Evernote’s offline capabilities coupled with the fact that it lives on just about any device makes it a great tool for travel and vacations. Here’s how I use Evernote to help me plan for, make the most of, and save the memories of my adventures.
The Setup
Travel Notebooks
I start by having one notebook devoted to travel. Everything related to a trip goes into that notebook. More information on that in the later part of this article.
Writing
I have another notebook devoted to writing where I may start drafts of articles about my adventures. I also use it as a trip journal. I’ll capture pictures from my phone, audio recordings, etc as I travel. Anything that can help me remembers the little things of an adventure. (Personally, I keep the pictures and audio recordings separate from my writing in a General notebook. But I’m sure to tag any of those with the appropriate trip so I can easily find them later).
Setting Notebooks Offline
I’m sure to set any travel-related notebooks to “offline” in any mobile device. This way I can access any information I need regardless of internet access or if my phone’s in “airplane mode.”
Tags
I use tags to help flag information related to my current trip and to build a library of reference material for future trips. Here are some of the common tags I use:
- @UpcomingEvents
- Year (2011, 2010, 2009, etc)
- Travel
- Vacation
- City/Destination (Chicago, NewYork, WashingtonDC, etc)
- Reservation
- Receipt
- Map
- Lodging
- Transportation
- Food
- Dining
- ToVisit
- ToDo
- Before
Reservations
Beforehand I’m busy making reservations for flights, hotels, car rental, etc. Any online confirmations and receipts I’ll clip to Evernote from my browser. (If they have a print-friendly version available try to use it). When the email confirmation arrives I forward it to my Evernote account email for safe keeping.
Reference Information
Here are some ideas on types of information I try to dig up in advance and save to Evernote. For most places this stuff rarely changes so you’re set next time you visit.
I try and find any hotel, car rental, flight, etc details in advance and add those to Evernote. Phone numbers, maps, directions, hours, restaurant and food information, public transit to the hotel, check-in/check-out times etc. I can usually find this in a few minutes in the comfort of my home office. I doubt I’ll be that fast looking up that same info on my cell phone after a day of traveling while riding in the back of a cab.
Transportation Information
Getting around a new city can be daunting. Having transportation-related notes ready to go is a must. Transit maps, stops, schedules, etc can usually be found online. And most cities make them available as a pdf. Save it to your Evernote account for easy reference later. This one works great with an iPad or other tablet device. (Personally, I haven’t tried it on an e-book reader like Amazon’s Kindle, but I don’t know why it wouldn’t work).
Points of Interest
I don’t like having a detailed agenda on vacation but I don’t like flying blind either. I try to have info on hand info for major points of interest: museums, city highlights, any major tourist areas, landmarks, festivals & events, etc. With any points of interest it’s good to have days, times and costs ready. Not to mention directions if you’re using public transit. You can usually find this information on a popular destination’s website.
Neighborhoods
Most large cities tend to sub-organize into neighborhoods or districts. A lot of good tourist info websites will list these neighborhoods along with some basic information. “Good for kids, but only during the day.” It’s also a good place to find a good map of the town with the neighborhoods’ listed.
Saved Searches
Now that I’ve compiled a huge bank of information for my trip I need to keep it handy. I’ll create a custom Saved Search so all that information is easy to find. Depending on the volume, I might make a couple Saved Searches: traveling and lodging, transportation, points of interest, food & dining, etc.
During
Journal
I use Evernote as a field journal. I’ll quickly type in notes via the Evernote app on my phone or as an email. I’m an avid photographer on vacation but I do occasionally snap pictures with my smart phone and save them to Evernote. I also use the voice recorder to capture memories and notes when I don’t have the time (or energy) to sit and write.
More Research
It’s not unusual for me to look up reference information on my phone’s browser while I’m out and about. In which case I make sure to clip it to Evernote so I have it for my next trip.
After
Storing Memories
When I finally return home I’ve often discovered my pockets and bags have collected a treasure trove of receipts, stubs, etc from the trip. Great reminders of my adventures I hate throwing away but I rarely want to keep. Instead, I scan them into Evernote (or use my camera phone) so I can save the memories and the space.
Twitter
While I travel I post to Twitter as often as possible. It keeps my family at home updated of my adventures (which also cuts down on phone calls). Posting to Twitter makes for a nice “travel log” later. And it sparks conversations before I even get a chance to say “hello” when I return home. I’ll pull up all the “Tweets” related to my adventures and clip those to Evernote. It helps later when I’m writing about my experience and keeps everything together.
Writing
I maintain a travel blog which I try to update in length after the trip. Having all the trip info above in one place along with my pictures makes writing a breeze. Half the time I start outlines or ideas in Evernote while I’m traveling. When I sit down to write I have a lot of the hard work finished. Of course, I do most of my writing for all of my sites in Evernote. My travel articles are no exception.
How do you use Evernote while traveling or just out and about in your own hometown?
All Things Dave 