Back in the day, I remember when prepping for a vacation meant a trip to the local bookstore for the latest guidebook to your travel destination. But these days it usually means online research followed by downloading apps that will keep you connected while traveling. From apps like SpokeHub that help answer questions or provide information around specific destinations and topics in real time to ones like Lonely Planet that provide expert advice on specific places to stay and eat among others these are 5 Apps I always keep on my phone when traveling.
1. SpokeHub
Not designed to replace other forms of social media but rather to enhance your social experience, we love SpokeHub because it lets you engaged around a specific topic of interest. This is not only useful for pre-planning your trip, but also for asking questions in real time while you’re on the road, whether it’s a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park or a honeymoon in Tahiti, on SpokeHub you can join a hub that is designed around topics of interest. And while most platforms involve “posts” back and forth, SpokeHub offers users a true conversation that isn’t interrupted with the “timeline” of unrelated thoughts in a group chat setting. You also don’t have to worry too much about inappropriate messages as the app is designed with a community-centric focus so messages are moderated at large to keep the convo healthy and also to promote social responsibility.
Download SpokeHub for iPhone and Android here: http://spokehub.co/
2. Whats App
If you want to chat back and forth on a text messaging platform that works on data without incurring international fees on your smartphone then download WhatsApp — you’ll need to be on WiFi when using it internationally, unless you have free international roaming data, though. It’s awesome to use for texting your friends back home when you’re traveling internationally but also works great for messaging with friends who have a different country code attached to their phone so you don’t incur fees — if you’re in your home country texting abroad it will simply use your data.
Download WhatsApp for iPhone and Android here: https://www.whatsapp.com/download/
3. Lonely Planet
The well-loved travel guidebook company offers a number of different options when it comes to apps, including expert-curated city guides that are free to download. These are choke full of hotel, restaurant, sights, and activities and nightlife listings as well as maps and phrasebooks that work even when you are offline so you don’t have to choose between getting lost or incurring a data charge. The company has more than 100 free city guides available for download.
Download Lonely Planet for iPhone and Android here: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/guides
4. Tripit
This is a cool app that lets you forward all your hotel, flight, car rental and restaurant reservations directly to it and then creates a master itinerary based on what you’ve emailed that can be accessed from anywhere you’ve downloaded the app to, even when you are offline. Depending on what version you download it can also store copies of your passport, tell you want time to leave for the airport based on your departure city and even give you a countdown clock to departure should you so desire among other features.
Download Tripit for iPhone and Android here: https://m.tripit.com/uhp/mobile
5. Venmo
If you’re traveling with friends this is an awesome app to download and sign up for before you go as it lets you send and receive money from friends in real time. So let’s say you go for pizza in Venice and you pay the total bill on your credit card (hello airline points!) well your traveling companions can easily instantly transfer their share into your account that you can then move to your bank in a matter of clicks. It also involves fun emojis and social interface.
Download Venmo for iPhone and Android Here: www.venmo.com
