This summer has been a whirlwind of travel for me. Between vacation, work and getting ready to move a kid into college, I have spend a lot of time on the go. The sad fact is I worry while I am away. Sometimes I need to check in on the kids and boss them around ask them politely to do something for me. Sometimes I am worried about all the animals. Are those rabbits digging out of their pen? Are the cats making a big mess in the house and no one is cleaning it up? I can connect with them on the computer using Skype and see what’s happening at home. This is a major plus because I can see if the house is clean enough for “mom standards” and not just “kid standards.” But, Skype is not just for checking in at home anymore! I’ve learned several other ways to improve my travel experience.
1. Checking Rental Properties before the trip. Have you ever decided to book a house on the beach with friends and then found it wasn’t all it was advertised to be? Who needs running water and faucets that don’t gush water everywhere, right? Some services allow virtual tours on Skype so you can “see” the property before you book. This saves a lot of frustration if the “3 bedroom, 2 bath house” you expect turns out to be a cot on the screened in back porch and an outhouse. Ok, I’ve never had an experience that bad, but you never know.
2. Send short videos to friends. Do you have a friend or family member who wants to keep up with your trip? Use Skype Qik. With Skype Qik, you can send short video messages that are up to 40 seconds, or respond with a pre-recorded 5 second video clip.
3. Keep an eye on your pets. Our pets are members of our families, so finding a safe and comfortable place for them to sleep while we are away is just as important as booking our own hotel. These days, some doggie hotels are not only comfy, they also allow you to check in with your pup via Skype so you can vacation worry free.
How do you use Skype on your vacation?
While I did not receive compensation for this post, I did receive an update to Office. All opinions are my own.
I love Skype. I haven’t used it while traveling per se, but I keep in touch with my boyfriend when he is away.
I never do skype. But i think once I have kids and they are older I will so that i can actually see that they are ok.
I love using skype! It comes in real handy when you want to get in touch with people that are too far . It’s a great way to connect
Great tips! I don’t use Skype as much as I used to, probably because I’m not traveling as much anymore! I think using it to keep an eye on pets is a wonderful idea.
Skype is great to have not only while vacationing but everyday. It helps us keep in touch with family, friend, colleagues and business partners!
I use Skype on my phone when i am travelling. It is a great way to stay in touch. My parents are away six months of the year. We Skype almost every day.
My granddaughter uses Skype. She’s 2. lol!! It’s true though,she used to Skype me when I lived far away and now she Skypes w/her grandmother in England. 🙂
Look how beautiful the water is! I havent thought to Skype but I could see the benefits due to trying to call or Facetime can lead to international charges. I will be skyping the next time I am on an international vacation!
I have never heard of Skype Qik. We use Skype and facetime with our kids when they were in college or our grandchildren who live out of state. I am still not completely comfortable using video chats, but we do it. Great travel tips!
Skype is a great and affordable way to stay in touch. I love your ideas for using it on vacation.
I never knew that you could do this. I love Skype because I can easily connect with family and friends. Now I love it more because of this.
Staying in touch with friends and sharing about your trip is one of the best parts of traveling! What’s the point of going if you don’t get to talk about it?
I use Skype every time I go out of town. It’s not always crystal clear, but it’s still great.
I’ve never used Skype on vacation. Not yet at least; I have a Vegas trip next month that I think Skype will really come in handy for!
It’s so much fun to Skype when you are traveling. It’s a great way to keep in touch with your friends and loved ones.
It’s so wonderful that we can stay so connected to the ones we love during the times we are away from home. We use Skype all the time.
I love knowing technology can help have a stress-free vacation. Makes going on vacation something to look forward to even more!
Those are all great ideas for staying in touch. I can relax so much better when I can check in.
I love Skyping when I’m traveling. It lets me connect to all of my loved ones. Been using it for years.
My husband will be leaving the country on a business trip soon. This sounds like a great way for the kids and I to stay connected with him!
I have not even thought about using Skype when I travel. That seems kind of obvious. I should pay attention here!
I hadn’t thought about using Skype to keep an eye on my pets. That is a fabulous idea.
I have not used skype in a while I also have not been in vacation in a while either. I do use skype chatting with friends but its hard when the friends are online at the same time and they dont know each other to decided who to chat with. I have the same issue with facebook messenger.
Skype is such a handy communication method. We love it.
Skype is something we use often, especially when I am on the road. We also use it to stay connected with my daughter who lives out of state.
I should really start Skyping more often. I’d love to be able to video chat with my sister since she lives so far away.
I have not used it while traveling. Very good idea I need to check into.
Skype is great so you can physically see the other person and check in on them. I use it to check in on my elderly mom.
I was so thankful for Skype a few years ago when we went away. Our dog went missing from my brother in law’s where he was watching her, and that was the only way we could keep in touch….. It was a terrible time!
Skype is a great way to stay in touch. Your suggestions are awesome. The doggie hotel with Skype is an excellent idea.
WOW! I was unaware of these Skype features. I have a Skype premium account, but I never thought that i can do much with it. Now, I will use Skype to check a lot of things. Thank you so much this useful post
We’ve never Skyped when on vacation before – since we’re all together as a family. However, I do Skype or FaceTime the kids whenever I’m on a business trip. They always want to see my room and my office…
Skype is a great way to stay in touch with family while away. I need to look into Skype Qik that sounds neat.
Skype Qik sounds like a fantastic way to stay in touch! That would have been great when we were doing our Asia trip.
Skype is a great way to stay connected while on a trip. It’s so nice to see a face and hear a voice.