How my Apple Watch proved the ultimate travel necessity when I spent a week halfway around the world

I already wear my Apple Watch on a daily basis, so why wouldn’t it be strapped on my wrist when I set off for a trip halfway around the world? Better yet, are there ways the Apple Watch can prove essential when I’m navigating a foreign country?

That’s exactly what I attempted to test on a recent trip to Tokyo, Japan. Having never been to the city before, I knew I would need some assistance finding my way around and making the most of my experience. And while my iPhone 15 Pro Max is certainly a great tool for finding restaurants, capturing content throughout the week and more, there are times when turning to my Apple Watch Series 9 proved more convenient.

For example, while exploring Akihabara, I got separated from my travel mates. (It was my fault — I lost track of time in Big Camera, one of the most incredible technology superstores I’d ever seen. (It’s like a Target on steroids.) My iPhone battery was running low and my hands were full of shopping bags. So, to find my friends, I used my Apple Watch to text them, learn where they landed for lunch and get directions to the restaurant via Apple Maps. Thanks to my watch, I arrived just in time to enjoy a memorable tempura lunch.

To that point, I probably used the Maps app most during my trip. If it wasn’t for turn-by-turn directions navigating the bustling streets of Harajuku, it was figuring out whether the bullet train offered the fastest journey to my next destination, or if I could get there on foot instead.

I also relied on Apple Pay for Apple Watch quite a bit to pay quickly for my bounties at convenience stores. With my hands filled with gummy candy, bottled coffees and unconventionally-flavored potato chips, tilting my wrist to the tap-to-pay terminal was much easier than juggling my phone.

While there were plenty of awesome Apple Watch features and Apple Watch apps that came in handy during my time in Japan, there’s also a feature that’s great for the journey both ways. It’s the one Apple Watch setting you should change before your next flight, but you’ll need to watch the full video on our YouTube channel to find out how it worked for a 13-hour flight. (And if that's not reason enough, I'll spoil that some furry friends make a cameo.)