I Can Do Anything with a MiFi In My Pocket

I'm traveling in Barcelona, Spain this week, and Hertz gave me the best upsell ever: A 4G MiFi for 8 euros per day.

The last time I traveled internationally just three years ago, these didn't exist. Now, this little device, which I rely on at home, has made all the difference traveling internationally.

This wonder combo has allowed me:

To get flawless walking directions via Google Maps app (combo of the iPhone 5's GPS + wifi signal) The Apple Maps app, which I use at home in the US, is truly unusable in Spain -- now I get why everyone complains about it being so bad.
To get flawless turn-by-turn navigation driving directions via the Google Maps app (same as above)
To access Yelp, enabling me to find great hole-in-the-wall places to eat that the locals frequent
To make international phone calls for 1 euro cent per minute using the Talkatone app (for comparison, the Verizon international plan is 100x as expensive, at $1.29/minute)
To use iMessage anywhere & everywhere (make sure to turn off the "send as SMS" option when traveling internationally + these other great tips for international travel with the iPhone)
To stay connected with work via my laptop + the MiFi

It's a game changer for international travel. And kudos to Hertz for thinking of doing it.