A phone-first approach to travel photography: keep the lens clean, keep the phone charged, back up your photos, and know the rules before you pack a drone.

Start with the camera you already carry

For most trips, a recent smartphone is enough to record landscapes, streets and the people you travel with. It is always with you, it is light, and it can back up photos as you go. The small habits around it matter more than extra gear.

Cleaning the lens

Apple’s cleaning guidance for iPhone recommends using a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth, for example a lens cloth or other microfiber cloth. It also warns that cleaning products and abrasive materials will diminish the coating and might scratch your iPhone, advises you to avoid getting moisture in openings, and says don’t use compressed air.

In practice: avoid wiping the lens with a shirt, tissue or paper napkin, which can carry grit. If you use another phone brand, check its manufacturer’s cleaning advice.

Power and a backup battery

Photography, maps and navigation all drain a phone battery quickly, and remote areas may have few places to charge. A portable power bank and a charging cable keep the phone working through a long day.

Power banks count as spare lithium batteries for air travel. The U.S. FAA says they must be carried in carry-on baggage only, and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are limited to a rating of 100 watt hours (Wh) per battery unless the airline approves a larger one. The same applies to spare camera and drone batteries. See our Packing & Travel Gear guide for the full battery rules.

Storage and backups

A lost or broken phone should not mean lost photos. Two common approaches:

• Cloud backup. Google Photos, for example, lets you automatically save your photos and videos to your Google Account when you turn on backup. Two limits to plan for: your Google Account storage is shared across multiple products like Google Photos, Google Drive, and Gmail, and a backup can take a while to complete, depending on your internet connection, size of your uploads, and other conditions. If you use mobile data abroad, the app lets you choose a daily limit for how much data Google Photos can use. Other phone makers offer their own cloud services that work in a similar way.
• A second device. Where connections are slow, copy photos to a laptop, tablet or portable drive each evening, and upload them when you reach good Wi-Fi.

When a dedicated camera is worth carrying

A phone covers most travel situations. A dedicated camera (a compact, mirrorless or DSLR model) can be worth the extra weight in a few cases:

• Low light. Cameras with larger sensors generally handle dim interiors, night skies and dusk scenes with less noise than small phone sensors.
• Zoom. Wildlife, birds and distant mountain detail often need more optical zoom than a phone provides.
• Weather and handling. Some cameras are built for rain, dust or cold, and physical controls are easier to use with gloves.
• Long trips off-grid. Swappable batteries can be easier to manage than a single phone battery.

Otherwise, the phone is the lighter choice. Carry any spare camera batteries in your hand luggage.

Before you fly a drone abroad

Drone rules differ by country, and many popular natural sites restrict drones entirely. Check the rules for every country and site on your route before you pack one.

United States

The FAA’s rules for recreational flyers include:

• You are required by law to take TRUST and carry proof when flying (TRUST is the FAA’s free recreational safety test).
• You must register if your drone weighs 250 grams (0.55 lbs) or more.
• Fly at or below 400 feet in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace, and fly in controlled airspace only with prior FAA authorization.
• Recreational operators must fly their drone within visual line of sight.
• A drone that requires FAA registration will also be required to broadcast Remote ID information.

U.S. National Parks

The National Park Service directed park superintendents to prohibit the launching, landing, or operation of uncrewed aircraft, including drones, on park lands and waters. NPS says this policy is still in force with a few exceptions. If you have a specific need, a special use permit can be obtained in some cases; contact the park directly.

European Union (EASA countries)

EASA’s guidance for traveling with drones says that as a drone operator you need to register once in your country of residence or main place of business, and that registration can be used throughout EASA member states. Visitors from outside the EU must register as a drone operator with the National Aviation Authority of the first EASA state where they plan to fly. EASA also says your operator registration ID must be clearly visible on your drone.

Each country still sets local flight zones, so check the national aviation authority’s website for the country you are visiting.

Everywhere else

• Search for the national civil aviation authority’s drone page for each country you will visit.
• Some countries require permits or restrict bringing drones in at all. Check customs rules as well as flight rules.
• Protected areas, national parks, heritage sites and areas near airports are often off-limits even where drones are otherwise legal. Check the site’s own rules.

Rules and app features change. Confirm current battery rules with your airline, drone rules with the aviation regulator and site managers, and backup details with your cloud provider before you travel.