As usual, we have found a number of tools to help with our travel plans. Other readers may find these useful too. Please use the comments section if you’d like more info or you have other tools that you find really useful.
We’ve been using Tripit for many years now
and it really is an excellent tool for creating an itinerary and keeping all information in the cloud, ready to be accessed on mobile devices or laptop.
Tripit can be set up to automatically scan your inbox for any confirmation emails from booking sites etc and then to include all of those details in your itinerary. In addition, you can directly forward emails to [email protected] and these will then be included in your itinerary.
It’s also easy to set up a calendar feed so that your trip plans are shown in your calendar as well as Tripit, making it easy to access details directly from your calendar as well.
The Pro version of Tripit also has alerts available for check-ins available; gate changes etc as well as the capacity to maintain balances for your rewards programs etc.
Tripit falls down a little in the lack of ability to store graphical information in plans for visiting a particular location, but this can be worked around by using the Notes area and linking information to there.
Click the logo or heading above to find out more.
We’ve used Sim Corner products before and they’ve always been reliable and easy to use. This time, we’ll be taking ‘data only’ SIMs with a 12gb allowance for an iPad mini and an iPhone to use as another ‘out and about’ device. We’ll also have 2 30 day 12gb plans which provide calls and data for another iPhone. The SIMs all arrived; clearly marked and ready to go well within their promised delivery times. On a recent trip to France, these SIMs didn’t miss a beat. (Yes, there are plenty of products available) There are also plenty of places that have wifi available but the speed is invariably variable and necessitate another step in finding out the password and hoping that it works. It just makes travelling a lot easier to be connected with apps and maps that you are comfortable with using. There’s a value attached to that ‘comfortable connectivity” when you think about it, and some more dollars spent to keep you connected in the way that you’re used to are dollars very well spent and will probably save you time and money in the long run.
Trainline – Web and mobile app
This online tool is a very valuable way of booking train trips across a number of different countries in Europe. Country specific tools like Oui SNCF in France are also excellent but this tool works well across a number of country systems. Being able to link a Credit Card as a payment method and therefore be in a position to book a train ticket online anytime, anywhere, and have it on your device for scanning, gives you a lot of flexibility.
Bikes
Our hosts will be leaving bikes for us to use around town and for exploring country lanes and nearby villages. We’re looking forward to living more closely with a cycling culture in communities as a practical solution to getting about. We’ll also have access to folding bikes which we can ride to the station and take on the train. So, 1.2km flat ride to the train station; 32 minute trip to Amsterdam Centraal Station and then: onya bike !! In other words; the accessibility of frequent, integrated, transport offers exciting possibilities.
For this trip, as we’ll be in the Netherlands for six weeks, we’ll be buying some chip cards on arrival and using them like our NSW Opal Cards, or Melbourne Myki or London Oyster cards.
Click the logo for more information.
It looks like we can buy these at the airport – which makes sense, as it’s only a short train trip into Amsterdam Centraal
Like a Local – The ‘Like a Local’ guide promises to allow you to avoid the tourist traps and find places that locals recommend. We’ll be giving it a good look in Amsterdam.
City Mapper – This will be our first time trying this app which looks like it should be a useful tool for getting around. Citymapper is a public transit app and mapping service. It integrates data for all urban modes of transport, from walking and cycling to driving, with an emphasis on public transport.
We’ll also make good use of the usual array of iTranslate , Google Maps, the Weather app and a Currency converter. We’ll also take along an Amazon Echo to be able to access our Spotify account and internet radio preferences as well as providing a bluetooth speaker option.