Do you plan on taking a vacation this summer? After forgoing travel for over a year, many people are planning trips this summer. If you do, there are many ways you can optimize your experience by using your phone. Your phone can be pretty much whatever you want it to be on vacation – a notepad, a map, even a flashlight. Here are four ways to use your phone on vacation.

Make Lists

Before you start your journey, you’ll have to pack. Maybe you already have a list you consult, or you make a mental list before every trip. You can also write a packing list on your phone that you can update whenever and wherever. If you have certain activities you want to do, you can carry that information around on your phone instead of a travel book, plus search for additional activities and restaurants where you are.

Checking out Restaurants

Rather than walking to look at the menus at 10 different restaurants, you can view menus on your phone if the restaurant has a website. This is helpful if you have any dietary restrictions or are just looking for your favorite dish. A lot of restaurants have done away with physical menus thanks to COVID and may not reintroduce them. If scanning the QR code on the table isn’t working for you, try going directly to the restaurant’s website.

Map Your Route

Ever get lost in an unfamiliar place? It’s probably not how you want to spend your vacation. Luckily you can use your phone as a map whether you’re driving or walking. This way, you can explore new places without getting lost. If you’re visiting a city, sometimes the colorful jumble of subway lines can be daunting. And asking for directions doesn’t always get you to where you want to go. But public or mass transit might be the best option for getting around, so if you’re looking to venture onto public transportation, you can use your phone to direct you to which line to take and where to transfer.

See in the Dark

 If your phone has a flashlight feature, you can use it when you get back to your hotel room and forget where the light switch is. An actual flashlight isn’t necessarily something you want to carry around with you when you’re traveling, so using your phone can help you save space.

As you look forward to summer vacation and retirement, remember that both require planning. You wouldn’t embark on a week-long trip without any preparation at all, so why would you begin your 30+ year retirement without a comprehensive plan? To sit down with the financial planners at Zinnia Wealth Management and start the discussion Click HERE to sign up for a complimentary review.