I’m heading to Greece for a sailing trip next month, and my MacBook will inevitably be coming with me. Travelling for me rarely means switching off from work completely.
As a travel writer and content creator, there’s usually something that needs doing while I’m away, whether that’s editing photos or Reels, updating my media kit, signing a contract or sending content over to a client.
Working across different devices and apps can also mean dealing with files that aren’t quite in the format I need. I’ve experienced issues when editing footage from different phones to create Reels in third-party apps, sending Word documents as PDFs, and storing travel documents in iCloud Files when having a particular page saved as an image would be more convenient.
On my last few trips, I’ve been using Convertio to convert files from one format to another when the file I have isn’t compatible with the app I’m using, or just isn’t the most practical format for what I need to do.
Over the years, I’ve found a few simple ways to make managing photos, videos and documents easier, whether I’m preparing for a trip or already on the road. Here are some of the things that make working while travelling that little bit easier for me.
Why file formats matter when travelling
Until you’ve found yourself lost in an iCloud labyrinth of files called IMG_4875, IMG_4876 and IMG_4877, you probably don’t give much thought to file names and formats.
Working while travelling has made me far more aware of both.
On any given trip, I might be juggling photos from my iPhone and camera, video clips for Instagram and TikTok, PDFs containing itineraries and tickets, Word documents, brand assets and the occasional contract that needs signing and returning.
Most of the time, everything works as it should. It’s when a video won’t import into an editing app, an image isn’t accepted by a website or a document needs to be sent in a different format that those three or four letters at the end of a filename suddenly become rather important.
Thankfully, you don’t need to understand the technical ins and outs of every file type. I certainly don’t. It helps, though, to recognise a few of the formats you’re most likely to come across and what they’re generally best suited to.
| Type of file | Common formats | Where I tend to encounter them |
|---|---|---|
| Images | JPG/JPEG, HEIC, PNG | Photos, blog posts, social media and brand assets |
| Video | MP4, MOV | Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts |
| Documents | PDF, DOC, DOCX | Contracts, media kits, itineraries and briefs |
| Audio | MP3, WAV | Voiceovers and other audio files |
| Vector graphics | SVG, AI, EPS | Logos and design assets |
That’s only a snapshot of the formats you might come across. One of the reasons I use Convertio is because it supports over 300 different file formats. I’ve even found its font converter useful when editing my blog template, particularly when a font isn’t available in the format I need.
It’s free to convert files up to 100 MB, which is usually more than enough for everyday documents and images. And sometimes, conversion is simply about convenience. If I only need one page of a PDF at the airport, for example, wouldn’t it be easier to save it as an image in my photo library rather than searching through iCloud Files?
Which brings me to documents – probably the least glamorous part of travel, but one of the areas where I’ve found file conversion most useful.
Converting Word documents to PDF
Contracts and media kits have an annoying habit of needing attention when I’m away. I’ve had to sign and return contracts while travelling, or make last-minute changes to my media kit before sending it to a potential client.
The latter can be particularly temperamental. I’ve spent ages getting the layout right in Word, only to convert it to PDF and find that images have shifted or the spacing has changed. I put Convertio to the test with my own 354 KB Word document, converting it into an 812 KB PDF. It took just a few seconds to convert and download, and I couldn’t see any difference in quality between the finished file and one I’d saved directly as a PDF through Word.
I was also keen to know what happens to files after uploading them. Convertio says uploaded files are deleted immediately after conversion, while converted files are automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Of course, Word can save files directly as PDFs, but having another way to convert them in my browser is useful if the result isn’t quite right or I don’t have my usual software to hand.
It can work the other way around, too. If I only need one page of an itinerary or booking confirmation, saving it as an image makes it much easier to find in my photo library while I’m out.
And whatever I’m converting, I always keep the original – just in case the formatting decides to misbehave again.
Editing video from different devices
Video is often where file formats cause me the most frustration.
I often create Instagam Reels using footage filmed on different phones or cameras, or with different camera settings. I’ve spent hours editing everything together in third-party apps like InShot, only to discover that the finished Reel simply won’t download.
On more than one occasion, I’ve resorted to screen recording a Reel edited in a third-party app just so I could actually post it. It works, but it’s hardly ideal when the quality of the footage inevitably takes a hit.
The issue can sometimes come down to differences in file format, codec, resolution, frame rate or whether footage was recorded in HDR. Most editing apps handle a mixture without any problems, but when they don’t, converting the footage to a more compatible format before you start editing can save a lot of frustration – as I’ve found out the hard way!
I also like that converting a video doesn’t necessarily mean just changing the file format. Convertio lets me adjust things like the quality and aspect ratio, or rotate and flip footage – all potentially useful when I’m preparing clips for Reels.
Keeping travel documents to hand
A little preparation before I travel saves me a surprising amount of hassle once I’m away. Before leaving, I usually:
- Download important travel documents so I can access them offline
- Keep flight, hotel and excursion confirmations together in iCloud Files
- Check I have any contracts, briefs or other files I’ll need for work
- Convert anything I’m likely to need in a different format
- Save particularly important information in an easily accessible place
This is especially useful if I’m travelling somewhere where Wi-Fi might be patchy. I certainly don’t want to be hunting for a contract, downloading a huge video file or trying to find the right page of an itinerary when I’d rather be out exploring.
This is also in keeping with FCDO advice on preparing for the unexpected, which recommends having a backup way to access important travel information in case you lose access to your phone.
The document I need always seems to be buried in a PDF at precisely the moment I need it. If there’s a particular page I know I’ll need on the go, converting it to an image and saving it to my photo library means it’s much quicker to find. I still keep the original PDF in iCloud, so I’m not replacing anything – just making the important bits easier to access.
Getting organised before a trip
A little preparation before I travel saves me a surprising amount of hassle once I’m away.
Before a trip, I’ll make sure important documents are easy to access, check that I have the files I’ll need for any work that’s due while I’m away, and deal with any conversions beforehand where possible.
This is especially useful if I’m travelling somewhere where Wi-Fi might be patchy. I certainly don’t want to be hunting for a contract, downloading a huge video file or trying to find the right page of an itinerary when I’d rather be out exploring.
Of course, something unexpected will inevitably crop up once I’m away – it always does. But having everything organised beforehand means there’s usually much less to sort out on the road.
And hopefully, on my sailing trip next month, that means more time admiring the scenery and tucking into local Greek food and considerably less time staring at my MacBook.
Do you ever work while travelling? What are your best tips for keeping files organised and accessible on the go?