Spring travel checklist: Get your phone ready for an epic vacation!

Eagerly planning a spring vacation with a trip already? We get it, we get it, so are we! We are weeks away from the weather getting warm, the flowers getting pretty, and the vacation spots getting fully booked. So, it’s a good idea to start planning early!

Our smartphones are among the most important items we carry when we travel. They are, essentially, our cameras — our way to capture the memorabilia, the trip, share the moments with the folks back home. They can also hold our tickets, our navigation and locations of interest to visit, and they can help us fight boredom during long flights or rides with games, videos, podcasts, ebooks. So:

The smartphone vacation checklist: make sure you do these things right

Pick up a power adapter

Absolutely double-check what types of plugs and power you will encounter in your visiting destination. America’s top spots for travel are Japan and Mexico. These use sockets of the Type A (two flat parallel prongs) and Type B (two flat prongs and one grounding pin). In Mexico, Type A are more popular and can often be non-polarized.

It’s a good idea to pick up a travel adapter while still at home, instead of trying to find one at a tourist shop after you land.

Also, mind your charger’s voltage. The US network supplies 120 V, while Japan operates at 100 V, Mexico — 127 V. These differences are within tolerance, but European countries supply power at 240 V. Most modern smartphone chargers use dual-voltage, but just be sure to check if yours says “100 V - 240 V” on it.

In the end, it’s also a good idea to have a powerbank as a backup always. In fact,

Grab a powerbank

Powerbanks are available in multiple shapes, sizes, capacities, and with many different output combinations. You can grab one 20,000 mAh bank with two or more USB outputs to charge two phones at once, or a more compact “personal” one with around 3,000 mAh — 5,000 mAh in the tank.

One thing to keep in mind is that power banks don’t convert energy 1 to 1. A good rule of thumb is to consider that the bank will give you about 75% of its rated capacity back. So, if you have a 20,000 mAh portable battery, it should be able to charge a 5,000 mAh smartphone back to full three times.

Get a roaming eSIM instead of paying hefty fees

Some plans include roaming, some — only in specific countries. Others can cost you something to the tune of $10 per day to retain the comfort of being always connected when abroad.

So, it’s a good idea to just grab an eSIM with a data-only plan for roaming. It’ll allow you to stay connected, keep chatting with the family back home, send photos, or even do phone calls via WhatsApp, Viber, FaceTime.

Nomad eSIM has the perfect plans for all types of travelers

Nomad specializes in giving you data-only plans at extremely affordable rates. In 2025, data is pretty much all you will need. And, instead of spending money on call minutes or texts, you know you are buying exactly what you are going to need — data, so you can browse Maps and stay oriented, keep in touch with back home, and fight off boredom during layovers!

Shop Nomad eSIM plans

You can shop for Nomad eSIM plans for specific countries or entire regions, if you are planning a round trip. There’s even a Global option to grant you data connectivity in absolutely every country where Nomad has partners (which are over 200).

Want to try it out first? Get a trial eSIM with 500 MB here!

How to install Nomad eSIM on your phone

It’s actually extremely easy — all you have to do is download the Nomad app for iOS or Android. From there, simply follow the steps as outlined inside the app. As soon as you purchase your Nomad plan, the app will prompt you to allow it to install an eSIM on your smartphone. From then, the eSIM can be accessed and controlled within your phone’s settings. You can even disable it at specific points, if you wish.

Download Nomad eSIM

Pre-download games, movies, podcasts, but mind your free storage!

Since traveling includes long flights or rides, not to mention layover time at airports, it’s a good idea to prepare some entertainment on your device. Instead of wasting your roaming data when you are already out of the country, make sure you pre-download a couple of movies, some podcast episodes, and even a game or two that can be played offline.

Do leave some storage space for photos and videos (especially if you’re planning to capture lots of stunning vacation moments). Aim for 30-50 GB of free space for smooth sailing.

Consider a rugged case

Yeah, nobody likes how a rugged case makes your phone bulky and… not pretty. But what we like less is to drop it, scratch it, or even break it while abroad.

You will be out, on foot, presumably every day, enjoying the sights, having an adventure, and hopefully living your best life. All of this exponentially increases the chance that you damage your smartphone — the one thing that’s helping you through this trip.

Even if you concede to a slim case only, we do encourage anyone going on a beach vacation to also use a screen protector. Sand consists of tiny crystals of quartz, which is harder than glass. It can very quickly and very easily get into any pocket and any backpack and create some mystery scratches that will sour anybody’s mood.

All done? Have a blast!

Checklist complete? Well, your phone is safe, and will be ready to accompany you on your adventure. Go have it!