When traveling abroad, busy professionals often do not have time to craft a detailed, comprehensive itinerary, and the stress induced by planning (or the failure to carefully plan) your international journey may be eclipsed by the anxiety that comes from being away from the office. Regardless of whether you are traveling abroad for business or pleasure, the following applications for your iPhone, iPod or iPad can help make your trip a more pleasurable experience
Applications to Help You Adjust to Your New Surroundings
These applications can assist the international traveler and take some of the stress out of your global excursion.
Google Maps :: If navigation is not your thing, let your Mac gadget do the work for you. With all major international regions covered on the app from Google Maps, directions to your destination are at your fingertips.
XE Currency :: Who knew that one U.S. dollar is the equivalent of 4,712 Zambian kwachas, 1.34407 Bosnian convertible markas, 1.49802 Ghanaian cedis, 3,047 Belarusian rubles, and 2.85 Turkmenistani manats? Even if the homes to these currencies are not high on your list of places to visit, this app appears to have the capacity to calculate the conversion of nearly every currency on the planet.
iTranslate :: Speak like the locals with this app that can translate words, phrases and even entire sentences in 50 languages. In addition, the newest version boasts a voice recognition component for easy use.
TravelMD :: Getting sick while abroad can be a nuisance, particularly if you are away on business. Trying to find the right physician and get prescriptions filled can be stressful when you are ill, even if you are in familiar surroundings. Add to that equation a foreign language and an unfamiliar healthcare system, and the situation could become particularly overwhelming. This app can help you locate healthcare professionals in several foreign countries, and destinations where this app is available appears to be growing.
Sutro Media :: Don’t have the attention span to read the 200+ page travel guide your friend gave you? Traveling on business and don’t have the time to thoroughly research your itinerary? If you want to bypass the long narrative common in most guide books, Sutro Media may be able to help. This is not a single application; rather, it is a company that produces numerous apps geared toward traveling. Every international destination is not represented, but the list is growing.
SitOrSquat :: Getting the urge to go when you’re in unfamiliar surroundings can be stressful, particularly if a language barrier makes asking where the nearest restroom is difficult or impossible. This app identifies the locations of public toilets across the globe. Users can add toilets to the database, and you can even review ratings of public restrooms, hence the app’s name.
APPLICATIONS TO HELP YOU STAY CONNECTED TO HOME
These apps can help globetrotting professionals stay connected back home with friends, family and the office.
iChat :: Whether you need the ability to instantly communicate with colleagues and clients while abroad, or whether you just want to be able to let that special someone know that you’re thinking about them thousands of miles away, iChat makes it simple to connect, regardless of where you are in the world.
Skype :: Skype is widely regarded as a software application that allows friends and loved ones to communicate in real time while seeing each other onscreen. However, business professionals often find that conferencing via Skype adds a much more personal touch than your average business call. Trying to make a connection with a client who is thousands of miles away can be difficult, but the intimate environment possible with your iPhone’s Skype app can help bridge the gap, even if an ocean separates you from the person on the other line.
Facebook :: Sure, the Facebook app is probably geared more toward social networking, but nowadays the lines are often blurred between social networking and professional networking. So, whether you want to post photos of the amazing sites from your international adventure, or whether you need to message a coworker on the other side of the globe, Facebook can be very handy.
Twitter :: Be the envy of your friends and colleagues back home with your tweets about your trip. Or, use your Twitter app to conduct business abroad.
Insanely Simple Country Codes for International Calling :: This app is exactly what the name implies. Get easy access to what can often be confusing country codes to help dial anywhere around the world.
The World Clock :: Use this app to help yourself remember the time difference between your current location and your family, friends and colleagues back home. That way, you can avoid annoying, middle-of-the-night phone calls and won’t expect immediate responses to emails sent at certain times of the day.
About the Author: Ripley Daniels is an editor at Without The Stress, a passport, travel visa, and immigration advisory firm located in Los Angeles.