For me personally using a translator app just adds an additional layer of awkward to every interaction. Where you have to fiddle with it and the other person might not understand how to interact with it right away. It's not a huge problem, but if your not super confident already, it might be enough to discourage you. When I went to japan, lots of people where very hesitant to use their english. Like they didn't want to embarass themselves. I'd never really experienced that before, everywhere else I had gone to previously, people's drive to communicate was usually a lot stronger than their drive to hide weak language skills.

I believe it is common with some nationalities (S Korea, for example) to study to the point of perfection but be very reluctant to speak another language outside of a classroom situation.

As a UK citizen, we have the opposite problem.

It's nice if you don't have to use it much. Otherwise it's a device that makes all your communication lag, and you'te also putting a lot of faith in the translation when you're alone in a foreign country.

For ordering at a restaurant it's fine. For trying to find a way to go to the consulate because your bag was stolen, it's not ideal.

We coped with that decades ago before handhold computers with connection to enourmous global databases.

Nowadays you just put the address into google/Apple/etc maps, or get an Uber.

I love Google Maps, and dealing with local transit is not its forte.

Many countries also won't have Ubers, and/or you'll need a local credit card to use the taxi apps.

Having a smartphone still helps a lot, I'd probably bet on actually reliable web resouces for standard help phrases

Most cities where intercontinental tourists go to have Uber. And while I use Apple Maps rather than google I’ve used it in dozens of cities in dozens of countries on 6 continents with limited problems. Or of course I’ve just hailed taxied and shown them the hotel business card or location I’m going to.

China is probably the main tricky part, last time I went about 5 years ago I had issues paying with cash, although at least visa was accepted pretty much everywhere.

Japan doesn't have Uber, neither does Thailand. Korea also kicked Uber in 2022.

Basically, the shenanigans they pulled to get a foothold in the local markets didn't work everywhere. You'll find local alternatives, but that means local account registration etc.

Thailand has Bolt in some locations, but in many places there are ferocious tuk-tuk mafias that enforce high rates.

I've had no issues with google translate, there is a conversation mode where each person can just tap a button, speak into it, and it converts speech to text and then translates.

Sure you wont want to have a nuanced philosophical discussion, but you can easily have a conversation with it.

Easy to say when my native language is basically the lingua franca of the world, but in 2009 I went to China with a friend and we managed to get by fine with a combination of gestures and an offline translation app on my Palm Centro....

Last year I've been asked by a guy for directions to the hotel where he was staying.

It standed out for me because:

a) he was clearly in his early 20s

b) he asked me this after boarding the bus on the same stop as me

c) he could find out the directions just by using a plethora of map/navigation (GPS for Americans) apps available here

d) he was going the wrong way

Just yesterday I saw a woman trying to find out which route she needs to board. She was in ~50s and I can bet $10 she had an Android phone => at least Google Maps. She just didn't even though about using it.

So despite it's 2023 there are people there who still live like it's 1990.

Well, many a times, the analog method are way faster. When trying to figure out the direction of a public transport, especially underground, I like to quickly ask someone for the direction to which a train/tube is traveling to. It is way faster than using a smartphone underground or trying to find the signs that says so.

A habit I picked up when building digital/technology features -- how does this compete with pen/paper or an analog method.

I'm in my 40s and I really love fooling around in real life. Observing printed maps by moving my entire body or my head towards it, is more relaxing than having to actively take out my phone and finger my way to the same information on this minuscule device.

I find interacting with sign posts or humans more enjoyable than living in the matrix where I have to find the correct bus provider website, learn to navigate its crappy user interface, finally having to revert to Google maps, and then get the suggestion to go by boat.

Or you can just start with google maps, type in your destination, and take the appropriate bus route that even shows you where the hell the bus is right now, which will also not involve a small rowboat or whatever hyperbole you are envisioning.

I'm sorry that you don't appreciate hyperbole, but in Europe, public transport planning by Google Maps is quite often inferior to local services. And these local services do suggest water taxis here and there.

Also, typing in the destination still is cumbersome. I hope we can agree on that.

Foreign travelers often don’t have cell access, or don’t have it until they arrive at their first stop.

Or they know that roaming is horribly expensive outside certain cases like inside EEA for EEA contracts.

And hunting for working wifi might be complicated as well.

Exactly. You have to be pretty technologically inclined and have done extensive research to determine how to get a data sim in a foreign country, and not get screwed by roaming costs.

Even I, an HN tech god, rely on McDonald’s Wi-Fi and the Here app, even when I do have data enabled, as it’s often painfully slow.

Can't you mostly just pick them up at the airport when you arrive? That may not be the absolute cheapest option, but SIMs are not usually hard to find.

Sounds like they are just making life hard for themselves, I always check prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com before the trip and get the most suitable sim card at the airport.

[delayed]

Yep an esim is even more convenient.

Last time I travelled was pre-pandemic before esims were common place, so I just pre-ordered a SIM card online that I just needed to pick up from an airport booth after showing my passport.

Depending on the country and how rural you are travelling it can also be worth checking out the coverage and frequency band compatibility to ensure you get the best reception possible.