Julie and I do a lot of hiking in Australia, but every year we try to plan one big overseas trek to experience the incredible trails, cultures, and landscapes other countries have to offer. These are usually long-distance treks, sometimes guided, sometimes self-organised, and they can be logistically complex. Over time, we’ve discovered a handful of tools and services that have become absolute essentials when we travel. They’ve saved us time, money, and stress.
We thought it might be useful to share what we’ve learned, so here’s a breakdown of the services we actually use and why they’ve made a difference on our international trekking adventures.
Smartraveller – Australia’s Government Travel Advice Site
This is always the first place we check once we start thinking about a new overseas trek. Smartraveller is run by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and it provides reliable, current information about travel safety, health risks, entry requirements, and more.
Before heading off to Peru, for instance, we looked up specific travel warnings, checked for any recommended vaccinations, and reviewed local safety concerns. It also lists things like political protests, natural disaster risks, and laws that might catch out unsuspecting tourists. One thing we particularly appreciate is that you can sign up for email alerts and subscribe to updates for specific countries, so if something changes while you’re on the road, you’ll be notified quickly.
We also make a habit of registering our travel plans through Smartraveller. It’s not required, but in the event of an emergency, like a natural disaster or civil unrest, it gives the Australian government a way to reach you or provide assistance.
If you’re trekking in remote or volatile areas, this really is a must-use site.
Alpine Club Membership
The Österreichischer Alpenverein (ÖAV)
alpenverein.at/innsbruck-melbourne
We’re members of the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV), specifically the Ortsgruppe Melbourne, an Australian-based group affiliated with the main Alpenverein Innsbruck section. This might seem like a strange choice for Australians but hear us out: the worldwide insurance coverage alone makes it an exceptional deal.
The insurance included with membership covers emergency medical evacuation and treatment, anywhere in the world, not just in the Alps. That means if you twist your ankle in the Cordillera Huayhuash or get altitude sickness in Nepal, you’re covered. And we’re not just talking about basic care; helicopter evacuation is included. It also covers you while skiing, mountaineering, or hiking solo.
Beyond the insurance, Alpenverein membership gets you discounts on mountain huts across Europe, access to high-quality mountain weather forecasts, and eligibility to join alpine courses. We’ve used the hut discounts in Switzerland and saved quite a bit.
You don’t have to be a hardcore climber to benefit, this membership is one of the best-kept secrets for adventurous travellers.
Revolut and Wise – Managing Money While Abroad
When travelling internationally, dealing with money can be surprisingly frustrating, exchange rates, ATM fees, bank blocks, and lost cards can all become serious headaches. We’ve tried a few options over the years. I used Wise (formerly TransferWise) for a while, including for business purposes, but for our Peru trip in June 2025, we decided to give Revolut a go. It ended up becoming our main financial tool on the trip.
Revolut offers a multi-currency account that lets you hold and exchange over 30 currencies. You can get a physical card for ATM withdrawals and chip/tap purchases, add a digital card to your phone’s wallet, and even create disposable virtual cards for one-time payments (great for added security).
When withdrawing cash in Peru, we did find that some ATMs charged high fees, so we’d try a couple in a town until we found a fee-free or low-fee machine. That said, Revolut itself doesn’t add big extra charges like traditional Aussie banks do.
It’s also handy to be able to lock in exchange rates ahead of time. And having everything visible in the app, balances, transfers, budget tracking, makes it very easy to manage your money while bouncing between towns or countries.
Wise is still solid for transferring money, especially between bank accounts in different countries, but Revolut is better (in our experience) for day-to-day travel spending.
One important tip: If you plan to use your regular Australian debit or credit cards overseas (even as a backup), make sure you let your bank know about your travel dates and destinations before you go. Otherwise, there’s a good chance your transactions will get flagged as suspicious and your card could be temporarily blocked—usually at the worst possible moment.
Booking.com – Accommodation Planning Made Easier
On a big trekking trip, especially a point-to-point trail, you’re often booking multiple nights of accommodation in advance. When we walked the Haute Route in Switzerland, we had 13 nights to book across different towns and mountain villages. Having all those bookings in one place made life a lot easier.
Booking.com was particularly useful because:
- You can manage all your bookings through one account and app.
- You can message property owners directly (we used this a lot to ask about check-in times or whether dinner was available).
- Many listings offer free cancellation or flexible terms, which gave us peace of mind when planning a complex itinerary.
Sometimes we still check accommodation websites directly to compare prices, but more often than not, we’ve found that Booking.com offers the best blend of ease, support, and coverage, especially in areas where English isn’t widely spoken.
WhatsApp – How We Actually Booked Tours in Peru
We’d used WhatsApp before for personal chats, but in Peru we discovered just how essential it is for travel. It turns out most tour companies, transport providers, and even small guesthouses rely on WhatsApp to communicate.
We booked our entire 8-day Cordillera Huayhuash trek with a local operator via WhatsApp. No clunky websites or delayed emails, just a quick message, a fast reply, and ongoing communication to finalise itinerary details, gear needs, and even pickup times.
We also used it to ask for directions, confirm transfers, and stay in touch with guides. Because it works over Wi-Fi or mobile data, it didn’t cost anything extra.
If you don’t already have WhatsApp on your phone, install it before your trip. It will likely become your main way of staying in touch, not just with friends and family, but with your hosts, drivers, and guides.
Uber – Getting Around Without Guesswork
We used to rely on local taxis or public transport when arriving in new countries, but in the past few years, Uber has become our go-to wherever it’s available. It’s especially useful when you land in a foreign city and want a quick, safe, and cashless ride to your accommodation without haggling or worrying about getting overcharged.
In Peru, we used Uber in Lima several times—airport pickups, rides to tour meeting points, and even late-night transfers—and it worked brilliantly. The app quotes your fare upfront, tracks your route in real time, and lets you pay through your Revolut or bank card directly—no fumbling with local currency or language barriers.
We still double-check safety by matching the license plate and driver photo, but overall, Uber made urban transport smoother and more predictable, especially after long flights or treks when you’re tired and just want to get where you’re going without stress.
In towns or countries where Uber isn’t available, we switch to local alternatives or ask our accommodation to arrange trusted transfers, but whenever it is available, we use it.
Google Translate – Your Pocket Language Guide
Neither of us speaks French, German, Italian, or Spanish fluently (at all), so when we were in Switzerland in 2024 and Peru in 2025, Google Translate became an indispensable tool.
There are a few ways we used it:
- Camera mode: Point your phone at a menu, sign, or trailhead notice, and it translates instantly.
- Offline mode: Download languages in advance (critical for remote areas without signal).
- Conversation mode: Use it in real time to have basic back-and-forth chats with locals.
We found it helped with everything from buying bus tickets to ordering food and checking hostel rules. It’s fast, free, and often surprisingly accurate. If you’ve ever found yourself standing blankly in front of a German-language train machine, you’ll understand the relief of having this app ready to go.
eSIM Plans – Mobile Data Without the Hassle
*5% Promo codes, see below.
We used to rely on local SIM cards or international roaming packs from Aussie telcos, but now we almost always go with an eSIM. For our most recent trip to Peru in June 2025, we used Airalo and were impressed by how easy it was to set up.
Once you purchase a data pack, you simply scan a QR code and your eSIM activates, it’s instant, and you don’t need to swap out your regular SIM. This means you can keep your Australian number active for things like two-factor authentication or bank alerts, while still having local data for maps, WhatsApp, bookings, and translation.
We’ve also looked into a few others:
- Saily (5% Promo code: TrailHikingAust) – Saily offers flexible data plans in more than 200 destinations. Just pick where you want to go and find a plan that works best for you. Affordable eSIM data for international travel. Stay connected wherever you go and protect your browsing. By the creators of NordVPN.
- Holafly (5% Promo code: TRAILHIKING) – With Holafly’s eSIM, enjoy internet connection on every adventure and forget about expensive roaming bills upon your return.
- eSIMmania – Offers a wide range of prepaid eSIM data plans for travellers in over 200 destinations. Simple setup and competitive pricing. We haven’t tested it yet, but it’s another affordable option worth considering.
- Revolut eSIM – Also available if you’re already using Revolut. Convenient, though we haven’t tested it yet.
- amaysim – Offers eSIMs too, though we’ve found the pricing a bit higher.
- Airalo – One of the most popular eSIM platforms globally, with affordable data packs for over 200 countries. Easy to set up and manage via their app. We’ve found it reliable and great for short trips. Airalo offered decent coverage and pricing, and we’d happily use them again.
- Maya Mobile – Offers prepaid eSIM data plans available worldwide. Though we haven’t tested it yet.
- Belong Global Data Pack – Our usual mobile provider, but their international packs are expensive compared to eSIMs.
Final Thoughts
Every year we learn something new about how to travel smarter and lighter. These tools and services aren’t about luxury, they’re about independence, safety, and efficiency. Having the right systems in place lets you focus on the real reason you’re out there: the trails, the culture, the challenge, and the connection to a place.
Hopefully this list gives you a practical head start. If you’ve got questions about any of these services or want to know how we used them on a specific trek, drop us a line, we’re always happy to share more.
And if there are any services or travel tools you swear by when heading overseas, let us know! We’re always curious to discover what works for others on the trail.
Fantastic article!
Thanks for all the tips.
I would add Maya Mobile to your list of esim providers.
We’ve used them heaps in Japan, Indonesia and Argentina, to name a few. Works well and good value.
Rob Karoly
Thanks so much Robert. I will add Maya Mobile to the list now. I’ll have to check them out too.
Are there any services or travel tools you swear by when heading overseas, let us know! We’re always curious to discover what works for others.
Great when peeps use Polarsteps so family etc at home can follow them.
eSIM Airalo
Global Rescue for high altitude evacuation & insurance for over 6000m.