Even the newest member of the smartphone-carrying community
has probably seen an abundance of adds for the more famous travel apps out
there. Travelocity, Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire, and dozens more have tremendous
exposure via television and Internet commercials, to the point where even
complete luddites are familiar with their services. If you’re planning a trip
and looking to use your smartphone for the first time, you certainly can’t go
wrong with using the apps from these major companies, especially if you have
enough consumer discipline to not take the first deal that pops up on your
screen. But if you’re looking for even more variety, here are 5 lesser known
apps that can be a tremendous help while traveling:
Region-Specific Rental Car Apps
You don’t always have to use Hotwire when you’re on the hunt
for a great rental deal. There are tons of country, state, and even
city-specific rental car apps that provide recent information on prices,
models, availability, and last minute deals. A quick search through Google Play
or Apple Store provides rental car apps for Hawaii, Ireland, Dubai, and
hundreds of other locations. If your vacation or business trip happens to land
you in one of these areas, you can definitely increase your rental options by
using these local resources in addition to the larger travel apps.
Booking.com App
While not exactly an underground secret, Booking.com isn’t
quite as mainstream as its competitors, and offers a few things that are more
suited to those looking to venture off the beaten path a bit. While every major
travel app will let you book hotel accommodations, Booking.com’s app gives you
a bit more variety in the search pool, including private vacation homes,
apartments, cabins, beach bungalows, and more. If you take pride in trying to
immerse yourself in the local culture when traveling, this app can definitely
help you out.
Currency Exchange Rates
There’s no shortage of foreign currency apps available on
the various smartphone markets. What makes Etustudio’s Currency Exchange Rates
stand out a bit is its functionality, allowing you to make detailed currency
charts and access the info offline, making it perfect for someone traveling
through 4 or 5 countries in a short period—like a nice jaunt across Western
Europe, for example—who needs to deal with several different foreign
currencies, possibly on the same day.
Region-Specific Tourism Apps
Once again providing a little competitive balance to the
major travel apps, many popular cities and tourist-heavy countries publish
their own guides in handy smartphone form—and many of them are completely free.
Obviously, a tourism app created by Hong Kong will be setting you up for as
many money-separating activities as it can get away with, but you may also get
a more personal and accurate feel for your travel destination than what may be
offered in a brief summary from the more popular apps out there.
TruxMap
Another popular category in the app market is the various
restaurant and nightlife locators. However, if you’re in New York, Los Angeles,
San Francisco, and a few other cities in the U.S. and you’re looking for
something a little different, give TruxMap a try. This app gives you the
location and menu of the participating food trucks around the city, matching up
the truck’s current location with your smartphone’s GPS. You’re more likely to
get a taste of some unique local culture from one of these trucks than you are
from many of the chain restaurants that saturate most tourist areas, and you’ll
probably save a little cash as well.
Any of these programs can be a great introduction to the
travel apps market for smartphones. And with new releases constantly popping
up, you’ll never run out of ways to save a few dollars or find new experiences
to try while on vacation.
Author bio:
John is a blogger who loves using his iPhone to find
restaurant and gas deals while staying in a new city. He writes for smartphone
Insurer Protect Your Bubble, who can protect your smartphone—including
Samsung’s new Galaxy S4—from damage, theft, loss, and many of the other dangers
that can befall a traveler’s gadgets.
