With the help of smartphones, traveling has become much easier than it was in the 90’s! Think about growing up and taking family vacations without the aid of a smartphone or GPS. Can you remember the days when you had to have ink in the printer to print your Map Quest directions? HA!
I usually get my phone ready a couple days before leaving for a trip. I backup all my data to make room for new photos and download new apps to try. Over the years, I've found that being as prepared as you can before you travel is just going to make the trip more enjoyable. So if that means downloading some free apps that I'll never use… So be it.
Here are some of my favorite apps that have withstood iPhone after iPhone over the years.
1. TRIP ADVISOR - How did anyone travel before this app? I love being able to look things up in advance and save them. It's a one-stop shop for hotels, restaurants, and things to do. I also love reading the reviews and seeing actual photos from other travelers. Don't forget to use the save feature so you can easily access things that interest you later. The app also helps you remember what to leave reviews for later when you have a spare moment.
2. INSTAGRAM - when traveling, I use this in a different way than I do at home. Now, with the new Places feature, it's much easier to check on the weather, current lines, and things to do. You'd be surprised how much info you get just looking through other people’s photos of places around you.
3. HOTEL TONIGHT - perfect for those road trips when you have nothing booked and need to find a place that night or within the next seven days. They offer fantastic last minute deals on accommodations that otherwise wouldn't be booked. I've scored hotels that were normally $400 for as low as $136. I always compare with Priceline or Kayak to be sure it's still a good deal. They have good referral codes too!
4. AIRBNB – Sure, you can just use the website; but having the app allows you to easily communicate with the hosts, manage your bookings, leave reviews, and pull up the addresses quickly without scrambling through your emails. For more of my thoughts about Airbnb, visit the Accommodations page.
5. WAZE - Nice to have when you need to be somewhere on time, and a must have for road trips. It's really only helpful when you have a passenger with you (unless you’re that inconsiderate jerk who uses their phone while behind the wheel). WAZE provides alternate routes when traffic is heavy, and fellow users alert you of accidents, hazards, and police officers, to name a few. If you want to enjoy LA and get to the west side with your sanity still in tact, make sure you have this app.
6. SPOTIFY - Because who doesn't love having all of their music and travel playlists with them at all times? There is a $10 per month fee to listen without ads, which I held off on paying for so long.. Oh, what was I thinking?
7. DUOLINGO - Helpful app when you are learning a new language. I found that it was a great tool to help me before we left for Italy; but once we were there, I found myself using Google Translate or other translation apps.
8. GOOGLE TRANSLATE - This app is necessary if you're traveling to a foreign country in which you don't know the language. You can use your camera to translate text into 26 languages. Say What? The app also features two-way automatic speech translation in 40 languages.
9. UBER - Everyone knows what Uber is, right? No need to ever hail a cab again. I love not having to pull out my wallet at the end of each ride and how reliable the service is. If you don't have to be anywhere in a hurry, I'd suggest taking Uber pool and sharing your ride with other people. If you have a lot of luggage or more than two people you should use the Uber X service.
10. HOPPER - Free app that analyzes millions of flight prices daily to predict how prices will change, and tells you when to buy your tickets saving you $$$ that's right lotsa dolla dolla bills. Just put in your preferred dates, and it sends updates to your phone as prices drop and rise.
What apps make traveling easier for you? Xx ASH
