If you’re anything like me then you’re an App junkie. I’m always using apps to help me in travel. I use them to find the best deals, plan my travels and even communicate with people. Via the App Store and Google, it’s almost easy to forget that people traveled without the use of Apps or the internet once upon a time. Nevertheless, I have 9 super beneficial Must Have Travel Apps to download before your next trip + a bonus tip.
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Travel Apps to Download for Safety
Smart Traveler
Although thrilling and the trendiest thing to do currently, international travel can be a scary thing. If you’re like me, you want to know first- hand what to expect from a country especially when it comes to safety. The Smart Traveler app was designed by the Department of State to provide travelers with a safety snapshot and safety enrollment program right from the embassy or consulate in the country that you are traveling to.
This app has detailed advisories for crime/safety, number and address of the US Embassy in the country that you’re visiting, information on entry and exit requirements, common scams to watch for, health and travel information and information about the local laws. The most important aspect of this app is the ability to enroll in the smart traveler enrollment program, this database lets the US Embassy know that you are in the country and alerts them to look or check on you should anything happen in your host country including: natural disaster, social unrest, terrorist attacks and more. In my opinion, this is the most important app to have before traveling internationally
Find my Friends (Apple Users)
IPhone users, the Find My Friends Apps is necessary for so many reasons. First, it allows you to share your location with select people that you care about and who care about you. While my husband and I share locations all the time, I am super thankful for this when either one of us are traveling. The updates versions even allow you to get an exact address location. This app is useful when you’re traveling in a group or even solo. It will kind of take the worry off being alone.
We have also used this App at large amusement parks and parking garages. Gone are the days where you’re having to look for your car frantically. Simply send yourself your location before getting out of the car and voila! Although this app is for Apple users, there are a ton of variations of this in the App store and Google for Android users.
Travel Apps to Download for Trip Planning
Yelp
This one is for the foodies. I don’t know about you but I will travel for delicious food. I sometimes even put together a list of places to eat before I find activities. Yelp always helps me with this. It allows you to put in your location and find the top- rated food in your area and use filters like: price, cuisine or niched picks. The app not only works for food but you can also use it for local businesses. If you need to take a risk and get a haircut on your vacation, you can go and see who’s top rated in your area. The list is endless and Yelp has helped us in our travels so many times.
Trip Advisor
When booking travel, it’s important to have the best possible idea of what to expect before you arrive. The last thing you want is to think you’re booking an all-inclusive resort only to find out that it’s an old roach motel. Trip Advisor is an amazing tool to read real reviews, see customer owned pictures and get the 411 on a place or service that you’re about to spend money on. You can even put your destination in and find the best hidden gems or secrets in the community forum. This your best chance at an informed decision before spending money on a disappointment.
Travel Apps to Download for Casual Use
Google Maps Offline
We all know that cell phone service and Wi-Fi is not the most reliable and unfortunately, we live in an age where people rely on cell phones for directions instead of reading a map. There’s nothing scarier than traveling somewhere you’ve never been and loosing service on your map while driving. Can you say panic? That’s why we always download the Google Offline Map when we’re traveling somewhere new or an area that is prone to losing service. Although you can’t get traffic updates or change to quicker routes, this feature offers a peace of mind when you’re driving somewhere new and getting lost is less likely.
Go-go In-Flight App
When I was single, I could survive a flight with just my headphones and a good ole nap. Now that I’m a mom, I wouldn’t dare step foot on an airplane without some form of entertainment for myself and our son. My mid- flight nap has been almost completely cancelled (unless it’s long haul) and you can forget my toddler sitting still without entertainment. Go-go inflight is an inflight entertainment app that allows you to watch free newly released and blockbuster movies, TV shows and special programming with the comfort of your handheld device. Having this app downloaded on your phone, tablet, Etc. Is a lifesaver when you board a plane that doesn’t have individual TV screens. Check with your airline beforehand but must major air carriers use Go Go In Flight for entertainment.
Google Translate
It is a common practice to learn basic greetings and questions before going on an international trip. However, things happen in travel and you are not always able to communicate if you are not fluent in the country’s language. Google Translate saves the day! Simply speak into the app and tap the language in which you need it translated into. The app will speak and communicate for you. This can be a life- saving app in an emergency or if you’re struggling to get directions.
XE Currency
Traveling and scams. Unfortunately, most travel scams involve money so you’ll want to be prepared by downloading the currency app. Plus, there’s nothing more daunting than holding the line up at checkout while you figure out the conversion rate between your country’s currency and the country that you’re visiting. Save yourself the trouble by downloading the app. This saved us when we traveled to Mexico and ran out of pesos.
Wi-Fi Finder
Finding Wi-Fi during international travel is like searching for gold. It’s in our nature to want to stay connected back home, upload our travel pics and use our phone functions without the additional charges. The Wi-Fi finder app allows you to find Wi-Fi in your city which is super useful for leisure or emergencies. Just Download the app just in case.
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Bonus Tip:
Make Use of Your Social Media
To some people, social media is just about connecting with others and posting pictures. To me, it’s really a resource that I’ve used when traveling. By using hashtags and the search options, I have found some of the very best hotels, food and picturesque spots for my travels. I’ve even gathered some travel inspiration and visit places that I would have otherwise never known existed. Instagram and Pinterest are AMAZING tools for this.
Simply hashtag the destination + food or the destination in general to find out what everyone is doing in the area. It’s always a plus if the area’s tourism bureau has an Instagram account. Click their hashtag or their mentions / tags to see what people are tagging them in. I make a list of food and landmarks from this every single time. Pinterest works the same way except it’s a great place to find full on blog post guides that are super useful for trip planning.
What is Your MUST HAVE Travel App?
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