To App or Not to App: Expanding the World of Travel

What Exactly are Apps?

Apps, or applications, are icons on phones and tablets that offer information about everything from getting an inexpensive air fare to interactive maps to yes, finding clean toilets around the world (check out Flush Toilet Finder). Apps are usually available for free or for a fee on the App Store (iOS) or on Google Play Store (Android) on your mobile phone. You can search by app name or category.

Do You Really Need Apps for Travel?

I understand that not everyone uses applications. As a matter of fact, a post I wrote on the Women of Road Scholar Facebook Group about apps elicited some comments about the negative dependence on technology for travel. We don’t want to miss something wonderful by always peering at our phones.

And, of course, Road Scholar provides much of what travelers need on their journeys, from flights (and transport to hotel if the ticket is purchased from Road Scholar) to food to experienced leaders and lecturers to information for travelers who explore locations in their free time.

However, apps often make life easier for those who are arriving at a destination before their program begins or are staying longer afterwards (which I did on my Road Scholar programs in Portugal and Quebec). And expanded information about a country never hurts.

The Power of Apps

On my recent Road Scholar Signature City Québec trip, I tapped onto my Uber app when I landed at Jean Lesage International Airport, and my driver and I were chatting amiably in Pidgin French within minutes. No need to change money, fumble for it at the destination or to compete with other travelers lining up for taxis. You are charged right on your app.

Kate, from West Chester, Pennsylvania, was one of the other travelers on the program. She drove from Pennsylvania to Québec and back, using the popular Google Maps app all the way. Jean, of Topeka, Kansas, was on our trip there too, and she even used Google Maps to find a great shoe store (I discovered that I actually needed green leather boots).

What Apps Can Do

Here are some of my favorite apps, as well as recommendations from Road Scholar travelers who answered my query about apps in Road Scholar Facebook Groups:

1. Language Translation

Google Translate provides written and audio pronunciations for more than 130 languages, from Abkhaz to Zapotec. It can also translate street signs, menus or other printed material when you aim and click on your mobile phone. And it’s free.

2. Airline Apps

When I book my own tickets, I usually go directly to an airline app (like United Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, etc.). I prefer booking airlines and hotel tickets from the original company than from an aggregator like Booking.com, Kayak, Expedia or Priceline, although I find those sites useful for researching places and costs.

However, there are flight apps that can provide information for the best rates:

• Going is a flight alert app that can let you know when a fare drops in cost.
• Skyscanner’s app also offers alerts about good flight prices. It also can direct you to a booking app to make your purchase.
• Enter your dates of travel, and Hopper will let you know when flights will be the least expensive, using color codes.

And here are some useful apps after flights are booked:

• Timeshifter helps to avoid jet lag with advice about light exposure, eating and drinking, and better sleep methods. I also use White Noise Lite when I travel in order to block out outside sounds while I sleep.
• On Wanderlog, you can add your itinerary, flight and hotel reservations, downloaded maps, and potential restaurants. It also provides a way to track expenses.
• Flight Track and Flight Aware are apps that will inform travelers about planned and real flight times, provide changes in gate locations and track flights on a map.
   

3. Local Transportation and Activities

Uber, Lyft and Bolt are the three giant ride apps, and all have different levels of service (solo, shared, different kinds of cars, etc.). I have used Uber in many countries successfully. A growing list of locations also have their own ride services in addition to Uber (I used Ola in India). BlaBlaCar is a community-based carpool and bus app, with shared costs for rides.

Besides Google Maps, travelers often recommend Citymapper, covering transportation in the U.S., Europe and Asia. On the app you can find turn-by-turn directions for public transportation, walking or cycling.

Rome2Rio is the go-to tool that is used by most travelers I know. I often check in to find distances, methods of travel and costs for travel in the U.S. and abroad. And you can even purchase tickets through linked websites.

Whether for flights, hotels, restaurants or local travel, the popular app Tripadvisor allows you to browse the experiences of previous travelers. You can save your destinations and chart hotels and restaurants on a map. 

With Viator you can book local tours or other food and entertainment experiences, as well as snag "skip the line" tickets.

Getyourguide provides information about nearby attractions, food and local travel in cities around the world.

Omio, also based in Germany, is a popular train, bus, flight and ferry travel app that provides tickets directly to your mobile phone.

Daytrip offers door-to-door rides in a private car with English-speaking drivers, along with options to stop for sightseeing.

And for food, lots of folks (including my traveling daughter) use HappyCow, which calls itself “the world’s largest vegan community and food map.” It is designed to search for vegan and vegetarian restaurants around the world. TheFork was recommended by several folks on Facebook Road Scholar groups for searching and booking restaurants in Europe or Australia. The app also offers ratings and discounts.

4. Entertainment

Recommendations to me by fellow travelers include Spotify for music, Kindle for books and Netflix, Prime, HBO or other favorites that you can download before you leave.

5. Communication

WhatsApp enables you to message and call from and to most countries (as well as to send photos or video) for free. All the Road Scholar groups with whom I’ve traveled have used WhatsApp throughout the program, and we have also used it to keep up to date with fellow travelers after our trip.

6. Currency Exchange and More

Xe Currency Converter provides live exchange rates, charts and rate alerts.

Unit Converter was recommended to me by my travel pal Lewanda from Pawleys Island, South Carolina. It can convert currencies, temperature, weights, distances and much more.

Speaking of temperature, the weather app that I usually use is The Weather Channel. It’s free and you can check forecasts hourly, weekly or 10-day.

7. Returning Home

The free Mobile Passport Control App makes the process of returning from abroad much easier. Eligible travelers who submit travel documents, a photo and customs declaration information can bypass customs and immigration kiosks at U.S. airports and cruise terminals. I used this app until I got my Global Entry app a few years ago.

The Global Entry App requires filling out an application (available online at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection site) and an interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center, also listed on the site. Some appointments are available at select airports; I got mine at Newark Airport when I returned from abroad. This app also includes TSA PreCheck.

8. Travel Insurance

I use the Allyz TravelSmart App from Allianz, which includes information about my policy, as well as offering the ability to make a claim immediately from the U.S. or abroad. Other insurance apps include AIG Travel Assistance, Travelers Mobile and others.

9. Just for Fun

PictureThis-Plant Identifier offers information about some 400,000 plants around the world, and Merlin Bird ID from Cornell Lab identifies birds by their calls. I especially loved using both of these apps in Costa Rica and India.

10. Keeping track of your travels during and after your journey

Tripit makes it easy to put together a cohesive travel itinerary. Forward all hotel, flight and any other confirmation emails to the app, and Tripit will provide an itinerary with real-time alerts for cancellations or travel time changes.

Ease of Use

I find it especially helpful that a number of these apps (like Google Maps, Google Translate, XE Currency, Tripit, Tripadvisor and more) can be downloaded before a trip and used when the Internet is unavailable or erratic.

Travel is a life-expanding experience whether or not you use apps. But they may well heighten your travel experience. They can help you get from place to place, enable you to communicate with people wherever you are and even help you decide what in the world to see, do or learn.

About the Author

Barbara Winard has earned degrees in English literature, journalism and, later in life, gerontology. For the past 25 years she was a senior editor and writer of online encyclopedia articles for children. Prior to that, after returning from a long trip to Asia, Barbara was hired by the Asia Society in New York City to produce films and print materials about Asian culture. She was also a producer and writer for New York City’s public television station, WNET/13.