When you’re preparing for a holiday it can be easy to forget things and overlook things that you might end up needing. People rarely forget the essentials like passports and flight tickets (though believe me this does happen) but they often forget some of the other things that make holiday life a little easier! With that in mind we decided to take a look at five of the best holiday “gadgets” out there – all designed to make travelling just a little bit easier and more enjoyable.
Top 5 Must Have Holiday Gadgets
1. Adaptors
It’s really easy to forget an adaptor when you go on holiday and they can be an absolute nightmare to find once you reach certain countries. They are usually available in the airport (at an unreasonable price of course) but can be bought locally for a few pounds a time. Having an adaptor suited to your destination of course means you can charge your essentials like mobile phones, cameras, hair dryers and whatever other gadgetry you take with you on holiday. Check which socket type your destination uses and make sure your adaptor fits that – or alternatively buy a universal one which covers the world.
2. Luggage Scale
This is one of our favourite gadgets as it allows you to weigh your luggage wherever you are. As flights have become increasingly crowded more and more airlines are becoming stricter with baggage allowances. In many countries staff will often be inclined to make you remove things from your luggage rather than allowing you to pay a fee – as they of course then get to keep your items. Unless you bribe them this can be a real annoyance and this is where a luggage scale comes in very handy. Checking your luggage before you leave is, of course, a necessity but when you come back you will probably be touting an array of souvenirs and other items that increase your luggage weight. Portable luggage scales are lightweight and allow you to ensure you don’t go over your allotted weight allowance.
3. Skype Headset
This might seem like an odd choice but it is one of the best travel gadgets you can now take anywhere thanks to the extortionate costs that mobile providers have placed on international calls. We all like to stay in touch on holiday but when the charges range from 40p to over £1/minute plus a connection charge it just becomes ridiculous. With a Skype headset though you can simply stroll down to a cyber cafe or your hotels Internet and keep in touch with anyone you need to at a fraction of the costs.
4. Tablets
Tablets are the new laptops and are well worth taking with you if you have them as they allow you to surf the Internet and watch films as well as keep in touch with people while you are away. In line with the above gadget it’s a great way to keep up to date whilst still being able to travel light.
5. Nintendo DS/ PSP
Now these aren’t for everyone but if you have kids then you really, really can’t do better than consoles. Not that we want to encourage them to play too much, and of course a book is better, but nothing makes the long dull hours at airports and the travelling within countries more peaceful for you than having a child suitably occupied.
Ben worked within the luggage claims department at the airport before becoming a travel advisor, a writer and expert on various airlines baggage allowances at BaggageAllowance.org. He also enjoys plane spotting and also runs a blog in his spare time.