Essentials
Essentials are the first stop for research in any trip. They’re basic information or applications which apply wherever you go.
Dropbox: A great cloud-based storage solution that synce easily between devices and is a great back-up tool (^)
Global Entry: a US Customs and Border Protection program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers arriving into the US
KeyNote: Note-taking freeware application to organize all your research (^)
! Oanda Currency Converter: A great currency converter. One cool feature is that they do historical comparisons so that you can compare the value of money from one date to another.
Shoeboxed: Awesome webapp for storing important documents online so you can access to them anywhere there’s internet. Perfect for insurance docs, receipts, prescriptions, etc. You can also send them documents/receipts to scan. (^*)
Socket Map of the world: This map (first published in National Geographic) aims to give a quick overview of which parts of the world use which socket.
! UK Government: Travel information for UK citizens, often more up-to-date and comprehensive in travel alerts than the US site.
U.S. Department of State: First stop for US Citizens who want more information on passports, visas, country info, and travel warnings. You can also register with the US here, just in case trouble crops up in the country you’re visiting. (^)
! Visa HQ: You can check regulations for passports & visa, find forms to obtain them, or you can have them get the visas & passports for you with a service charge. (^$*)
! Weather Hopper: Source for historical weather from any country with records on average temperature, precipitation, humidity, etc.
WunderMap: Find the weather for anywhere in the world. You can overlay the map displayed with layers of weather stations, radar, satellite, severe weather, etc.
XE Currency Converter: Quickly convert from one currency to the other (^)
Legend:
!: New
$: Costs Money
*: Affiliate
^: Personally Used & Liked
?: Possibly Inactive
%: US only