Download these 5 travel apps
We've hand-picked the following five apps we think you should download today, especially if you travel often. All apps are free and available on both Android and iOS platforms.
Citymapper
Citymapper helps you get around a new place easily, and is available in 30 cities across the world, such as London, New York, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Seoul, etc. It offers a whole lot more detail to planning a journey, like real-time traffic alerts or disruptions, cycle routes, Uber integration. You get to see public transport maps, and live tweets for each official account on statuses. You can explore what’s nearby too, save places, set your home and work locations too (or hotel, if you’re traveling). https://citymapper.com/
WiFi Map
One of the most important aspects about travel is getting connected when you are abroad. You can definitely only get around with free WiFi instead of buying a SIM card, it just depends on how well-connected the city you're traveling to actually is. The WiFi Map app with the right permission, will use your location and let you know what’s available near you. Just tap on the network name for more info. The app does display all networks, and in some cases, the passwords are given on the listing info. http://www.wifimap.io
Lounge Buddy
We’ve all been there. Had hours to kill at an airport with no idea how to do it best. It doesn’t matter if you’re flying business or economy, the Lounge Buddy app helps you find lounges across more than 500 airports worldwide. The app itself also has a bunch of lounges that you can buy direct access to. You can also search for lounges based on amenities. Results are displayed with categories like basic, solid, fresh or luxe, catering for everyone’s budget. https://www.loungebuddy.com
Google Translate
No matter where you find yourself in the world, make sure you understand any important signs, messages, alerts or even the menu! The Google Translate app is simple and effective. It allows you to translate from English to almost every other language – 52 supported; and vice versa, as well as various input methods. They include image uploads, voice (via your mic) or scribbling with your finger as a stylus (think Arabic, Japanese, etc). It also reads out your translation. You can also save a bunch of phrases to refer to. The iOS version supports offline mode.
XE Currency
If the end of last year is anything to go by, it’s very important to keep track of the latest exchange rates before swiping that credit card. The XE Currency app supports almost all currencies globally. It lets you check up to ten simultaneously, which you can add as needed. If you’ve looked up a currency over WiFi, the result would be available offline to refer to at a later stage. http://www.xe.com/apps/
Do you have a must-have travel app? Let us know in the comments!
