Words by Samantha Ledlin, Vogue Living
While Instagram and Facebook no doubt have a VIP spot on your smartphone’s homepage, when it comes to travelling, there are a few handy applications that will make your time abroad as easy as possible. From photo-editing apps (let’s face it, they’re a must) to applications that help you find the nearest Wi-Fi network, here are Holy Grail travel apps to download before your next trip.
Airbnb
Can you believe there was once a time when hotels, hostels, and motels were the only means of accommodation for travellers? Now you can stay in a villa, a tree house or even a castle thanks to short-term accommodation app Airbnb. An excellent solution for those travelling in large groups, Airbnb also allows travellers to experience a city or country in a way that is more in line with the local's way.
Citymapper
Navigating the transport system of a city you know can be overwhelming at the best of times; so when you add a completely foreign landscape, your chances of getting from A to B easily are that much harder. Cue Citymapper, a navigation app originating in London that works by linking all public transport systems to find the best route for you.
Google Trips
Google Trips is like a personal assistant for travellers. You can organise your day from start to finish on the app, and find popular activities depending on what is nearby. The app can even plan your entire day with popular attractions. Not happy with the itinerary provided by the app? Simply refresh and you will receive entirely new plan for the day. The app is also conveniently available to use while offline, which of course is a godsend for travellers.
Hopper
If you are planning a large trip with multiple flights, add Hopper to your app list, now. Hopper is a flight prediction app that ensures you get the best airfare possible. It works by notifying you when airfare prices drop and advising whether you should book a certain flight now or later in order to get the best deal. (NB: this applies to those flying economy class).
Spotify
Hand in hand with travelling comes inevitable transit wait-times and occasional delays. Music, as a distraction, is therefore a must. Having an app like Spotify on your phone will be a saviour during your travels. Although the app is a month-to-month paid service, the benefits of a virtually limitless music library are worth it.
Uber
When it comes to travelling around a city, there is always the option to forgo the public transport system altogether and travel with the convenience of ridesharing. Uber is available in over 300 cities worldwide and will automatically convert currencies upon payment. The benefit of using Uber is that the app works by pre-setting your destination, so once you are picked up by your driver the stress of travelling around an unknown city is put in the hands of a local.
VSCO
Like it or not, we live in a culture that lives and breathes social media. If you didn’t ‘gram it, did it really happen? And if your image isn’t on point in terms of lighting, crop and filter, is it really worth posting? VSCO is the secret weapon that travel and fashion influencers swear by. Not only is there an abundance of aesthetically pleasing pre-set photo filters to choose from, the app also allows you to manually adjust the colour, brightness, contrast and exposure of your images. You can photograph straight from the app, adjust white balance, tint, highlights and more. Your travel feed will go from amateur tourist to emerging travel blogger in an instant.
Wi-Fi Finder
It’s no secret that when it comes to the cost of global roaming, Wi-Fi is a hot commodity for travellers. Wi-Fi Finder is an app that does just that—suggesting close and reliable Wi-Fi connections, conveniently displayed on a map of the city. You can search by your current location or pre-empt a journey by flagging where you’ll stop along the way.
OpenTable
Finding delicious places to eat out can be one of the best things about travelling and thanks to OpenTable, a city’s best eating hotspots are right at your fingertips. You can search by most popular restaurants, location or cuisine and read reviews from fellow app users.
Feature Image: Pexels
