Steve’s 12 great ways to use your smartphone camera when traveling

My iPhone camera is my best travel resource. I use my iPhone to take pictures of almost everything when I travel. For example, instead of keeping all those receipts for meals I simply pull out my iPhone and click a picture and send it to the accounting department rather than stick the receipt in my wallet. Here are eleven other ways you can use your smartphone when traveling:

1. Take a picture of your taxi cab number before you get into the cab (I always forget when I get out). This is a safety valve in case I accidentally leave something in the taxi.

2. Take a picture of your car at the airport parking lot. This is an easy way to remember where your car was when you parked it.

3. Take a picture of your rental car. I rent so many cars that I can’t remember what type of car or even the color of the car I rented. I also walk around the car taking a video so I can prove that I did not add any dents during my rental.

4. Take a picture of your meeting agenda. Many meetings today have meeting apps, however, they still give you a binder full of agendas, etc. I just take a picture of the agenda on my phone.

5. Take a picture of your luggage. If it is lost it is easy to show the airline rep what it looks like.

6. Take a picture of your hotel room number. This is an easy way to remember your room number when you lose the cardboard key holder that the plastic room card is in.

7. Take a picture of your credit cards (front and back). This is an easy way to have all the info if lost or stolen.

8. Take a picture of your passport – If you travel internationally often you have to fill out forms and this is an easy way to access your passport info without having to find it and pull it out.

9. Take a picture of the restaurant business card that you ate at. This will let you share with friends when they ask for a recommendation of a place to eat (or not eat)

10. Take a picture of the wine bottle – If you find a great wine be sure to snap a picture and save it.

11. Take a picture of business cards – Many people use a business card app but I find that if I take a picture of the business card along with a picture of the person. You can then add their picture to your address book. There are a lot of good Apps that you can use to easily add the business card info to your address book.

Please send me a list of additional ways you use your phone camera when traveling.

There are some “tourist traps” that are still worth visiting – Many times when I talk to people traveling I will advise them that some of the best trips I have ever taken are off the beaten track. However, I must tell you there are many “tourist traps” that are a must-see even though if you are like me, you want to avoid the crowds and see how the locals live. For example, how could you go to Beijing and not visit the Great Wall, or travel to Paris and not visit the Eiffel Tower? Nothing is more kitschy than a luau in Hawaii, but if you have never seen one it will be like you missed out on something.  Sure the Leaning Tower of Pisa is a major tourist trap but if you are traveling anywhere around Florence it is surely worth a 1-hour visit. CLICK HERE to find a great article in Reader’s Digest that lists 13 tourist traps around the world that you need to visit.

Business travel is coming back! – 2019 seems so long ago as that is the pre-pandemic baseline everyone seems to use to compare when the business traveler will return to normal.  In 2022 the leisure traveler led the travel rebound and kept flights and hotels full. Many airlines are seeing that the return of the business traveler is getting stronger every month both domestically and also to Europe. China, despite being open, is still very sluggish. I think later this summer we will see the business traveler back to 2019 levels or better.

Irresistible Escorted Tours to Italy and Iceland – Please join us as we take off on the most irresistible and inspiring journeys to Italy and Iceland this September. In Italy, we follow our custom-tailored and favorite route from Milan to Rome via Alba in the Piedmont region, Portofino at the Ligurian Coast, Florence, and Tuscany. An itinerary basking in the most incredible food and wine and taking in the history, art, and century-old traditions. CLICK HERE to see all the details and join us September 16-27. And then there is Iceland, a bucket list destination! September 30 – October 7, we take off to be blown away by the Northern Lights, rumbling ice-covered volcanos, black beaches, glaciers, gurgling hot springs, visit an ice cave, and swim in the Blue Lagoon. Wow! See the full tour itinerary HERE. Request a detailed tour brochure by calling or emailing our friendly group department today at (402) 435 8888 / GroupDepartment@executivetravel.com. These tours are popular; do not hesitate!