HOLIDAYMAKERS have been urged to pack a simple household gadget with them the next time they go abroad.
It can be difficult to know what to pack when going on holiday, but a travel expert is now suggesting that people bring something with them that they might not have thought of.
Kyle Hotchkiss Carone is boss of Grand Tour Hospitality in New York and travels a lot for work, as well as being a big part of the hotel industry.
Whenever he travels, he always makes sure to find an old phone – just in case he needs a back up.
He started doing it following several experiences that left him without a handset while abroad.
He told Stuff NZ: "One time in Paris, I lost my phone and I had to spend $2000 (£1585) for a new iPhone.
Read More on Packing Hacks
The packing mistake that everyone hates on planes – and why you shouldn’t do it
Simple packing tricks that will make a family holiday with kids so much easier
"I've also had a phone stolen on the beach in Rio – a whole team of kids that came and stole my phone right out of my hand – and one that submerged into the Aegean. So now I never discard my old iPhones.
"Whenever I'm packing for a trip, I always throw one in my bag. I bring a spare one and an extra SIM wherever I go. The cards cost about $10 (£8). You can call your carrier and tell them to switch your number to that SIM and use it in the old iPhone."
Kyle isn't the only person to recommend taking an old handset with you just in case you need a spare.
Traveller Lisa Garcia, who runs the website Practical Wanderlust, also takes an old one with her – sometimes even more than one.
Most read in News Travel
I tried out the UK’s first swim up bar – it was just like being on holiday
The seaside town with festival and beautiful harbour loved by A-listers
Woman reveals 'genius' travel hack that stops creased clothes on holiday
The 'UK airport' with two terminals and cafe – that never existed
She said: "I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been traveling and our phone has gotten damaged – or worse, stolen.
"It’s happened so often that we’ve long been in the habit of stuffing our old, unlocked phones in the bottom of our bags, just in case."
Her partner, who was a teacher, said they also came in handy on a school trip to Colombia with 16 students.
They said: "We brought a total of FOUR back-up phones between the two [of] us. And they ALL got used."
Another benefit of taking a spare phone with you can be extra battery life.
A frequent traveller explained on Reddit how taking two handsets with them means they can take extra photographs and videos.
They explained: "Bring two phones. I like to film/take photos with my nicer phone but doing so drains the battery a lot, this leads me to bring a battery bank and cables which is a pain.
"A second (usually old or cheap) phone can be what you use for maps, texting, travel sim and itinerary so you'll often end the day with both phones on 50 per cent charge."
Meanwhile, this Brit was left with a £20,973 bill after making a simple phone mistake on holiday.
And here's also how to avoid expensive roaming charges on holiday.
Source: Read Full Article