I have recently returned from a two month adventure in the US, whereby I travelled through a total of 20 states, many of which I had never been to. As you can imagine, I relied heavily on any information that was available to help me find my bearings and ensure I maximised my time in each place.
However, one thing I personally hate is walking around a town with a huge map, looking confused and feeling like a fish out of water. Not only can this approach waste precious time, but it just screams ‘HELLO, I’M A TOURIST!’. And I know I’m not alone, with many of my friends echoing this sentiment.
So when I was in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I was pleased to come across this handy little local information card that you can scan with your smartphone (or shall I say cellphone!) via a QR code for information on things to do, eat, shop and so on. It also comes with a built-in map, as well updates on the weather and traffic. Handy, right?
Now, the only downside is you need an internet connection to access the content, which luckily I had through my hotel’s Wi-Fi. So while I was able to do some research before I left my room, it was not so convenient when I was out and about as it would’ve quickly drained my data allowance and been rather expensive.
So there was the occasional time where I had to rock the ‘I’m a tourist’ look…but I imagine this wouldn’t be a problem for American tourists (or travellers with endless data). Ultimately, the benefits of easily locating information that was specifically designed for my stay in Harrisburg far outweighed the connectivity barriers.
Travelling has both opened my eyes to the wonderful world we live in, as well as the technology that has made it much easier to explore, but just don’t forget to look up once in a while, or you’ll miss it!
Has a QR code ever helped you when travelling or in another circumstance? Let us know below!