Four useful travel apps (that aren’t TripIt)
There are LOTS of travel apps out there for booking rooms, locating camping sites, finding deals on flights, and getting those last minute theatre tickets, everyone has a favourite. But when traveling, what are those little things that can make the experience easier, more fun and take some of the hassle out?
Note: all of the apps here are available from both the Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store.
My Maps (Google) - Creating a custom map that everyone you are traveling with can access is a game changer. This is often where we start our planning. We will colour code the hotels, train stations, the local street art we found on Atlas Obscura, the great vegan cafe etc and have it ready when we arrive. One drawback is that you cannot get directions directly from My Maps, you need to go to regular Google Maps for that function. It can also be a bit tricky to navigate to on your phone (on both iOS and Android, it is currently under ‘saved’ and then ‘maps’).
My Maps with lots of beer, art and knitting in Amsterdam
Spotify - I know, I know, we all use some sort of streaming music service these days. But creating a collaborative playlist (that can be downloaded) is brilliant for a road trip is one more great way to create a memorable time with your friends and family. And if you are going to be offline (like on a cruise) being able to download it is an added bonus. You can come back to the list later if you want to relive your trip, go back to that perfectly curated list. (This is also possible on Apple Music).
Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean.com
Plane/cruise/airport apps - Every airline, and some airports all have an app. It is 2024 after all. Some are worth using, some, well…yeah….are not worth the space. If you are flying or sailing with others, having that airline or cruise line app is well worth the phone space. With airlines, being able to have your boarding pass and updated flight times literally to hand are great for calming nervous travelers. Cruise apps are often where you can book activities and dinners. With some cruise line apps, like the Royal Caribbean one, parties can also text each other. (We’ve seen this in action on the Disney Navigator app and the P&O Cruises app as well). Great for those of us who do not pay those sometimes massive fees for WiFi on board but still want to stay in touch with our friends. The airport apps are hit and miss, some have great maps in your local language and parking information. Many are just big ads for duty free shopping.
XE Currency Converter - It is SO easy to get caught out when traveling overseas with changes in currency. Especially if going to multiple countries. The XE Currency Converter does what it says on the tin by converting money from your local currency to hundreds from around the world. You can customise your favourite currencies and reorder them with a touch. Apparently you can also use it to send money around the world too. (I’ve not used that function)
Bonus: Have a notes app that can be used offline. We often will take note of the names of the awesome servers, crew and staff that we meet while we are traveling. So, when we inevitably get the ‘how was your experience’ email when we get home, we have some the names of the people to give kudos to.
