Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Travel Tuesday: Top Travel Apps

Welcome! This is the first topic-based Travel Tuesday I've hosted in a while, so I'm really excited to see what all your favorite travel apps are for your phone and/or tablet. Maybe I'll find some new ones to download for my next trip. :) Here are the six apps I find myself using the most when I travel:

Design by Megan | Images via Google

First, TripIt. If you're only going to download one app from my list, TripIt should be it. (Assuming, of course, that you already have Instagram. I'm a little addicted.) I downloaded this app when I was traveling 28 days each month for my sorority last year, and it automatically pulled all my flight itineraries from my email into an easy-to-read format on my iPhone, complete with confirmation numbers and terminals.

GateGuru is another one I discovered during my consultant stint. It updated within the past year to include TripIt-like features, but I haven't wanted to try those because I love TripIt so much. Instead, I only use GateGuru to look for restaurants and services during my layovers. Need a caffeine fix? GateGuru will show you the nearest Peet's in your terminal. Need to mail something? Search for UPS or FedEx stores. Want to find a bar to watch football during a Saturday layover? GateGuru has that, too! My only gripe is sometimes the app is outdated and takes you to a gate where a Quizno's, Chili's, Au Bon Pain, etc., no longer exists. Bummer.

I like Trip Advisor City Guides to find nearby self-guided walking tours. You can download a map with pictures and historical facts for attractions along the way and take it with you even if you don't have a data or wifi connection, so it's a great app for international travel. It also has restaurant reviews, hotel information, and all that good stuff the normal Trip Advisor app has.

Finally, Kayak is a great, easy-to-use app for last-minute flights or hotel bookings when you can't get to a computer, and the Instagram and Foursquare apps prove indispensable even when I'm not traveling. When I was traveling abroad, I found that Foursquare could usually find nearby restaurants and reviews even if Yelp didn't work in that specific city, which was great.

Link up your posts about your favorite travel apps below! Remember, I'm totally fine with you using an old post or a travel-related post that doesn't address the suggested topic; I only ask that you add my button to your post and check out what other bloggers have been posting about. :)




Next week: Please blog about anything you want! I'll be continuing my European Extravaganza recap series with photos from my weekend in Rome.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

oh I love trip it that app has saved me so many times!

KLP @ SavingOurStrands said...

Awesome tips for travel apps! Just downloaded TripIt. I travel every weekend and I need a way to keep the important stuff organized!

www.savingourstrands.blogspot.com

melissa said...

I regularly use the Expedia app to check for flights because theirs tend to be the least expensive. I'm also a big fan of Triposo, Postagram, WeHostels and PocketGuide!!

Postcards from Rachel said...

I've heard people talk about GateGuru before. I love that it tells you where the nearest coffee shop is. I could use that. :) Getting the app now.