My Favorite Apps

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Traveling With the Help of Technology

I'm no good when it comes to technology. I love it, and can't separate myself from it, but I don't use it like everyone else does. When I travel, I only use the internet, or even think about looking at my phone, when I am back at the hotel at night. So I am very particular about the apps that I download. And through time, I have grown to love certain apps that help me be an efficient traveler.



People like to use apps to book flights and hotels. I'm not the biggest fan of doing that. I'd rather sit in front of my computer and print all the confirmations at home, rather than rely on technology to keep all my stuff together. But what I do like to use my technology for is sightseeing and maps, and sometimes where to eat. And when I'm on a long plane ride or train ride, I use my iPad to write my next blog posts or read a book. I can't be parted with my technology, but I also try to use it at a minimum. But here are some apps that I do use.

TripAdvisor - I like TripAdvisor because it gives me ideas of what to see. Sometimes things are not listed in the guidebooks or are not listed on the maps but are listed on TripAdvisor. I usually read through the list and pick what I want to see, sometimes there are some great recommendations. I also use it to find places to eat around me.

Google Translate - most countries now speak English in touristy areas, but sometimes you want to be polite or sometimes no one has a clue what you're saying. While Google Translate is not ideal and doesn't always say things correctly, its a good start when you're desperate.

A Bit of Travel Apps, Especially Those Metro Ones

XE Currency - I love this app because it can be used on and offline. Online gives you the most up to date exchange. Offline gives you a quick conversion to see if you're getting a good deal.

MX Paris Metro/Berlin Subway - OK so maybe I don't need this so much for the Metro, but it was very useful for the U-Bahn since I could never remember the names of my stops. It allows you to use the map offline, which means that you can stay in your seat in whatever metro and look at the map once again. There are plenty of types of apps like this, so before traveling just look up the name of your city in the app store and see what pops up.

Ulmon - these maps are great because there are just so many of them. And what's even better is they are offline! You can look up the location of something, star it so that you can come back to it later, and plan. If you don't know what to see, it will give you a list. It gives you a lot of details, which is why I download a map for every city that I go to.