Top 10 Travel Tips for the Digital Nomad
The way of the digital nomad is the way of the future—being able travel the world freely, to work and play in comfort, always on your own time. If the entrepreneur defines the boomer generation, then the digital nomad defines millennials. Still, this modern lifestyle is not without its challenges. Below, Standard Luggage has listed the Top 10 Travel Tips for the Digital Nomad. Because living freely, is the only way to live.
- Download some Apps
It’s a fact: nothing has made travel easier than apps. They provide an elegant and efficient solution to almost any problem. And most of them are free! Kayak helps you book and purchase nearly every travel service you would need; iTranslate is the most advanced translating app and can decipher dialects and non-Latin languages; TripIt for Teams produces a staff-wide itinerary and updates you on your coworkers’ costs and whereabouts. And the list goes on.
- Create a checklist
There is no worse feeling than realizing you left your prescription drugs on your desk, 10,000 miles away from your current location. Whether on paper, your phone, or somewhere in Google Docs, make a checklist before you leave any location, and review it many times!
- Read online reviews
The Internet is full of disparate opinions, but nothing beats consensus. Sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp and Backpacker can help you determine what lodgings and destinations are best suited to your tastes and needs. Consult popular blogs that may review a city’s best noodle house or park space. And don’t forget Twitter. Even if you don’t have a lot of followers, the social media giant can connect you to savvy locals and its location services can tell you where to find, say, a bank within a given radius.
- Store rations in your travel pack.
You can never predict when you will be stalled in an airport, lost in streetscape, or stuck in a rural village waiting for a ride back to civilization. And we haven’t even mentioned the gastric perils of street meat! Energy bars and drinks, bulk items, and supplements are terrific, compact forms of sustenance to keep your mind (and stomach) at peace.
- Keep your gadgets charged (even in unlikely spaces)
Whether at home or abroad, you should ways keep your electronic toys charged. Still, life is crazy. Charge devices whenever possible—when you’re sleeping; before leaving a hotel; while in a café. There’s also a gamut of portable chargers like Jackery, Lumsing, and Juno that give you assurance in the most remote of places.
- Have a world back pack
If you plan on multitasking on the go, you need a bag that keeps up with you. Does your bag have compartments for your electronics? Is your bag easy to carry? Does your bag meet international carry on requirements? Is your bag suited for locks and other safety features? What happens to your bag if it starts to rain? These are important questions a digital nomad must ask.
- Protect your goods
Like a boy scout, always be prepared. Don’t leave your belongings with strangers; place locks on your bag; tie your bag to something when it’s not on your person; if your hotel or hostel has a safe, use it. These are important rules to live by.
- Walk around and meet people
Is there anything sadder than meeting a tourist in your hometown who wants to eat at the nearest McDonald’s? If you’re travelling, walk the streets, shake hands, and try to meet people. Locals want to show off their culture. Sometimes the best experience exists outside of the travel guide.
- Get an unlocked local SIM card or phone
Getting service and data in foreign countries is cheaper than you think. You can buy an unlocked phone from Amazon or some other communications purveyor to avoid international roaming fees. And if data is really expensive where you are, use Wi-Fi to load up any foreseeable meeting locations or phone numbers via Google.
10. Have fun!
Nothing on this list matters if you don’t have fun. Never lose sight of the adventure at hand. Travel safe and happy, and don't forget to send us your pictures while on the road!
Excellent article. The biggest question that I have about setting up a home base, is how to get around the tourist visa restrictions, which oftentimes seemed to be only good for 30 days.
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