“The technology you use impresses no one. The experience you create with it is everything.”

— S. Gerety

My first slow travel adventure was in southern Greece for 2 months. My boyfriend and I were equipped with little more than crisp travellers cheques and a dog-eared green Michelin guidebook - there was not much planned and nothing booked. We were routinely accosted as we disembarked from ferries or buses by intense women and children pressuring you to stay in their lodgings. There were no reviews on tripadvisor to help make your decision. Basically the price or the most persistent person got your approval and you’d be guided through the town having been “claimed” by the family.

At one point we stopped at some ruins en route to a small town on southern Crete not realizing (because how would we?) that it was the last bus that day. Imagine getting stranded in the middle of nowhere as it begins to get dark and starts to pour with rain until a compassionate local pities the drenched tourists alone at the deserted bus stop and offers a lift back to town.

Today it could be argued that there is excessive information online and we may be too connected. Information overwhelm happens during travel planning and remains relentless on the road. Of course, you can escape this by choosing adventures that are pre-packaged and guided from start to finish. I’ve never been on a cruise or to an all inclusive resort - but I imagine that it is the way to go when you want to put down your electronic device and unplug completely.

If you are DIY’ing your adventure and weaving together hand picked activities and places into a self-crafted journey, it is wise to treat your phone like the critical travel tool that it is.

The Core: Searching and Paying

A basic search engine like Safari or Google is often my first defense. Both random and specific searches help to fill in the itinerary as we go AND get me out of most binds “in the moment.”

My recent search history includes things like:

How to order a coffee in Portugal
Shoe stores near me
When do the Christmas lights go on in Lisbon
Free things in Porto
Off the beaten path in Seville
Convents that sell cookies

Another of the Google suite that I use in a pinch is the Google Translate app. Yesterday, in fact, I used it twice. 1) I took a photo of a menu to help order and 2) a museum didn’t have English explanations so I translated them myself!

I’m not afraid to ask a human for help but I do try to be self-sufficient. If I’m perplexed about something I do a quick search first. Here are a couple of examples when Google saved the day.

Avoiding the line

After walking up (UP) the old and twisty, tiled streets of Alfama to enter the imposing castle that towers over Lisbon, we bumped into a long line of people. The site was highly understaffed and the line up for ticket sales was long and at a standstill. It’s not a site that typically needs to be pre-booked so we hadn’t bought our tickets online. I grabbed my phone and quickly looked up where to buy tickets online. I made the purchase using PayPal (so I didn’t have to get out my card while standing in a crowd) and we happily ducked out of the line and waltzed right through the gate with our electronic ticket.

Paying by credit card in person and online is fabulous. It is simple, there is a detailed record of expenses, and if you have the right card, you earn points. I also ensure I have PayPal set up in situations where I can’t or don’t want to directly enter my credit card details online.

Free entry

On a day of “wandering” we decided to meander (although in Lisbon any meander is more like a climb) to the Botanical Gardens. When we got there we discovered the entrance fee that I hadn’t paid attention to in my research. Even though tickets were inexpensive, it still threw us off as we enjoy taking in a place without having to pay at every stop! We sat down on a nearby wall and had a moment of - ugh - I don’t want to be cheap…but we didn’t really want to pay to wander the garden knowing full well that in November it was NOT at its peak and wouldn’t have many blooms. I quickly googled ‘free times to visit the botanical gardens’ and it just so happens that Sundays from 10-3 are free. Well…it was a few seconds away from 10am on a Sunday so with a high-five, off we went! The gardens are lovely and if you are a horticulture fan it would be dreamy… especially in the spring or summer. I’m glad we got in free, enjoying it immensely

Getting around: Transportation Options and Maps

Rome to Rio is AMAZING everywhere in the world. Wherever you are right now…Rome to Rio can give you all the transportation options and specific journey details to get you where you want to go.

The app will tell you how long each option will take. This is extraordinarily helpful when planning an overall itinerary and plotting routes for potential day excursions. In Portugal there are a few places we considered visiting that can be accessed by train and by bus. Rome to Rio helped us decide to take the bus when trains require multiple transfers or which station to begin the journey for a more efficient route.

For train travel I have specific apps Renfre for Spain and CP for Portugal and have used DB Navigator in Germany. All excellent, easy to use, and accurate. I buy most tickets right on the app and manage tickets there too. For buses, I have mostly used the suggested link in Rome to Rio.

Lesson learned: buying tickets online

One almost goof - we arrived at the bus station in Seville headed to Carmona for the day. The crowd navigating the ticket kiosk was a bit chaotic so we sat and watched people at a ticket machine. People seemed stressed with the process. I wasn’t looking forward to entering into the swarm so I grabbed my phone, used Rome to Rio to see which bus line went to Carmona, followed the link…and purchased the ticket online. No line up, no machine…easy peasy. We were then feeling all cocky and went down to the bus terminal. We knew, from Rome to Rio, the name of the bus line but the number and “Carmona” wasn’t showing up on the departure schedule monitors. We waited and waited and it was getting close to departure time! Our cockiness was turning into sheepish anxiety because we had the tickets but couldn’t find the bus! I looked closer at the ticket (the online printing was tiny) and noticed that Carmona was just one stop on the way to Cordoba, a bigger city. THAT bus was listed in the schedule so we dashed to the bus which was already filled with passengers and about to leave. We found the last 2 seats at the very back and once the wave of relief washed over us, we laughed at ourselves. A good opportunity for humility!

Google maps is the other get-around-app that has been a savior. In the old towns of Barcelona and Seville - locals and tourists alike walk with their phones out at all times. The streets are so tangled, getting lost is more predictable than finding your way! We laugh at the number of times we spin in a circle to figure out which direction that little blue arrow is pointing! You can create an itinerary ahead of time by pinning places you want to go, labeling them and even downloading off-line maps in case you don’t have service.

Note - I’m a huge proponent of getting lost! We often will build that possibility into our day. We put the map and phone away and just go down streets that look intriguing. More than likely we end up having no clue where we are…then we get the phone out and it guides us back.

The Uber or Bolt app, if available at your destination, is great to have even as a backup. We don’t tend to use taxis and Ubers much because we walk (a lot) but when we recently arrived in Lisbon it started to rain and while our backpacks aren’t crazy heavy, Google maps showed that our apartment was a 40 minute walk UPHILL…and let me tell you, the hills in Lisbon are steep and slippery. So I whipped out my phone, called an Uber and he picked us up within 6 minutes. AHHHH.

Local learning: Tours, audioguides and self guided walking tours

Travel guide apps are a great way to get oriented to a new location, or to dig into specific neighbourhoods or themes. Go at your own pace!

We booked all of our tours through Get Your Guide or directly with the location. I had some refund trouble with the other big tour provider (Viator) so switched to Get Your Guide and I couldn’t be happier. The app keeps your tickets and helps give you directions.

We have thoroughly enjoyed Rick Steves Audio Europe (audio tours) and Walkbox (written tours with a map). We used Walkbox to find fantastic street art around Lisbon!

VoiceMap is also interesting to check out. Unlike the other 2, there is a cost for each tour. They are good value if that is your preferred method of exploring! We did a couple in Lisbon based on the glowing reviews.

Just for fun!

Idealista or a similar app - for real estate to check out what’s for sale nearby because - hey, that’s fun!! I know when a place has struck a chord when I get curious about real estate prices! It might be because I find myself falling in love with the community…or I’m shocked and amazed at the deserted buildings that are beautiful and hold so much potential.

Vivino - we use it in the grocery store regularly. Looking at all the wines in Spain and Portugal ranging in price from 1.50 euro to 25 + euro… we love being pleasantly validated when we find a 3.99 euro bottle that is highly rated! SCORE!

My library app. I read on my phone or iPad when I travel and it is fantastic to have a choice of books at my fingertips. My husband reads a book a day so there is no way we even consider carrying paper books on our travels - too many and too heavy!

This week’s app adventure was installing ExpressVPN to watch the World Cup via a Canadian live streaming sports network. We watched the opening ceremonies in a bar…but thought we’d be too drunk if we attempted all the games there!

Finally I have some favourite photography storage and editing apps too - but I’ll save those for another blog post.

How to make it all work with ease: Airalo - eSIM

Canada has very expensive cell service. In 2019 when I went to Scotland, I added the “international plan” on my phone. This meant that if any data was used, we would “only” be charged something like $12 extra for the day. We did our best to avoid the charge because $12 over 3 weeks adds up! Wifi is great but there are times (when lost) that data service is extremely helpful. Traveling for 10 weeks, there was no way we were going to repeat that experience. I researched various ways to get a SIM card in another country and different international plan options. Some people swear by finding a phone store as soon as you land, buying a local SIM card and switching the one from your phone out - that sounded like a big H hassle! I then learned about embedded SIM cards…fairly new on the scene… and liked the sound of them. Our friend went to Europe just before our departure, used an eSIM and sent us the thumbs up.

Our choice was Airalo - the website and communication is clear and they seem to make it as easy as possible. It is an affordable option too. I spent less than $12 for 5 weeks in Spain and I had more than enough data to use it without hesitation. With eSIMs from Airalo, you choose from 190+ country data packages, then download and install it (like an app) on your phone before you even leave home. Choose the eSIM based on how much data and how long you need access. Install it on your phone before you go knowing that it won’t “kick in” until you are in the country and your phone connects to a local server.

The app tells you how much data you have left. We initially purchased a month of data in Spain but then topped it up to get coverage for the 5th week. As easy as a couple clicks.

The eSIM gives you data - NOT the use of your phone number. I am ok not having my phone number work because I communicate with everyone at home and for business with social media messaging or email. “Phoning” or texting with people living in Europe is often done using WhatsApp. (A handy texting app to have for connecting with hotels or making restaurant reservations.)

Striving for Digital Balance

I mentioned striving for digital balance on the road. Our wellbeing is at risk with the overuse of technology. We can easily fall victim to social comparisons, not being present in the moment, information overload, and not fully engaging with the people we are with in real time.

I choose to connect on social media daily but limit time to one or two check-ins and posting a single story or photo. Perhaps as a blogger interested in building a following and online presence I should be maintaining a steady stream of commentary…but that’s not me. Neither are the staged selfies that seem to be some people’s only reason for visiting a place - yet another scenario where technology seems to be driving travel activity rather than supporting it.

Funnily enough, just as your phone is a great travel tool so you can reduce stress and enjoy the experience, your phone can also help improve your mindfulness. My go to app for mindfulness and helping me to fall asleep is Smiling Mind!

List of apps mentioned

Search engine - Google/Safari/Firefox
Google Translate
PayPal
Rome to Rio
Train by country (eg. Renfre for Spain, CP for Portugal)
Google Maps (also check out Maps.me)
Uber/Bolt
Get Your Guide
Rick Steve’s Audio Europe
WalkBox
VoiceMap
Idealista
Vivino
Your local library app
ExpressVPN
Airalo eSIM
Whatsapp
Smiling Minds

Tech tools for easygoing travel