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.