We are about to embark on more travel with our Surfaces, both in U.S. and abroad. Last year, we spent 2 weeks in Panama using only our Surfaces as means of staying in touch with friends and family and I have to tell you, it was by far the best experience with technology we’ve ever had while traveling.
This year we’re going to Puerto Rico, along with many other U.S. trips, and we are again happy to have our Surfaces to take along. It doesn’t really matter if the trip is for business or pleasure, the Surface truly is the best tablet for travel.
Here are our 5 reason why Surface is the best tablet for travel:
Ease of getting through airport security.
Great Apps for travel.
WiFi (and now 4G) everywhere!
It’s a tablet on steroids! Everything you need in a computer but better.
Portability and size.
Let’s take these one at a time:
#1 of 5 Reasons Why Surface is the Best Tablet for Travel: Airport Security
We have taken our Surfaces on several trips now but it wasn’t until our trip to Panama last year that we actually traveled with one abroad. I have to tell you, it could not be easier. We went through airport security and customs in both countries without ever needing to turn the Surfaces on. We simply took it out and put it in a bin with the rest of our electronics, like cameras and phones, and noone blinked an eye – it really was a breeze.
#2 of 5 Reasons Why Surface is the Best Tablet for Travel: Great Apps for travel
Tim wrote a post about this already, see Surface Apps for Trips, but I just want to reemphasize how awesome our experience was with applications like Skype. The Surfaces we have came with a one-year free subscription to Skype Unlimited World and Wi-Fi, we used it all the time. Tim even did an important work phone meeting while we were abroad, using only Skype call to landline. It was fantastic. And if you have a Skype number assigned, you can even have people call you directly to your number on your phone or other devices too.
#3 of 5 Reasons Why Surface is the Best Tablet for Travel: WiFi and 4G
I find that when we travel abroad WiFi and 4G access are even better than in U.S. – I know shocking, but true. It didn’t matter if we were on a remote rainforest island in the Caribbean or in a small town in the volcanic mountains; we had a great experience with getting online. We made Skype calls to the U.S. from local restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops and even from a coffee plantation. And now with the 4G version of my Surface 2, I suspect we won’t be without access literally anywhere – we’ll test that for you on our trip to Puerto Rico in June.
#4 of 5 Reasons Why Surface is the Best Tablet for Travel: It’s a tablet on steroids!
I mean, really... If you’re doing business travel, you have full blown MS Office with you; if you’re traveling for pleasure you have your favorite Xbox games with you; if you need to communicate with others, you get free Skype. I don’t know what else I can possibly say. Even my Surface 2 – a Windows RT device – has been excellent for business, fun, and communications.
#5 of 5 Reasons Why Surface is the Best Tablet for Travel: Portability and size
So, this maybe my favorite thing - although it’s difficult to choose. The size and portability of the Surface enabled us to take it everywhere we went – well with the exception of water/ocean excursions. Tim likes to wear big-pocket cargo shorts on vacation and he just slips the surface into a pocket, so unless you’re keeping a close eye, you wouldn’t even notice it. I always have a tote with me and I simply drop the Surface in with all my other necessities and off I go. It is easy to take along for entertainment to the airport and on the plane and it allows you to stay in touch with work. For business specifically, it is excellent for on-the-go presentations to clients or just simply for taking notes. The size, weight, and portability are fantastic – it really beats a laptop.
Do you have a favorite reason why you love your Surface for traveling? If you do, we’d love to hear about it.
