Explore with Amie

Apps are your best friend when it comes to travelling. In this day and age, planning a trip is easiest when using all the tools and tricks that the internet has to offer. Even whilst you’re on holiday, apps and websites will be the best companion you can have for finding out the ins and outs of your destination. Today, I’m going to be sharing with you the top travel apps that I use when planning and whilst on holiday. You may have heard of a couple of these before but, hopefully I introduce you to a new one as well.

I’m going to start off with some transport apps:

Skyscanner

Skyscanner is the best place to start searching for cheap flights. You can even just select ‘ANYWHERE’ and look for the cheapest places to go on holiday which could help you pick your destination. You can search a whole month to find the cheapest time to go too. My tip with Skyscanner would be to use it to search out the cheapest flights and destinations but, don’t book through it. I would always suggest going through the airline’s own website and cutting out the middle man. It is definitely still worth a look though. The key to Skyscanner is to be flexible with where you want to fly from (if you can) and the dates of travel. That is how you will get the best deal.

Rome to Rio

If your trip involves train travel from one area of a country to another then Rome to Rio is a great way to analyse the possibilities and give you a rough estimate of pricing. It also gives you details on car routes, buses, ferries and planes. It gives you an idea of how to get from A to B basically. For example, if I wanted to get from Milan to Venice: according to Rome to Rio, there are seven different ways of getting there. The best option is to go by train but the cheapest option is to go by bus. From there you can see the providers of each mode of transport – in this case the train is Trentitalia Freece or ItaloTreno – so you can have a look at the company websites too to double check the information and book if necessary.

FlightRadar24

This is a very helpful app when you’re in the airport and faced with delays. Last year, when I was in Cork waiting for a flight home, Alex looked on the FlightRadar24 app and found that our plane had yet to take off from London. This was before the boards announced that the flight was delayed! This app provides you with realtime information on flights. All you need is your flight number and you’ll be able to track it. This would also be a good app recommendation for worried family members or if they’re coming to pick you up from the airport; they’ll know exactly where your flight is!

RyanAir Discovery

Although a lot of people turn their noses up at Ryan Air, if you’re looking for budget flights to get you from A to B then you can’t beat their prices. I have never had a problem with them personally. Ryan Air Discovery is a great way to search out your cheapest Ryan Air flights. You can download the app from the Google Play Store for Android uses but it does not appear to be available yet for Apple uses.

Now, onto the accommodation apps:

Hostel World

I have always booked my hostels through Hostel World. You can download the app on your phone making it super easy and accessible. There are so many reviews on there from fellow travellers that you can really try and find a hostel that suits your needs. Personally, I’d try and go for highly rated one as then you’ve got that extra level of security that its going to be okay. There is always going to be people complaining though so, even the best hostels will have some bad reviews. It is also worth checking the price of a private room in a hostel – which is essentially the same as staying in a budget hotel – as often this can be cheaper/the same price as they know that most travellers are looking for the social aspect of room sharing as well.

Booking.com

This is a rather obvious one and, to be honest, I personally don’t use booking.com all too often but, it’s a good way to have a look at your accommodation options. Booking.com has some hostels on it too and the prices can sometimes vary from Hostel World so it is worth comparing them. For the most part, I use booking.com for research and planning purposes before comparing the independent hotels/b&b’s on here to budget hotels such as Travelodge or PremierInn in the UK. It is a good app to have a look at though and one which has some perks the longer you use it.

Another accommodation app that I know a lot of people use is AirB&B. I personally have never used this as I think its a little on the pricier side than some of your other options but, I think if you’re looking for long term accommodation then this may be a good place to look too.

That is all of the apps and websites I have for the planning side of things however, one of the most important apps you’ll have during your time on holiday is maps. Google Maps is very useful however, I would suggest another alternative:

Maps Me

Maps Me is an offline map service which is really useful for getting around. You have to download that area of the map before you go, and then you’re off. You can also add little pins onto the map with key locations such as train stations, your accommodation etc. You could even use these pins during the planning process and add all the sights you want to see onto the map. This is a good way to decide which order to see things in, especially if certain sights are all clumped together in one area. It also includes handy things such as ATM’s, water fountains, toilets etc. One thing to note about this app is that it relies on people updating it. In one instance, we walked to a restaurant to find that it had moved locations. That has only happened once but, it is something to bare in mind if the thing you are looking for isn’t a permanent thing.

Map Pedometer

This one is more for my fellow walkers/hikers out there. Map Pedometer is a website which you can use to plot your walks. It shows you a lot of footpaths – some of which aren’t on OS – and, once your’ve plotted the walk, tells you how may kms or miles it is. Alex and I used this a lot during our time at university as well as nowadays to plan our walks in the National Parks. It is a great way to determine how long a walk will roughly take you and whether or not you will have time to do it. This one is more of a planning tool but, if you have service, you can also consult it during your walk to check you’re on the right track.

Finally, I have an app recommendation for those of you that are travelling in groups. I used this during my trip to Australia (throughout the planning process and whilst away) as well as during my time at university…

Splitwise

If you’re going on holiday in a group and want to make sure everyone is splitting the cost equally then download Splitwise. You can then create a group on the app and put any expenditure on there. The app will work out how much everyone owes. It creates an ongoing tally, adding any amount you owe to someone else and taking money off if you then buy something and someone else owes you. I hope that makes sense. It also works it out so that, if it doesn’t divide equally, it will alternate who spends the extra penny so it’s completely even. This is a really useful tool that I don’t think many people know about. It is definitely worth utilising on your next group trip.

Those are all of the apps that I have to share with you today. Did I introduce you to any new apps? Did I miss any that you think are the best? Let me know in the comments!

Amie x