Believe J.J. Cale, because he knows what he’s talking about: traveling light is the only way to fly. The next time you’re tempted to overpack, remember to take half as many clothes, twice as much money, and your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. An iOS device can replace paper maps, books, and travel guides; and the information you’ll find in apps and iBooks is more timely and relevant anyway. Obviously you won’t need CDs or a portable DVD player -- or pricey hotel or in-flight pay-per-view -- to stay entertained. And by posting photos or blog updates about your vacation online, you won’t even have to send postcards. To prepare you and your electronic travel buddy to hit the road, we found the best apps, gear, and know-how to keep you connected.
Travel can be tough on your iPad or iPhone, so it’s smart to insure them. Check your existing home, renters’, and travel policies for any exclusions that might leave you out of pocket if you lose your device. Verizon offers insurance for iPhone 4 for $10.99/month, AT&T just started offering a plan for $4.99/month, and if you bought your iPhone at Best Buy, you can add Geek Squad protection within 30 days of purchase. GoCare will insure an iPhone 4 from $69/year, or $97 for two years, but it’s got a 30-day waiting period, so plan ahead. SquareTrade has a free app in the App Store that lets you buy coverage for $99 for two years. But check with your regular insurers first, and always read all the fine print on deductibles, exclusions, and, well…everything.
Insurance won’t help you recover your own device if it “wanders off,” so get Apple’s free Find My iPhone app (which also works on the iPad and iPod touch) from the App Store, and follow the directions to register. That’ll let you track your device online, plus remotely lock and wipe it to remove any sensitive data. You should also set the Passcode Lock (Settings > General > Passcode Lock) for the duration of your travels so that nobody can gain access.
Stock up on reading material before you leave in case you find yourself without network coverage later.
Back up your data by syncing with iTunes before you leave, and consider making an online copy of your essential data. If you have a Google account (sign up at google.com/accounts), follow the instructions at bit.ly/mMDa3F to set up contacts, email, and calendar syncing on your iOS device.
You can download new iBooks, albums, and movies as you travel, but this might incur fees if you’re going overseas or if you need to buy hotel Wi-Fi for your iPad or iPod touch. So think about the books and albums you want to take with you and download them before you leave. Consider using Instapaper (free at instapaper.com) to archive webpages you want to read later through the iOS app ($4.99, universal). Open the app once when you have internet access, and it’ll sync all your saved articles so you can read them offline.
Power Supply
Whatever your device, make sure you can recharge on the road -- remember that the iPad charging brick works fine for the iPhone and iPod touch too. If you’re headed overseas, grab Apple’s World Travel Adapter Kit for $39 (apple.com).
Apple’s $39 World Travel Adapter Kit comes with interchangeable plugs for a wide range of countries.
Contacts
Before you leave, sync so you have all the names and numbers you’ll need, including friends, family, hotels, and airlines. And bring a paper copy too in case you lose your device.
Maps
Find your hotel in the Maps app and bookmark it, but also take a screenshot. That way even if you find yourself without coverage, you’ll always be able to find your way back.
Important Documents
Save PDFs of your insurance documents to iBooks via the File Transfer feature in iTunes. In iBooks, just tap Collections and switch to PDFs to find them.
Entertainment
Max out your device with movies, tunes, and games for the family. You can always delete the ones you rarely use when you get home.
Name Label
Use Wallpaper LockScreen Text ($0.99, universal) to add a contact name and number to your lock screen wallpaper -- make sure it’s one you can check even if your phone is lost, like your office voicemail or your spouse’s number.
News/Radio
If you’re roaming far, far from home, grab your local paper’s app or a radio app like TuneIn Radio Pro ($0.99, universal) to keep up with local media. Unless “getting away” is the entire point…
