Carry On: Pack these language-learning apps into your travel itinerary this summer

No matter where you’re going, residents there will typically appreciate it when you can drop a few phrases in the local tongue. The best language-learning app, though, is up for debate.

According to product-review site CNN Underscored, it’s U.S.-based Rosetta Stone, which offers 25 languages (and a three-day free trial, if you’re a really fast learner), emphasizing mastery of vocabulary through words and pictures, plus short travel-friendly and conversational phrases.

Wired put Germany’s Babbel on top for its insights on local culture and slang; though a first lesson is free, you’ll likely need a monthly subscription. The magazine also dubbed American platform Duolingo as the best free app (although Super Duolingo, with additional features, requires a subscription) and name-checked the U.K.’s Memrise as best for casual conversation.

The modern shortcut to being understood overseas may just be a digital translator: there’s Google Translate, of course, but the next-level solution is Timekettle’s WT2 Edge translation earbuds. Connected to a smartphone app, the AI-powered earworms promise real-time translation of two-way conversations.

Nobu is the hottest reservation (to dine and stay) in Toronto. The 36 minimalist-luxe suites (all with Toto commodes, of course!) of Nobu Hotel Toronto occupy floors 41 to 45 atop one of two entertainment district towers, with Lake Ontario, CN Tower and skyline views. A two-level Nobu restaurant features private dining rooms and a terrace. 

Jet Setter

One of our 30 Under 30 winners in 2017, SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch might snack on her own yummy, low-sugar goodies while travelling, but she also packs wellness boosters like Ener-C, Organika electrolytes, Cymbiotika greens and REDD protein bars. “My supplement kit is always stocked full to make my little health ‘potions,’”  she says.

She also packs a mini humidifier (dry hotel rooms can give her overnight migraines) plus skin-saving comforts like a silk pillowcase, face masks and rich moisturizers.

The active traveller tries to get her 10,000 steps in daily when she’s away from home. “That might mean a 20-minute walk in the morning, 30 minutes between meetings, 10 minutes in the evening… This goes a long way in feeling good and maintaining energy levels,” Bosch says.

As a mindful traveller, Bosch tries to take time on the plane to get inspiration “on the ‘why’ behind a trip,” she says. For instance, schnitzel-rich trips abroad bring her oma to mind: “Visiting Germany and eating that feels like a warm hug from her.”

Her secret travel weapons include packing cubes for no-brainer outfits—and travel agent Mckenzie McMillan at the Travel Group. “Finding an amazing travel agent who is proactive, responsive and anticipates all potential hiccups is a true game-changer,” she says. υ