As you get ready to embark on your summer travel, here’s a quick list of money-saving apps that can help you get organized and find great deals.
As summer approaches, the excitement of planning your vacation adventures takes center stage. But let’s face it – travel can be expensive and often stressful.
That’s where technology comes to the rescue!
In this digital age, your smartphone is not just a communication device; it’s your ultimate travel companion. We’ve scoured the app world to bring you five indispensable smartphone apps designed to not only save you money but also to streamline your travel experience.
From finding the best gas prices to organizing your itinerary, these apps cater to various aspects of your journey, ensuring your summer travels are both economical and enjoyable.
Whether you’re road-tripping across the country, jet-setting to exotic destinations, or exploring the hidden gems of your own city, these apps will transform how you travel.
So, before you pack your bags and set off on your summer adventure, let’s dive into these game-changing apps that promise to make your travel experiences smoother, more organized, and more budget-friendly.
Waze
Whether your trip involves a lot of road travel, or you just want to find a faster way to get to places in your own city, consider Waze.
Recently purchased by Google, it uses social media input to give real-time updates on traffic situations. So, for example, if there’s a game downtown in the city you’re visiting, as you’re trying to navigate that same area to get to a restaurant, Waze will let you know where the jams are so you can avoid the tangle and the time (and fuel) wasted waiting for game-goers.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy is another app that takes advantage of the constant updates and interaction of crowdsourcing. People input gas prices and keep an eye out for low prices, so users can quickly and easily search for gas stations nearby and compare prices to ensure the best deal in their area.
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TripIt Travel planner
TripIt is a great tool for reservations, tickets, events, meetings, and personal gatherings with friends or family — you can have all the important details of your trip at your fingertips, all in one convenient place.
You know all those confirmation emails that you get from hotels, airlines, car rental services, and the like — the ones you frantically search for in your Inbox the night before you leave on a vacation?
You can simply send all these emails along to plans@tripit.com, which will then magically generate a digital itinerary that you can refer to on your mobile device.
It also provides weather info and maps of your destinations. You can add multiple trips to TripIt if you’re a frequent traveler, or just use it for a single vacation.
TripIt was awarded Best Travel Mobile App for 2011 at the Webby Awards. All the services described above are free, or you can upgrade to a paid version for even more cushy service and alerts.
Around Me
Ever find yourself in an unfamiliar city, and you just want a decent cup of coffee or a place to buy an extra toothbrush?
Around Me tells you all the points of interest that are located near you. It detects your current location and lets you select from categories like bars, cafés, hospitals, pharmacies, and hotels to filter through the results. (If you don’t use Apple here is Around Me on Google Play).
Road Trippers
Road Trippers is a fun travel tool made for the iPhone as an app, but that is also available via the mobile web so you can use it with Android and other smartphone platforms.
Here’s how it works: you type in your starting and destination points and it tells you the distance, time, and estimated gas costs.
This is great for day trips — think of a great tour of Napa while staying in San Francisco (or vice versa).
While the distance-finding feature in itself isn’t necessarily groundbreaking, RoadTrippers goes one better and tells you about all of the attractions worth seeing along the way, from the obvious to the wonderfully ridiculous.
From exploring these five smartphone apps, it’s clear how technology can be a powerful ally in making your summer travels not just more affordable but also more enjoyable and stress-free.
There are tons of travel apps to explore, of course, and this is just a glimpse — but with these apps at your fingertips, you’re all set to explore the world. Here’s to a summer of memorable travels, enhanced by the convenience and savings these apps bring to your journey!
