9.17.2015

Favorite Travel Apps


I don't know about you, but I am very attached to my phone.  If the battery life goes dead, I have a mild freakout.  I end up pulling it out of my pocket multiple times to google something or snap a photo and am met with dismay each time.  So, it's probably no surprise that when I travel I am even more dependent on this little piece of technology. (Remember when playing snake on a brickphone was an innovation?!)  There are a few apps I am constantly opening up, especially in unfamiliar cities, so I know how to get somewhere, what to eat (probs the most important), and what attractions to check out.  I thought it would be fun to share my go-to travel apps for the iPhone and hear what anyone else uses on the regular.  I'd love to learn about some new ones!

PS- one more item I love for travel is a power bank so you can charge your iPhone on the go.  SO handy, and in this case, quite cute.

phone-travel-apps



Food: Zomato


I love this app. Zomato is a tremendously handy (free!) app that allows you to view the restaurants nearest to you, sort by price, type of cuisine, scores, and popularity or any combination. Each restaurant entry includes the address, contact information, hours, reviews, a map, and typically a website, menu, and occasionally the option to make a reservation. Caryl and I used Zomato all weekend in NYC and it didn't lead us wrong and we ended up at some really fun places we would have otherwise never found. *Disclaimer: Zomato reccently replaced Urbanspoon, which I think had a WAY better user interface and was much more intuitive. Sads. The content is exactly the same it is just a little more cumbersome to use.


Navigation: Google Maps


Google maps is my favorite navigation app! It is usually spot on for driving, walking, and public transportation directions and includes up to date information on traffic, accidents, and roadwork. The voice that tells you what to do is also way more pleasant than the Apple Maps app. The only downside is that it uses a lot of data and battery, so just remember to close the app when you arrive at your destination :)


Documentation: Snapchat


Cliché obligatory travel app, maybe... but it's just SO convenient. I love that it's super quick and easy to add a picture or video to your snap story, and it doesn't need to feel perfectly edited or artistically composed. Plus you can download your whole snap story and have the perfect little video travel journal. I'm a fan.  PS- my snapname is roberts_jenna #shamelessplug


Transportation: Uber


Guys, the dudes who invented Uber are geniuses. At first the notion of getting rides with random strangers sounded like an invitation to get kidnapped, but then I realized that's basically a taxi cab. It's way cheaper, you can schedule it with an app, and I've never had a creepy driver. You don't even need to have your credit card with you, it's all done through the app and it's basically magical. Last weekend Caryl and I Ubered (totes a verb) to the RewardStyle Party and it was like $6 and possibly the best $6 we spent; heaven knows we'd look real graceful trekking through NYC in our high heels...


I also love WhatsApp for international travel (basically enables you to text over wifi) and Around Me to help find ATMs, gas stations, etc in unfamiliar places.

What are your favorite apps for travel?

PS- I updated the 'Shop' page with a bunch of fun new items for Fall, and a few killer bargains!  

5 comments:

  1. You look gorgeous Jenna! Your new camera is taking spectacular pictures... love the faded background :) www.champagneandpolkadots.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks!! This is actually Caryl's camera (her and I own the same Nikon D5100 haha) with a 50mm prime lens - I think f/1.8 If you're ever looking to splurge a little more, I would definitely recommend this lens, it is amazing at the blurry background shots!

      Delete
  2. I'm still weirded out a bit by Uber and somewhat annoyed with them because one of the drivers stopped when my mom and I were trying to hail a cab in NYC, and he ended up way overcharging us for the trip.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh no! That's no good :( I haven't had any experiences like that, but I will definitely avoid taking an Uber ride uninitiated by the app in the future!

      Thanks for reading -J

      Delete
  3. This is awesome! Love this round up of apps. I gotta get Zomato stat!! It really did not lead us astray! And I wished I had learned how to download the whole story sooner! That will definitely be a great keepsake on my trips moving forward! Thanks for the tip!
    Carylee | more pieces of me

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for stopping by! Your sweet comments make my day, and I read each and every one of them!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...