Staying productive while traveling can be challenging. Away from your usual workspace, distractions abound—no matter how tempting a new city might be.
This is a common hurdle for millions, with tools like gadgets (10 Great Gifts for the Road Warrior) or browser extensions (Top 13 Chrome Extensions and Apps to Work Offline) offering help. From my years of long-term travel and remote work, one app consistently excels: Evernote.
I'm not paid to endorse it—I'm just a fan. This scalable note-taking powerhouse shines for organization (The Best Way to Organize Evernote: Use Tags) and underappreciated features (5 Underappreciated Evernote Features). To highlight them, I consulted Joshua Zerkel, Evernote's Director of Global Customer Education and Community, who shared pro tips based on real user needs.
Here are six proven strategies to keep you on track anywhere in the world.
During trip planning, store itineraries, reservations, confirmations, schedules, local taxi numbers, hotel addresses, restaurant lists, and Wi-Fi hotspots in a dedicated Evernote notebook. Make it available offline for instant access upon landing—no data needed. This has saved me countless headaches.
Skip manual copy-paste: Use the Evernote Web Clipper to save web pages, images, or clips directly to notebooks from your browser.
For automation, connect via free IFTTT platform. Forward confirmation emails from Gmail to auto-save in Evernote. Explore all Evernote IFTTT integrations.
You can't embed live mobile maps, but MapClipper integrates seamlessly. Enter an address, name the note or select an existing one, and save a static Google Map image.
Joshua notes: "Simply type the address into MapClipper, choose a new note name or select an existing note, then click Save." Offline notes let you view anywhere; online opens in Google Maps.
Several apps enhance Evernote for travelers:
Note: Premium feature.
The growing pile of business cards can be frustrating (How to Scan and Manage Business Cards). Evernote's mobile camera scans them on the spot—digitize and ditch the paper.
OCR makes text searchable. Tag each (e.g., event met at) for organization, especially at conferences. Link to LinkedIn for profile pics and roles. Set date/time reminders (alarm icon) to follow up.
Time is tight on the road—pre-made templates are a game-changer (How 6 Simple Evernote Templates Boost My Daily Productivity).
Evernote offers free business travel templates, meeting agendas, project plans, and more—or create custom ones. Build a "Template Library Note" with links to all for quick access.
Distance doesn't stop collaboration. Shared notebooks keep teams synced.
Joshua explains: "Shared notebooks are a great way to provide real-time updates on itineraries, packing lists, and phone numbers. Everyone stays informed and prepared, ditching loose papers or buried emails." Learn more about shared notebooks.
Evernote, used right, unlocks extra hours (Squeeze an Extra Hour from Your Day with These 10 Quick Tips) and sharpens focus (Why Self-Discipline Is the Best Productivity Hack You Need). New users: Start simple, refine your workflow (Download the Right Productivity App Every Time with This Simple System).
What other productivity tips, Evernote-related or not, do you have for frequent travelers?
