaid debit card and you can convert USD into any type of currency you need (except the Swiss Franc.) You can get this card at virtually any airport, and the process is pretty quick and easy. Just watch out for the fees once you get back!

If you get these apps, you will have an easier transition into whichever country you go to. Other students on my trip showed me these and it was honestly life changing. Be sure to clear out old pictures or unused apps, it is important to have memory so that you can document your trip and have room for these very important apps on your trip. Even though these apps will reduce problems you have while abroad, be sure to welcome mistakes and take away lessons from these. The trips you will embark on will test your independence, and you will learn a lot from those experiences.

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