Travel agents? Who needs one when you have a smartphone. Planning a trip can be a pain but when we embark on great global adventures, there are some items we absolutely cannot leave behind. Your passport is certainly one, as is your credit card. The third is probably your phone. The reason the last of these is now such an important travel tool? The many amazing apps you can download to ensure you have the best trip imaginable as you keep your stress to the bare minimum. Here are some of the tools I have used to make my travel experiences memorable and hassle free while at the same time saving me time and money.
Active in about 84 countries and 737 cities, Uber is the global king of ride-sharing apps. The app pioneered on-demand services, and it can be particularly handy when you’re abroad. You can quickly request a car directly within the app after perusing an assortment of differing vehicle rates and fare quotes. Afterward, you can connect with your personal driver, track the approaching car’s location, and securely pay your fair using a credit card — no cash needed. Rather than trying to find a taxi or a taxi stand, just bring one straight to you.
Google Maps is widely-regarded as one of the best navigation apps around, and it has reigned king for quite a while.
You’ll find it fairly reliable in offering up local public transportation options in many countries, and you can also
download specific areas for offline use. You can also use Maps to look at when places like museums or restaurants close, and as of a recent update, you can check to see how busy a place is in real time
Making a checklist of everything you need to pack can be useful, but what if one’s already made for you? PackPoint
looks at the weather forecast for the dates and location of your trip. It will also ask you to select activities you may participate in during your trip, like a meeting for business, a swim at a pool, or a fancy dinner. It will then offer up a list of items you should pack based on these activities, along with general items you’d need on any trip. You can remove items you don’t think are necessary. You can share lists with others, in case your friends need some help, too.
XE CURRENCY
While it’s not the prettiest app, XE Currency is one of the more robust currency converter apps available for both iOS and Android. It’s constantly being updated and offers live exchange rates for “every world currency and precious metals.”
What’s neat is that it can store the most recent rates so you can access them if your device is offline. You can also use
the app on your Android Wear or Apple Watch device.
TRIP ADVISOR
TripAdvisor is a catch-all app when it comes to travel. You can quickly peruse millions of reviews, opinions, videos, and photos pertaining to just about anything related to your trip — bars, restaurants, hotels, airlines, and more. You can use TripAdvisor’s Near Me function to find well-reviewed places close by, but the best feature the app has to offer is the number of countries it supports — it’s just everywhere, making it a necessary guide for every traveler. Furthermore, you can ask specific travel questions in the app’s forums or add your own reviews in a similar fashion to Yelp.
If you’re travelling through multiple countries in a short period, it can be a little tricky to keep track of the time.
Circa is a beautiful and simple timezone tracker that lets you check what time it is where you are, and where you’re
heading. You can also add your home time, in case you want to keep in touch with people back home. The app will show times that overlap where both parties should be awake. You can also use the app on the Apple Watch and it’s now available on Android.
WhatsApp has more than a billion users, and it’s highly likely you’ll run into someone that uses the service. Chances are they don’t use SMS. Having the app installed before heading on your trip can be useful in case you make new friends and need a quick way to chat with them. It’s also an easy way to keep in touch with people back home. You’ll still need a data connection or Wi-Fi to be able to send messages.
Plan your next DreamTrip right from your mobile device! Create a DreamTrips™ bucket list, share your favorite DreamTrips moments and view photos from past DreamTrips featuring travelers just like you.
Browse and book DreamTrips right from the app. Upload your DreamTrip photos and take a look at photos from fellow members. Explore new destinations and rate your DreamTrips so the world will know how incredible the DreamTrips lifestyle can be!
Simply log in with your DreamTrips ID and password to get started. Currently the dreamtrips app is only available to the members of the dreamtrips travel community.
