Let’s start with the BA-BA: the smartphone charger. To forget it is to start your vacation very badly. If you also use a connected watch and wireless headphones, you will find induction chargers – and therefore wireless -, ultra flat, to simultaneously charge your phone, your headphones and your watch, simply by placing them on them. Very practical on the bedside table, for 2 or 3 devices: from 30 to 120 euros, depending on the brand and model.
Second accessory: a connected speaker, the great classic of the summer to take your music everywhere with you, even on the sand. A wireless speaker, of course, via Bluetooth, and if possible waterproof: between 30 and 50 euros, at JBL, Anker or Sony.
Rather than carrying multiple power supplies, aim for a single model that will power all your devices, up to your 16“ or 17“ laptop, with 100W of power and several USB-C and USB-A ports – the format tends to disappear but it can still be useful – four USB ports in all is ideal. All that remains is to connect the cables. Count 80 euros.
Are you going abroad? Provide a universal travel plug. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your hotel or rental home and not being able to plug anything in. Besides, a little advice: rather than “ruining yourself” and planning several, buy only one, and plug a French power strip on it: you can thus charge several devices directly, without any other electronic adapter, camera and razor included.
On vacation, in theory, WiFi is everywhere but in reality, the real freedom is 4G or 5G with a small WiFi router. The principle is simple: once at your destination, you get a SIM card from a local operator with a 4G or 5G data plan; you put the card in the router; and the connection becomes accessible to all those who capture the WiFi signal of this accessory which is also nicknamed a “pebble“: between 70 and 300 euros, at TP-Link or Netgear.
And then, you surely have a little room left for the cutest accessory of all. Her name ? The AirFly Pro from Twelve South (about 50 euros): a stereo audio minijack, a few centimeters of cable, and a tiny white box that transmits and receives via Bluetooth. Plug it into the auxiliary input of an old hi-fi system and play your Spotify or Deezer playlists from your smartphone!
Conversely, on the plane, plug the AirFly into the headphone jack next to the screen, and listen to the movie, wirelessly, with your Bluetooth headphones rather than the cheap airline-provided plastic headphones. With its 16 hours of battery life, you’ll last a very long haul… and can even connect two pairs of headphones for romantic viewing.