Organize your vacation with your fingertips with these free apps for your smartphone or tablet.
Like the commercial says -- “There's an app for that†-- but how do you choose from the thousands available? We've put together a short list of must-haves for hitting the road that cover the practical needs of finding a hotel or the best gas prices, checking the weather and organizing your travel itinerary.
With so many free apps available, you don't need to spend big bucks to customize your smartphone or tablet to suit your interests or the region you're visiting: you can download city maps, public transportation maps, restaurant and shopping guides or get recommendations from fellow travelers with apps from Yelp and TripAdvisor.
Foodies may want to check out the free ChefsFeed (www.chefsfeed.com) or the Travel Channel's Layover Guide (a spin on the popular Anthony Bourdain show) to find great places to eat, while wine lovers may want to download Hello Vino (www.hellovino.com) for shopping and pairing tips.
If you don't want to clutter up your phone with so many individual icons, we've included the free Wi-Fi Finder app in our list so you can take a break at a hotspot and surf the web to your heart's content.
While most apps are available for android and iPhone/iPad/iPod devices, as well as some tablets like Kindle Fire, Blackberry users are the most limited in app choices. Download from iTunes for Apple devices and from Google Play for android and windows devices, or link to the download sites from the related website.
Road Worthy
Gas Buddy (www.gasbuddy.com): With gas prices going up and down faster than a rollercoaster, this app pinpoints your location and gives you multiple service station options and current prices (android/iPhone/blackberry).
AAA (www.aaa.com): Members can access AAA benefits, travel information, and even contact the nearest AAA provider for roadside assistance (android/iPhone).
Wi-Fi Finder (http://v4.jiwire.com/search-hotspot-locations.htm [1] ): This is one of the best apps for finding free hotspots from Starbucks to public spaces (android/iPhone/iPad/iPod).
Weather Channel (http://www.weather.com/services/mobilesplash.html [2] ): You never know when a hurricane, tornado or major weather event may impact your travel or your hometown (android/iPhone/blackberry/windows phone/iPad/kindle fire).
Hotel Tonight (www.hoteltonight.com): Why hassle with bidding on a room when you can get a deeply discounted last-minute rate with Hotel Tonight? Find a great offer and book directly from the app (iPhone/android).
TripIt (www.tripit.com): Go paperless and leave that stack of booking confirmation numbers at home with this handy app that lets you customize your itinerary and email those pesky confirmation numbers directly to your personal trip planner (android/iPhone/iPad/blackberry/windows).
Virginia is For Lovers (www.virginia.org/virginiapps): Virginia Tourism has put their travel guide into a comprehensive iPhone app that gives you access to thousands of hotels, restaurants and attractions throughout the state. The “Near Me†feature gives you attractions within a 15-mile radius of your location (iPhone only).
Stay in Touch
Postagram (http://postagramapp.com/ [3] ): Who wants to spend vacation time looking for postcards and then a post office? Send them directly from your smartphone using your own phone, Instagram or Facebook “wish you were here†photos. Real postcards made from your pictures and personalized with your message are snail-mailed to your friends and family. The app is free but you pay the postage (99 cents), although currently, Postagram is offering to send your first five cards for free (android/iPhone).
Facebook (www.facebook.com): Don't ignore your FB friends while you're away. Make them green with envy by posting your fabulous vacation photos as they happen (think frozen drink on the beach while they're slaving away in the office!). FB will also provide a map with pins of your travel locations and there are stand-alone apps for Facebook camera and Facebook messenger (android/iPhone/iPad).
Richmond.com [4] (www.richmond.com/mobile/apps/): Stay up to date on what's happening while you're away with our own mobile app and send us a photo, video or tweet while you're having fun (android/iPhone). Happy Travels!
Links
- ^ http://v4.jiwire.com/search-hotspot-locations.htm (v4.jiwire.com)
- ^ http://www.weather.com/services/mobilesplash.html (www.weather.com)
- ^ http://postagramapp.com/ (postagramapp.com)
- ^ Richmond.com (Richmond.com)
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