10 Travel Apps that Rock // & a GIVEAWAY!
There’s an app for everything these days. As much as we hate to admit it, we are all addicted to our smartphones to some degree. One gadget has made our lives so much easier, by being a clock, a calendar, a calculator, a computer, a map, a notebook, a camera, and a phone all in one, and all confined to the palm of your hand.
Since the explosion of smartphones, hundreds and thousands of apps have been made to suit everything from basic needs to specialized hobbies. In this day and age, we can find an app for anything we need.
This has been especially useful for us avid travelers. Gone are the days of pouring over a huge map on a crowded street in Hong Kong, or frantically flipping through an English to French dictionary to try and translate a sign in Paris, or having to wander around to find a phone book to find the phone number to book a last-minute hotel in Berlin. No, our smartphones do all of that for us. And since we all have our phones with us at all times, we have access to a HUGE array of travel apps right at our fingertips.
For me, personally, there’s a handful of travel-related apps that I deem “essential.” These are the ones that I make sure to have up to date and synced to my phone if I know I’ll be traveling in the near future.
But as each year goes, it seems like there are more and more travel apps coming out that are just so cool, and my list of essential travel apps gets longer and longer.
Since spring and summer are slowly approaching, and many of us will go on summer holidays, I figured now was a good time as any to share my favorite travel apps of the moment!
(Make sure you start deleting useless photos of your phone to make room for these; you’re going to want to download ’em all!)
1. XE Currency
This one is a no-brainer, especially for those of us, uh, “ballin’ on a budget.” There are a ton of currency converter apps out there, but I find that this one is simple, easy to use, and uses live currency rates that it updates when you have internet access abroad. So, you’ll always have the most updated information! Download for Android or iPhone.
2. GlobeTipping
In some countries, tipping 10% is too generous. In others, tipping 10% would be considered rude and stingy. With this app, you can easily find out about the tipping practices of whatever country you happen to be in. It also helps you calculate the tip for a bill and how to split it between people. For those of us who aren’t great with math (……..me……..), this is quick and easy! Download for iPhone.
3. Time Out
Perhaps this app isn’t actually “essential” but it’s pretty darn necessary for us social folk. In San Francisco on a Tuesday night and want to know the most happening bars? Specifically one within a certain radius to your hotel? Well, that question is answered easy enough with this app and it’s huge range of cities covered. Download for Android or iPhone.
4. Google Translate
There’s quite a few translation apps. But of course, as in most things, Google excels about the rest. Not only does it have every language and a huge library of vocabulary, but the shining gem of the app is the “Word Lens” tool. Just put the phone up for a foreign word and take a photo, and Word Lens translates it! Super duper handy. Download for Android or iPhone.
5. Skyscanner
To me, the best thing about the Skyscanner app is that you put in dates you’re interested in traveling, and your starting airport, and it will find flights for you organized by price to anywhere in the world. That feature is just so great for if you don’t necessarily have a destination in mind, you just want to go somewhere. You can book directly from the app as well. Download for Android or iPhone.
6. PackPoint
For how much I travel, one would think I’d be better at packing then I actually am. But no, I still severely overpack for literally every trip, no matter how hard I try not to. I could be going to the Sahara Desert and convince myself that maybeeeee it’ll rain, so I should bring my rain jacket just in case. So, this app is a godsend. Put in where you’re going and for how long, and this app with actually suggest a list of items to pack. The items are based on weather, length and purpose of trip. Download for Android or iPhone.
7. Localeaur
As of now, this app is only limited to 14 US cities. But, if you happen to be in one of those cities, this app is an absolute must. It’s recommendations from locals about where to sleep, eat, drink, and play. If you want to steer clear from the tourist traps and opt for a more local experience, this quirky app is where it’s at. Personally, I’m hoping the city database expands to include more foreign cities. As much as I love playing tourist sometimes, I love finding out about local-recommended hidden gems. Download for Android or iPhone.
8. Foodspotting
For all of the food lovers out there. This app posts people’s photos and reviews of what they’ve eaten in restaurants around the world. Although there are many restaurant review apps, this one is different because people can rate specific dishes at said restaurants. Plus, real pictures taken by real diners give a more accurate representation of what to expect. Download for Android or iPhone.
9. Tripit
Sometimes it can be hard to keep everything – flight confirmations, train tickets, hostel reservations, excursion bookings, etc – organized before a big trip. If organizing isn’t your forte, Tripit will be a huge help. It creates a master itinerary, which you can access on your phone or computer, and even when you’re offline or on airplane mode. Download for Android or iPhone.
10. GPSMyCity
This app allows visitors to explore, on foot, the best of a city at their own pace. The Dublin app, for example, has city walks of everything from “Places of Worship” and “Chasing Irish Writers” to pub crawls and nightlife tours. You can even create your own city walk based on sites that interest you, and the app will map out a route. The app also includes historic or general information on landmarks and other sites. It’s a great tool to see a city by foot on your own time, and not have to pay for guided walking tours.
And….guess what? I happen to have 20 FREE DOWNLOADS of the GPSMyCity app of your choice! Just in time for peak travel season coming up soon, I’m giving away codes for people to download the app (on either iPhone or Android) and have a virtual walking tour guide in the palm of their hand
To win, just COMMENT below telling me what city you’d love to have the GPSMyCity app for (see all available cities here) and why.
And that’s it! The first twenty people to COMMENT will get a free download of the app for the city of their choice!
