Make spring break travel a breeze

Already dreaming of a warm breeze, soft sand and the sound of waves crashing at your feet? Well, it’s not spring break yet, but it’s close. And we’ve got some tech and tips that’ll help you and your family focus more on relaxing and less on the challenges of traveling during this busy time.

Many people head to the beach during spring break, which is typically in March or April, so this might be a good time to visit somewhere less touristy. Consider colder climates, like hiking in New England, skiing out west or white water rafting in the mountains. However, if you choose a popular beach spot, there are a couple of things to consider, like where spring breakers spend most of their time. They usually hit the beach, bars and restaurants. They also tend to rise late and stay out late, so getting your activities done in the morning can help you avoid crowds.

When selecting your hotel, consider the amenities available and what types of travelers they attract. You also can avoid teenage and college-aged spring breakers by booking higher-rated and slightly more expensive hotels.

Before you book, check and see what kinds of benefits your credit card offers. You might be able to save by booking your trip through your card’s travel site. They might also have partnerships with hotels, airlines or rental car companies that can offer discounts or bonus miles or points, which will help you offset or capitalize on peak pricing during this popular travel period. Some cards also offer perks like rental car insurance, trip cancellation insurance or no foreign exchange fees when traveling abroad.

If you have a card that specifically gives you rewards for travel, you might be able to use existing miles to book your trip or redeem miles to get reimbursed for travel expenses. If you have a card that gives you cash back, consider putting that money towards your getaway.

Are you the type who always forgets something on a trip? See if PackPoint can help. It creates a pre-populated packing list from your date of travel, destination, trip type and planned activities. And it already includes all your essentials and toiletries. Once you have the list, you can adjust accordingly, like changing the number of shirts or adding a Bluetooth® speaker.

You know where you are, and you know where you’re headed, but what about everything in between? Sidekix helps you explore landmarks and points of interest on your way. Set your preferences and the app will make recommendations suited to you. Journy is also a great way to explore nearby areas. Choose activities based on what you like to do and ping them on a map from your hotel. Knowing where popular landmarks are might help you avoid busy areas, too.

Visiting a new city is enough to get anyone turned around. Throw public transportation into the mix and things can get complicated. With Citymapper, you can find the quickest route to your destination—whether walking or riding. The app connects you with local train, subway and bus routes and ride sharing to get you where you’re going.

Traveling as a group? This can create a lot of moving parts if there are different methods of transportation, arrival times and the like. Stay updated on everyone’s individual travel plans and communicate through PlanChat. Build an itinerary, start a group chat, split expenses and discover trip ideas all in the app. The better coordinated you are, the easier you can move around if it’s crowded, especially leaving train stations and airports.

If you’re cutting cords and getting off the grid, you can still stay connected with your group. Create your own network with goTenna®. These pairs connect to your phones and create their own signal, so you can communicate without a nearby cell tower.

And if you’re thinking you might be without WiFi wherever you’re headed, you can easily bring it with you. Skyroam lets you connect up to 5 people and works across the globe. Skyroam is small, portable and gives you unlimited 4G WiFi for a small fee.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to take your home theater on the road with you and portable projectors pretty much let you do that. Entertain your family on your journey or share photos in high definition. These small devices have HDMI inputs and casting capabilities to connect to your phone, tablet or computer.

Take your selfie game to new heights. When it comes to majestic mountains, seaside cliffs or quaint farmland, selfies don’t quite capture the true beauty of such picturesque landscapes. AirSelfie has a drone you control through an app, and it fits in your pocket. The case attaches to your phone and charges the drone when you’re not using it. When you’re ready to capture a picture, it’s easy to remove the drone, send it off and shoot HD photos—all in the app.

The countdown is on. Now that your poolside dreams are about to become a reality, make sure to get the most out of your trip by maximizing your rewards points and using this tech to help make your spring break less chaotic and a lot more fun. Enjoy the adventure!