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5 Travel Apps to keep you sane in paradise
Other | Friday 10th January 2014 | Toni
Holidays are meant to be stress-free. But come on, when you need access to wifi (especially the free kind!) you will go to the end of the earth to find it! You will fight family and strangers to the death just to get a minute of it. You know it is true! (Hell, I’ve done it!)
Aside from wifi, there are many things that can go wrong on a trip, and having these 5 apps in your smartphone’s possession can be the key to saving you from physically and mentally going over the edge when times get tough or you lose your passport (or your clothing) on a wild night out.
Air Sharing
No one likes to leave for a trip without all those important documents. Whether it is copies of your passport, insurance, hotel bookings, flights, entrance tickets or travel itineraries; having these with you will ensure a stress free trip. But who wants to carry all of this around? Plus airlines these days are really conscious of weight…so one app that has been positively reviewed has answered the call.
This Air Sharing app allows iphone and ipad users to save all of their documents (whether they are word, excel, pdf, jpeg or other formats) all in the one place. It is an easy app to use with simple drag and drop movements, but it isn’t a cheap one to buy at £5.99. But since it gives you more suitcase space and ease of mind that you won’t lose your documents it really is a small price to pay.
Wifi-finder
It’s a sight you always see (or do yourself)- groups of people busily on their phones in (or at the entrance) of department stores, Starbucks, McDonald’s…anywhere people know they can get some free wifi in a foreign land.
So wouldn’t it be nice to have an app that tells you exactly where to go to get your free wifi fix, when you are out of your hotel or hostel and want to ‘check in’ on Facebook to make everyone jealous? You know you do!
Wifi-finder is a free app that features over 650,000 locations in 144 countries. So wherever you are in the world…your search for free wifi is over at the push of a button! Download it now!
City Maps 2 go
Gone are the days when travellers are seen carting a huge fold out map around as they explore an unfamiliar city. Since smartphones were invented, google maps have helped people in their times of being lost, researching places to visit and so forth...if you know the name of the damn place!
But as good as Google Maps are, City Maps 2 go is one app that not only gives detailed offline maps (in no wifi areas), but other travel content like places to visit and other tips like restaurants, attractions and shops as you explore.
Don’t just rely on Google Maps people! Apps like these are really helpful for those times you have no idea where you are going and want a local view on a city. There is a free limited download version, but also a pro version for only £1.99. So get on it!
XE currency
When using your credit card overseas this app is a godsend. Though it won’t give you all of the bank fees that are added on of course, it does give you live currency rates so travellers know how much their purchases really are!
So next time you are paying for a hotel, or going on a Macy’s shopping spree in Las Vegas (or having a bar tab on a wild night of drinking)…this currency app will keep you within your budget (or over it!) This is the number one app all international travellers should have on their smartphones! So be smart and download it!
Hop stop
There are many city-based public transport apps out there. But Hot Spot is probably the most popular for travellers and locals alike. With this app you will never be unsure how to get back to your hotel or an area of a city again!
Hop Stop offers live updates on everything from trains to buses to taxis, or walking (though why would you do that!?) Featuring over 600 cities, knowing the various ways to get somewhere and how long it will take at any particular time of day is the most important part of a traveller’s day. This free app is a god send and when you are stuck in a city unsure of how to get home, (and don’t want to spend your alcohol allowance on a taxi fare!) you will wish you had this one!
There are many quality apps out there. It all depends on what your travel needs are. But if nothing else, these 5 apps are a necessity to all travellers no matter where the adventure leads!
So save your sanity before you start your travels and download, download, download!
