THE BASICS

■ Map things out

You might not have travelled in a while. So de-fuzz your mind by getting the important stuff down: use mind-mapping and to-do apps to build lists for packing and activities; share documents with friends and family when heading somewhere as a group; and ideally, make sure checklists are reusable for other trips.

■ Get snappy

You want to prove you really went somewhere – and will welcome such memories if Covid locks things down again. So make sure you can shoot great snaps wherever you are. Use a Gorillapod (joby.com) to attach your phone to any surface (or tree) – and maybe consider buying a selfie-stick. The latter might make you feel like an idiot, but they’re a boon for the solo traveller.

■ Make backups

If your device is lost or stolen, you don’t want your precious photos and data to be gone forever with it. Use a cloud sync service, but don’t rely on online connectivity: export daily to an external drive too. Similarly, print tickets and check-in info so you have them there in paper form if your phone conks out at an inopportune moment.

■ Secure everything

Don’t draw attention to your phone by flashing it around, and don’t nonchalantly leave it in your back pocket – unless you’re desperate for someone to steal it. Ideally, twin it with a wearable that will blare if the two are separated. And always have your platform’s device-finding service active.

■ Dig into data

Most Stuff readers will have a solid data plan, but that means nothing if you head overseas and your carrier loves money more than it loves you. Check roaming charges so you don’t chew through your life savings in the immigration queue, and be aware that most UK networks now slap on extra charges in the EU.