Planning an autumn getaway to the USA? From city escapes to scenic road trips and relaxing luxury resort stays, it’s one of the best times of year to head across the pond, and depending on where you go, you can still find pleasant weather and warm temperatures if you want to – with Florida, California, Arizona and Hawaii still offering warm, sunny days throughout October and November that are perfect for catching some rays at the beach. If, on the other hand, you’re ready to wrap up warm and enjoy some picturesque autumnal scenery, then the likes of New York, Maine, Michigan and Colorado are all options that should be at the top of your list – and if you just can’t decide between hot or cold, then the USA is the perfect place to mix the two with ease.
The key to any great trip is in the planning, and wherever you’re heading, ensuring you have the right tech on hand will ensure that your dream getaway goes without a hitch – allowing you to check the weather so you know what to wear, make travel arrangements to get between destinations, and everything in between.
From taking a portable WiFi hotspot and getting an American VPN to loading your phone up with apps to make your life easier whilst on the go, here are some high-tech essentials you won’t want to board your flight without.
VPN – Ensuring privacy and security
Whether or not you plan on working during your getaway, having a virtual private network (VPN) is an excellent way to protect yourself when logging onto the internet abroad, and acts as a shield for your online activities for optimal security and privacy. Using public WiFi in hotels and airports can put you at risk and potentially compromise sensitive information such as your log-ins for online banking services and other accounts you use regularly, but a VPN provides you with a secure, encrypted connection so that hackers are unable to intercept your personal data.
A VPN also affords you access to geo-restricted online services, such as your favourite streaming apps, so you won’t have to miss out on watching your series of choice or that latest film release you just can’t wait to see.
Be sure to shop around before choosing your VPN and opt for one that is user-friendly, secure and has servers in multiple locations across the globe.
Portable Wi-Fi hotspot – Staying connected
On the subject of connectivity, WiFi connections abroad can often be unreliable, whether they are a little bit slow, frustratingly patchy or practically non-existent – and if you need to send an important email or catch up on messages from friends and family during your American adventure then it can be problematic as well as annoying.
With this in mind, taking your own portable WiFi hotspot is a great solution and will ensure you’ll be able to get quality service wherever you go. Providing a consistent and reliable connection wherever you are, one of the best things about it is that multiple devices can be connected to it at once, so if you’re travelling as a group then everyone wins.
Apps for seamless travel
There are apps for just about everything in 2023, and taking the time to download a select few before you jet off to the States will ensure your whole trip goes as smoothly and seamlessly as possible.
You likely already have a good selection of navigation apps to choose from, Google Maps and Apple Maps being two of the most popular, and these can quickly become indispensable when trying to find your way around a new place. Travel booking apps like Booking.com and Expedia will also come in handy for reserving accommodation on the fly, and food and restaurants apps such as OpenTable and Tripadvisor will make it easy to locate the best dining experiences and make reservations throughout your trip.
Having a currency converting app like XE Currency will also serve you well and allow you to work out how much you’re spending in your home currency as you go along, as well as making it simple to manage your finances and keep abreast of the latest exchange rates in real time.
Essential tech gadgets
It’s unlikely that you’ll be travelling without your smartphone in this day and age, and adding some essential tech gadgets to your luggage that are designed specifically to work with it promises to elevate your trip and make sure everything goes without a hitch.
Because you’ll be using your smartphone for everything from navigating to booking hotels and restaurants, sourcing entertainment and keeping up with family and friends via social media along the way, your battery will almost certainly be in need of a boost, so pack a power bank and charge it up along with your phone before you head out each day so that you’ll always have a back-up when your phone is running on empty.
An international SIM card is also a good investment that will allow you to make and receive calls and messages at better rates whilst you’re in America, and will often come with a roaming plan so that you can access the internet during your break even when you’re not able to access WiFi.
And of course, a universal travel adaptor is something you won’t want to forget so that you can get all of your devices charged up again and ready to go whenever you check in at a hotel.
