Top 10 Travel Apps
When you’re on the go, your good friend, and resource can be your phone. In the age of smartphones, apps are like guiding stars: They can point you in the right direction for a hotel, calculate expenses, order yourself a meal, and much more. Hopefully these apps will help you get off that couch, and book those plane tickets. Go out and explore!
Google Translate
Your Pocket-Size Interpreter
When your Rosetta Stone education falls short, turn to Google Translate. This app can rapidly translate whole paragraphs of text or even the spoken word. Google Translate just recently got an upgrade, so now it’s even better than before.
Google’s new spoken feature for Translate won’t work with all the languages in its database, but a select number of “popular” languages. It sounds like Google plans to bump up the usability of languages that are already well-integrated into the spoken features of the app. While you can speak almost any language into Translate itself, the app can only speak back to you with a translation in a limited number of “popular” languages, such as English, Arabic, Chinese, French, and Spanish.
Uber
You will need to be on a Wifi connection to use this.
Uber just can’t seem to stay out of the news these days, but nevertheless, people are still using Uber to get around. It’s just so convenient and easy to use. Check out the cities that the app is available here and see if you can use it for your upcoming vacation.
When using Uber, passengers choose which kind of car service they’d like to request on the app, then plug in their location and in some cases, destination addresses. The app then alerts the customer when a car has been confirmed, and shows the driver’s name and license plate number while also displaying the driver’s route and estimated time of arrival. Riders then tell the driver where to go if that info isn’t already in the system, and then a receipt is emailed to the customer after the trip has completed. Passengers and drivers rate each other, as an incentive to be both good customers and provide feedback on drivers.
Talking about Uber drivers, they are known to go through extensive training and numerous background checks before they are hired. For instance, Uber’s branch in Australia (especially in Western Australia), generally takes help of agencies like National Crime Check (you can search for police clearance wa for more information regarding this) to perform background clearances on contract workers, employees, and work placement candidates. It helps gig companies like Uber to get a glimpse of a person’s history and also discloses any prior criminal records of the prospective employee that could potentially be a risk to their organization. So, it could be assumed now that travelling with Uber is safe.
Additionally, Uber sets the fares for each service in each city based on its own formula calculated using either a per mile rate or a per minute rate, on top of a base fare of a few dollars. Passengers don’t need to tip, as the gratuity is included in the entire fare.
Skype
As long as you are in a Wifi zone, Skype can save you lots of money on roaming charges or high international calling fees while you are abroad. For 2 cents a minute you can call any number, which is great if you want to meet up with local friends or need to sort out something at home.
Applications such Skype have been developed to come to the rescue of those in need, to communicate with their loved ones living across international borders at very affordable rates, which is only but a positive addition to the single global village objective.
If you don’t want to set up a Skype account then there are other options. For example, most people have a Google account so you can use Google Hangouts instead. Take a look at this article to find out more — Agosto: Skype vs Google Hangouts.
Yelp
Who doesn’t love Yelp?
The most comprehensive review app, Yelp turns out to be a useful tool for finding businesses nearby, especially when you’re in a town you don’t know well.
Yelp is a user generated database of restaurants, bars, gas stations, cobblers, blacksmiths, and more. Search for nearby vendors by type, distance, price and hours of operation. The app lets you browse reviews, add photos, quick tips and draft reviews, which can then be finalized by logging onto their website. Yelp is probably the largest and most accurate database of local restaurants operating in the U.S., Puerto Rico, France, Germany, Ireland and the UK.
Just stick it in your pocket!
What do you do when you find an article you want to read online, but you’ve only got a limited amount of time on Wifi? You save it to your Pocket. Pocket is an useful app that lets you save web articles and videos to your your device for offline reading at a later date – perfect for that long train journey or 12-hour flight. The best part is that it’s compatible across devices, meaning you can have the app on your phone, tablet and even desktop browser, and your saved articles will sync across all of them when connected to the internet.
Hipmunk
Hipmunk is a travel app that saves you from the stress of planning a trip. It helps you find flights and displays them in an easy-to read timeline letting you view and pick the best deals. You can also view hotel results on a map, this lets you view surrounding landmarks. Hipmunk also lets you access real useful hotel reviews left behind by real people.
Hipmunk is a great travel-planning app that compares all the data available in top travel sites and gives you the best choices based on user ratings. You can also book hotels directly using this fast and easy to use app.
Localeur
Experience destinations the same way locals do.
Aiming to be “more than a guidebook”, this website and app focuses on local experiences in destinations, recommended by people living in that city. Each writer has a profile and a photo, explaining who they are and what kind of interests they have.
Localeur is “a community of locals who want to help you experience the best places to eat, drink and play.”
The listings by localeurs can be eclectic: “Four Killer Stairs Workouts in NYC” or “The Top Places to Get Your Country on in South Florida.”
Maps.Me
Once you load the app, you can download maps for anywhere (including hundreds of points of interest for any corner of the world) while you have an internet connection. When you get to your destination, everything is on your iOS device so you won’t be burning up those precious megabytes.
Maps.Me is not a navigation app. It will show where you are, and show your destination, but it won’t give you turn by turn directions. In general, detail is better than what Apple and Google offer with their online maps, and it is particularly good outside the U.S. in obscure locations other map apps don’t cover at all.
FlightTonight
Last Minute Trip? No Problem.
To use Flight Tonight, a simple iOS app from Hopper.com, you enter your hometown airport code and it returns same-day flight deals – domestic and international – for that airport and nearby cities. Results will vary throughout the day because of frequent updates. If you check later in the afternoon and evening, you’ll find deals that leave the next day.
The app is for those who must make last-minute trips and for travellers who can be spontaneous and can usually spend a little more. It is best to check the app earlier in the day if possible, to get the broadest selection of flight and deal options.
Know before you go.
The Trip Advisor Application is an application designed to help you plan the perfect trip by giving you an easier way to view all the millions of travel reviews, maps, and photos from the TripAdvisor website. You can use the app to explore restaurants based on the food types, price range and even its rating.
Find cool things to do at any destination you choose with this app. A ‘near me’ feature helps you find out the options available near your location or address you specify. You can also get specific answers to your questions from the available forums. This is a great app for finding great travel deals, low airfares and even adding your own reviews and photos to Trip Advisor.
Source: Forbes,PCMag,RoughGuides
