Smart phones are one of the handiest travel-gadgets you could wish for, especially with the great apps that make life easier on the road. Apps make it simple to keep in touch with friends and family, find your way around and can even suggest great activities to do each day so you make the most your summer vacation.
Below are the 10 most useful travel apps that will make your travels easier, especially when you do a home exchange. I’ve used these apps in Europe, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Israel and I highly recommend them!
Stay connected
With so many of us traveling with smart phones, staying connected on travels has never been easier. Forget about huge cell phone roaming expenses – connect to local WiFi networks and keep in touch with friends and family using apps on your phone.
Connect to the best free WiFi networks while you’re travelling around with WeFi, an awesome app that will automatically connect you to open WiFi networks nearby (Android, PC & Symbian, Free).
Top tip: Remember to turn of Data/data roaming before you hop on the plane, or you could be landing back home with a massive phone bill!
Stay in touch
Once you’re on free WiFi, message friends with WhatsApp (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, Free), or call and message friends with Viber (Android, iPhone, Windows, IOS, Nokia, Blackberry, Free).
Use public transport like a local
No longer will you be searching for train stations and bus stops in unfamiliar places - Moovit takes the hassle out of using public transport. Search for where you want to go and Moovit will show you the fastest, least crowded way to get there. It’s available for over 30 cities worldwide, including New York City, Tel Aviv, Sydney, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, London and Montreal (iPhone, android, free).
CasaVersa home exchange is a huge fan of Moovit because it’s helping people use public transport, so we’re staying out of our polluting cars.
Keep your travel plans organised
Keep your travel plans all in one place and up to date with TripIt - it’s even available offline! I’ve found TripIt super handy on my travels - it means I’m not always searching for my flight itinerary and train times on some piece of paper in my bag! You simply email booking emails to your TripIt account and it keeps everything on track (Android, tablet, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Windows phone, Free).
Know if it’s bikini weather
Don’t want to be carting round an umbrella in blazing sunshine, or forget to bring your bikini in a heatwave? The Weather Channel app will help you plan you packing before your home exchange and before you set off each day (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, iPad, Kindle Fire, Free).
Discover what’s nearby
Standing on the sidewalk of a new city and wondering what to do next? Wikihood instantaneously displays what is important and interesting at a given location using Wikipedia entries (iPad, iPhone, Android, Free).
Make your phone your travel guide
Forget carting around a heavy travel guide as you explore a new place - simply download a free city guide for where you’re headed! I’ve found TripAdvisor to be the most useful, as they have guides for loads of great cities around the world that are available offline. This is super handy in those places that aren’t so WiFi friendly (iPhone & Android only for the offline guide, online guide is available on more platforms).
For a short and sweet travel guide, check out the Lets Go mobile guides for popular cities around the world with 5 or 6 suggested walking tours and maps to help you get from place to place (iPhone, Android, Free).
Road trip with local knowledge
Fancy getting the insider info on which roads to avoid on your roadtrip? Waze uses the wisdom of the crowds to get you where you want to go without the hassles (Android, iPhone, iPad, free). Waze is the perfect app for those on a home exchange who borrow their home exchange partner’s car.
We love Waze here at CasaVersa because they use community reports to help their community avoid traffic jam and make getting where you want to go easier. At CasaVersa, we love helping our community travel more by swapping their homes and sharing resources. It’s all about community!
What travel apps do you love to use while on the road or on a home exchange? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
