I Pod4 touch tips

Karen I don't own one so don't know the details but I do know you need to turn off the data if you don't want a big fone bill. Plenty of WiFi (W-Lan in Germany) about if you look about (much free unless staying in expensive hotels). Then again maybe yours is the phone-less I Pod - dunno - in which case ignore what I just said.... Have a greet trip.

No phone bill for ipod touch. Check out the Graffiti Wall which has ipod and iphone sections. As you are probably aware 99% of iphone apps work on the ipod touch. Also search ipod touch in the upper right corner of this page because the topic comes up frequently. I think it's the best device you can take on a trip. Some of my tips: download Skype, download Evernote to keep all your travel docs in one place (you synch it with your PC), Deutsche Bahn rail app if you plan to take trains, you can take a screenshot of any map so you can use it offline by holding the power button and pressing the home button... the screenshot goes to your saved photos so you can refer to it later. It's a good idea to lock your ipod with a 4 digit password (Settings > General > Passcode Lock) and also set it to erase all data after 10 invalid attempts... in case it's stolen.

Brad, Thanks for the tip on locking the ipod. Way too much information for our trip stored on the device. I remember seeing this option on the ipod when we got it, but hadn't been able to find it since.
I read the Griffit wall for I pod posts, but I didn't know that the apps would be the same as the iphone, so I'll go back and read those post as well. A friend showed us last night how we can talk to them with Face Time and show them what we see at that moment. We can even see and talk to our dogs.

To expand on what Brad said; Play around with the "maps" app and see what kind of maps you could find helpful - everything from a long driving route to a very detailed city neighborhood walking map - and then take a screen-shot so it is always at hand even without wifi. We traveled all over central Europe in 2010 in a car and without any map other than the screen-shots on our ipod Touch.

Apps that we have used with an iPod Touch on one trip or another in the past: -a currency converter (find in iTunes app store under business or finance); -subway/tube/metro maps that help you plan routes; -language translators; -your bank's app for taking care of business;
-you can load books into iBooks; and -games for killing time. Have a great trip!

Karen, As the others have mentioned, you won't have to worry about expensive data charges as the iPod Touch only accesses the net via Wi-Fi. While an iPod Touch is very convenient and easy to travel, I suspect you'll find it a bit tedious after awhile for things like E-mail and Internet use. I can tell you that, as I'm sitting in a Hotel in Brussels at the moment and typing this message on one. I travel with a Netbook and much prefer that, but the iPod is useful for brief use while out touring or whatever. When travelling I use the Weather app frequently and also the Currency Conversion app. Happy travels!

Love my Ipod Touch. I upload RS audio tours, audio books, my music library, and some apps. Lord knows there are enough of them. The ones I use most often for European travel are sitorsquat, Hiconvertor, Skype, Flightboard, Free Wifi Finder, Google Translate, and Time Out. Keep in touch via email. Remember to take your charger and convertor. I always take two pairs of ear buds. Just in case I some how lose a pair. Pack them in Altoid tins. Most of the time I carry the IPod on my belt. That way it's always accessible and I don't have to rummage through my bag to find it. Have a wonderful trip!

I haven't done it with an iPod Touch, but it is possible to pair a portable bluetooth keyboard to some of these smaller devices. I've done it with my Android phone and I've read that it can be done with an iPod (with some of the later updates to the operating system). So, if you hate typing on the screen but know you will need to do so, but don't want to carry around a bigger, heavier device, a portable keyboard is an option. For most trips, though, I'd recommend just suffering through the somewhat awkward typing on screen.

Brad, I love you. There - I've said it. Just the day before, I tried to find some way to save a Rome metro map to Saved Photos and couldn't figure out a way. NOTE: I needed to take 3 photos of the map to capture the whole thing - I scrolled to the bottom and took a photo, then scrolled to the top and took a photo, then centered the map and snapped a photo. This way, I got the whole map; otherwise, the edges were chopped off...it's a big map! I really need to take those iTouch classes offered at the Apple Store...;-)...but in my defense, I only learned about them a few weeks ago. The hardest thing for me about planning to use my iTouch on vacation is remembering that I won't always have Wi-Fi available...like on the street corner in Rome when I want to read my metro map. It's a real bummer to whip out the iTouch/laptop/whatever and then realizing that there's no internet connection... 8^( Karen, I'm sure the 'Notes' feature has been mentioned...but I use it for 'remember-to-do-this-while-there' notes, 'here's the address for that funky wine bar', a certain phrase in a foreign language, and will use it while on-the-ground - I can record the address of that great/awful cafe as I sit with my drink, or make notes about how to find the hidden entrance to some museum. Or, the size of your dining table (tablecloths), or your clothing sizes in European sizes. Things you'd write on those scraps of paper that have no where else to go. Oh - you can also play music on them ;-)

Not sure if this applies to the 4 Touch, but on mine if I use the regular Maps app, the GPS in that app drains the battery pretty fast. If you're going to use the app, use it quickly - get directions from Point A to Point B, write them down, and then close out. Download podcasts of any radio shows you like, to listen to on the plane or train. There are so many free apps for travel (and plenty of ones you have to pay for) - take a look before you leave and add any to your Touch that you think you might use.

Thanks for the great advice. Especially Evernote. Perfect place to store reservations and pdfs of the many tips and advice on things to do, see, eat, or drink from the help line. I can leave much of the paper home. More questions. How long does the battery last? Assuming movies take more power than music or games. Just curious if the battery will last for the 11 hour flight? How do you do a screen print and save to Evernote?
Is there an easy way to add to contacts without typing phone and email addresses?