There are some great apps can take some of the hassle out of travelling in an unknown country. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied
1. goCatch
Here’s an Aussie-made app revolutionising the way we score a taxi and it’s “catching on”, if you’ll pardon the pun, in other parts of the world outside Australia including Singapore and Croatia. The app identifies where taxis are on the goCatch map – and finds your own location using GPS – then allows passengers and taxi drivers to connect directly using their smartphones. Passengers can rate drivers, too, so there’s a credibility element lending the system some respectability. The app has real-time analytics and is spot on predicting taxi pick up times so is handy if you have a scheduled flight or you’re stuck on foreign soil late at night and wanting to get back to your hotel.
There’s always a reason to download an app with a travel safety focus while holidaying abroad. The premise is this: you’re taught your local emergency telephone number (000) from the time you’re a little tacker, but what about when you travel? Emergency Telephone Numbers picks up your location via GPS and puts the local phone numbers on the screen for police, ambulance and fire … and you can dial it straight from your iPhone.
In another great example of how we’re all connected in ways previously unimaginable, the Flight Radar24 app allows you to follow the path of international flights to the centimetre on augmented reality maps with seamless zoom functionality, details on departure gates, delays and cancellations. You can even point the phone to the sky and identify planes flying overhead. Even better, at any given time you’ll know where a friend or loved one is located in the air.
4. Airbnb
A castle for a night in Europe? A rustic hut for a week in the Isle of Skye? A room in St Kilda for $66 a night at Paul and Justine’s apartment? When there’s been more than 10 million nights booked globally through a social marketplace that lets travellers book a room from people who have space for rent, then it must be worth the punt. It also gives you the chance to find out what your spare room is worth and start making money from international roamers staying over a night or two.
This is a beauty for kids as BBC TV presenter and geographer Nick Crane jumps in as your host while you roam the planet, changing environments, and encounter wildlife, landmarks and famous buildings via an interactive 3D globe. It’s an immersive experience for the youngsters. Includes live data for every country via the Wolfram Alpha online library. It’s super fun on the iPad.
6. Gogobot
This is one of those big social travel all rounders that boasts a gigantic community of like-minded travellers sharing holiday highlights, photos and guidance for countless destinations around the globe. Gogobot not only allows you to comprehensively discover details and images about a destination, but you can also book a room directly. A drawcard is functionality that allows you to create beautiful photo postcards and write your own reviews.
7. WeatherPro
This one from Europe’s largest private weather forecaster MeteoGroup is clicking over the downloads meter at a rapid rate with weather-conscious travellers. Offering weather reports for more than two million locations around the planet, it dishes up everything from wind speed and humidity to cloud formations and atmospheric pressure, as well as connecting to the MeteoEarth app that uses high-end gaming technology showing weather on a 3D globe. Pinpoint accurate, if it says it’s going to be wet and cold in Frankfurt then you best pack your winter woollies.
8. 1stavailable
There’s nothing worse than needing to visit a doctor quickly while on holidays and you don’t know where to find one. 1stavailable tracks down open appointments, including last minute cancellations, with registered GPs, dentists, physiotherapists, chiropractors and other allied health services. Not just a handy tool for travellers, it’s a breakthrough for healthcare professionals. Just plug in your location, the kind of doctor you need to see, and the app will present a list of nearby practitioners with the next opening in their schedules.
9. Skyscanner
Looking to bag the best deal on a flight? Skyscanner searches millions of routes from over 1000 airlines to find the cheapest on offer and links you directly to the airline or travel agent, promising no hidden charges or extra fees. Windows phone owners can keep track of the prices by creating a Live Tile that will give hourly updates on flight prices for selected routes. Includes the chart view to see prices over a week or a month and the everywhere search feature for those who need inspiration to be inspired about where to go.
10. Tipulator
Ever been called a tight-ass by a Californian waiter for not leaving a decent enough tip on the table? I have, but won’t be ever again after downloading this app, the best tip app doing the rounds. Wherever you go in the world you will no longer have any trouble with the maths work required to split the bill, round up or down, or work out a tip from 0 to 30 per cent. Really easy to use and looks the goods.
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10 must-have travel apps for globetrotters
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