5 Travel Apps You'll Actually Use

A post by Ed Arsenault

Travelling has become much simpler ever since the introduction of smart phones and the apps that they run. But finding apps that suit your travel needs can become a huge pain because frankly, there a lot of them out there. Some are pure junk while others are gems. Below are 5 apps that I believe to be of value to any traveler. The beauty of these apps is that they are cross platform to iPhone, Android and Blackberry (some side loading required).  

       Duolingo Free language education for the world
Cost: Free

Duolingo is an app that you would use weeks prior to going on a trip. It is a language learning app that teaches the user in a fun “levelling up” fashion. You can’t move forward until you pass your current level and obtain certain milestones. What makes this app so engaging is that it applies many techniques to learn from. You will write words, select words, listen to words and speak words in each lesson. It is not an overnight magic teacher though, it will take effort and time on the end users part to actually learn a language. But it will be fun and engaging as you progress and ultimately learn a new language.

Languages offered:
Spanish
French
Italian
German
Portuguese




MapsWithMe Pro
Cost: $5.99

MapsWithMe is in my opinion a great navigation app for a traveler. I know what you are thinking as you read this, “why not Google maps?” Well truth be told I chose this map app because it is completely offline. Being offline means that you do not need a data connection through either your carrier or Wi-Fi to use this app. You simply download the map(s) of your country of choice and then it just works. It will also use your devices GPS to locate where you are. Why I like this one compared to free versions of similar apps is that it has that clean Google Maps look to it and plots restaurants, diners, gas stations, metro stations etc.

There are some downsides to the app though, for example there is no directions feature. It would be nice to plot point A and then B and get directions to it. Hopefully that will be an update in the near future. In the meantime though not having to hunt down Wi-Fi hotspots or use any data whatsoever is a huge money saver when traveling. And you can have it all for a small initial price of $5.99.




TripAdvisorReviews of Hotels, Flights, Restaurants
Cost: Free

TripAdvisor is my go to website for conducting any research on a hotel that I may be booking. Lately it has also turned into my tool for scoping out restaurants. The app repeats what the website offers but presents you with all that information to your current location. Using your phones GPS the app gives you information on nearby hotels and restaurants. This makes decisions a lot easier on where to eat or sleep for the night when you are on the go. The app isn’t just limited to your current location though. You can search globally the same way you would on the actual website before you book a trip. You can also access the forums and post your own reviews. Overall it is a great information source with real reviews from real people.





XE Currency Converter
Cost: Free

Managing how much you spend when traveling is just as important as managing the cost of when you booked your trip. XE Currency Converter is the perfect tool for doing just that. With its simplistic layout you choose your currency origin by either name or flag, then you select the currencies you wish to see the values be converted to. Afterwards you input a value for your home currency and the app displays the converted rates based on the currencies you chose to view. Simple and effective to make sure you don’t overpay for items while adventuring around the globe.



BlackBerry Messenger (BBM)
Cost: Free

I may be slightly biased with this app, but since 2008 Blackberry Messenger (BBM) has been a money saver for me when I travel over and over again. Now that the app is cross platform, Android and iOS users can benefit as well.  

Communicating instantly to your loved ones or friends while you travel can be expensive, especially if you text message or make a phone call. Roaming rates around the globe are astronomical, especially data! This is where BBM saves you money by being able to be used with just a Wi-Fi connection. You can send and receive messages that show if they have been delivered and read. As well you can initiate a BBM voice chat (similar to a phone call) or you can have a BBM video chat which is a similar experience to Skype or Face Time (currently limited to Blackberry devices only) but you have the option to share screens and see what is happening on the other end. Perfect if you are a business traveler and need to see a document on the go. If using a Wi-Fi connection all of this can be done for FREE.




There we go, 5 travel apps that you will actually use. I hope that you all find value in these apps like I have and benefit from their features. Do you think I missed an important app that travelers must have? Feel free to let me know in the comment section below. 
Share on Google Plus

About Unknown

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.
    Blogger Comment
    Facebook Comment

0 comments:

Post a Comment