These travel hacks will make your next trip easier and more relaxing

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Make the most of your adventures with these travel hacks.
Make the most of your adventures with these travel hacks.
Photo: Artem Beliaikin/Pexels CC

This travel hacks post is presented by Dashlane.

Travel can be stressful, especially if you don’t take simple steps to make it easier and more affordable. To make travel more enjoyable, we rounded up some of our favorite travel hacks of 2019.

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Top travel hacks

Data detectors

Ever heard of data detectors? If not, get ready for a new perspective on what your Mac and iPhone can do. On new and up-to-date Apple devices, simple dates, addresses and flight data use a kind of hyperlink clipboard to unpack deeper insights in calendars, text messages and other areas.

One great way to use this feature is to text someone your flight number, or copy and paste it into your calendar. From there, tapping the number previews the flight, or shows its progress on a map if already en route. You can easily access deeper info like departure and arrival times, flight duration and status, even baggage information and links to your airline’s home page. It’s like having a flight-tracking app embedded into the everyday operation of your phone.

Skiplagged

One tried and true travel hack is cobbling together flights for the cheapest trip possible. Most of us do this by using flight aggregators like Kayak or TripAdvisor. But now Skiplagged does the digging on our behalf. By looking not just at the cheapest flights, but the cheapest fragments of flights, it’s able to quickly surface “hidden city” deals you won’t find yourself. For example, when flying from New York to Phoenix, the cheapest flight might actually end in Seattle (but also happens to stop in Phoenix). You just step off the flight one airport early.

It’s unlikely any of us are looking for flights this way ourselves, so Skiplagged offers a sneaky way to cut airfare costs by as much as 80%, according to the company. (Note: United Airlines recently said it will crack down on hidden-city ticketing, and other airlines don’t like the practice either, so buyer beware.)

Go to: Skiplagged

Twist+ World Charging Station

When traveling, bringing the right international adapters for your gear is a must. Twist+ World Charging Station solves that with a clever, twistable design that offers universal compatibility in a compact package. Attach it to any standard MacBook power adapter where the wall cord usually connects, then twist to cycle between four ports that’ll work in 150 different countries. Like some kind of mini R2-D2, this adaptable device will charge your MacBook and four USB devices all at once. That makes for a simple, portable, hassle-free way to keep all your devices — MacBook, phone, tablet, even backup batteries — powered up and fully charged anywhere you go.

Buy from: Amazon

VPNRanks

Threats to personal data know no borders, so it pays to travel with protection. Virtual private networks keep snoops, malware, trackers and other hazards at bay by distributing connections amongst a global network of servers. VPNs also mask IP addresses and bypass geo-restrictions, so your favorite streaming content will be available anywhere (bonus!). Good VPNs work on any device, but some adopt different data policies that are relevant in different parts of the world. So we recommend checking VPNRanks, which presents fine-grain distinctions between providers. That includes checking the countries where VPNs work, so it’s easy to get the one that’s right for you (and where you’re going).

Go to: VPNRanks

Dashlane password manager

Even when relaxing on the road, you still need to keep your online accounts secure. Forgetting a login — or, worse, losing your iPhone — while traveling proves extra-complicated and unpleasant. Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac because it works on Mac and iOS devices, and makes it easy to sign into any account with one master password. That means Dashlane is a great tool for travel, making it so you don’t have to worry about your security on the go. In addition to passwords, you can stash credit card info and important travel documents like passports in Dashlane’s secure vault. And if, god forbid, you lose your device, you can always log in to Dashlane through any browser. Plus, if you pay for Dashlane Premium, you also get a free VPN thrown into the mix.

In short, Dashlane keeps you safe and allows you to access your most crucial personal data from anywhere in the world. That means greater security and peace of mind, and more headspace cleared for enjoying your summer vacation.

Download a 30-day free trial from: Dashlane

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