The digital nomad’s checklist: all the apps you need to work anywhere

The rise of the digital nomad coincides with the rise of the digital native, web 2.0, and smartphones. More and more people today leave office life behind to enjoy the freedom, adventure, and opportunity that digital nomadic life offers. Somewhere between a yuppie and a hippie, the digital nomad goes where she wants, when she wants, forgoing the comforts of settled life to experience the world like the generations before her never could.
Like all seasoned travelers, being prepared is key to being productive and happy as a digital nomad. If you’re considering making the leap, make sure you have the tools for the job. Here’s a list of all the apps a digital nomad needs to work anywhere.

Maps

The most obvious app you’ll need in your travels is a map. But that’s not as simple as settling for the Google Maps app pre-installed on your phone. Some countries have unexpectedly better alternatives. In China, Google services are blocked, so you’ll want to download Baidu Maps. In Singapore, I’ve had better luck with Nokia HERE than Google.
Google Maps doesn’t always do a great job of giving directions for public transportation. For that, you’ll want to download the local subway, metro, and bus transit apps.

Taxis

The hardest part about traveling in a new country is often just getting around. That’s doubly true in countries where you don’t speak the language. Taxi apps remove the hassle of hailing and haggling with drivers on the side of the street and navigating unfamiliar and uncomfortable public transportation.
Uber operates in most major cities these days, but it’s also worth looking into the local players to save a dime. EasyTaxi, GrabTaxi, and Didi Kuaidi all leverage licensed cab drivers to make booking taxis easier and safer.

VPN

A VPN reroutes all your internet traffic through a secure server in a country of your choice. As a digital nomad, you should subscribe to a reputable VPN service for three major reasons. First, it allows you to access censored content in country’s that aren’t so gung-ho about freedom of speech like China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. That includes social media, news sites, and porn.
Secondly, it allows you access region-locked content. Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify are unavailable in several countries, for example. Streaming live sports also often requires you to watch from a specific country. You can also gain access to the country servers of your preference when gaming online. Sometimes payments can be region-locked, too, so a VPN helps avoid some aggravation (I’m looking at you, Steam).
Lastly, it adds a layer of security. You’ll probaby find yourself working in cafes and libraries with unsecured, public wifi. A VPN shields your web traffic from malicious attackers.
I recommend ExpressVPN, which offers a fast and reliable connection at a reasonable price, but there’s a ton of options. Find something that works across all your devices, i.e. PC and mobile.

Accommodation

Airbnb is my accommodation-finding app of choice while traveling, but also check out services like Couchsurfing, Hostels.com, Hostelbookers, Hotels.com, and many more. When booking in a hurry, I’ve personally had success in finding last-minute discounts using Hotels.com. Most of these sites have apps, but you can also just access them from a browser.
Be sure to double check that the place your staying has wifi!

Translation

I have a love-hate relationship with Google Translate. It’s indispensable but often flawed. The ability to translate entire web pages from within Google Chrome is massively helpful.
Translation quality is iffy, though, and it doesn’t work offline. For that, you’ll want to download an offline translation dictionary for the local language.
Invest in Flitto, which is a crowdsourced paid translation marketplace. It costs just a few cents per short translation and works surprisingly fast. It’s great for those pinches when dictionaries and Google Translate just don’t cut it, like idioms and slang. You can type in the text you want to translate, send a photo of the text, or record and upload someone’s voice.
Finally, take some time to learn a survival-level competency in the local dialect. For the languages it offers, Duolingo is hands down the best free option out there.

Food delivery

Food delivery apps are a dime a dozen. I’m a huge food tourist and love finding local treats myself, but sometimes I just want something brought to my door. Whether restaurants are closed for a holiday, I’m in an area without many food options, or it’s too dark and unsafe to wander around alone, food apps are my saving grace.
There are way too many to list here, and they’re usually localized to a specific city or country. Do some research and find the best option at your destination.

Notes, to do lists, and calendars

Keeping organized is key to staying productive while traveling as a digital nomad. The choice of productivity apps can be overwhelming, but I’ll rattle off the few that I use and you can branch out from there.
Cal is my calendar app of choice because it’s the easiest to add new events to and syncs with Google Calendar. I use Google Keep for shopping lists, addresses, and phone numbers that I only need temporarily. Evernote is the most robust notebook app out there; it’s great for longer notes, research, and clipping web pages among many other functions. Pocket is awesome for saving articles in one place and making them readable offline.
A lot of people like Trello for mapping out their work tasks and Tripit for keeping track of travel itineraries, but I don’t personally use them.