5 Game-Changing Apps for the Modern Traveler

It is against human nature to remain holed up for too long. A wild streak compels us to get out of our comfort zones and see the world in all its rawness. This is why you often come across backpackers hiking through quaint forests, skinny-dipping in natural springs, and dancing with the locals around campfires on tropical islands. In bazaars and bustling marketplaces of distant regions, you find travelers tasting foreign cuisine for the first time, wooing exotic ladies/lads, and buying souvenirs to take home. The snowy Alps are a hubbub of winter sports, while the sunny summers are celebrated best on the golden sandy beaches. It is a way with all of us. From time to time, when the monotonous routine threatens to kill our spirit, we pack our bags and begin our travels.

But traveling is not always easy. There are thousands of things to take care of before you can be ready to backpack across Europe. You cannot begin your journey without proper planning. One cannot afford to be blinded by wanderlust, after all. In the past people had to worry about the language barrier, navigation, and transport, they need not do so anymore. Why? Because over the last few decades, certain technological advancements have streamlined traveling. Let me present to you every traveler’s helper: smartphone apps.

Yes, these apps, especially the social ones, have changed the way people travel around the world. They’ve removed unnecessary toils, like carrying heavy maps and dictionaries and introduced ease into the traveling arena. The whole world is within your reach at the tap of a button. Check out the following smartphone apps (categorized by usage type) that help save time, money and resources for every globetrotter.

1.  Scoop up Recommendations

It is commonly believed amongst the traveling community that if you want to really synchronize with a particular place’s roots, then you have to try its food. Because even plain soup tells a story about the ones who made it. That is why a majority of the people journey around the world in search of exotic cuisines to tempt their palates. But the immense variety of food can be quite overwhelming for a person who’s never had a chance to experience it all, and can’t do so due to budget-shortage. For such individuals, the Foursquare City Guide app brings highly-personalized recommendations from expert travelers, famous influencers, and food connoisseurs. It includes tried-and-tested tips regarding the must-try dishes, saving you time and energy. It also lets you know about those less-frequented, non-mainstream hidden spots you should be able to try at least once in your lifetime. This app is available on Android Play Store and App Store.

2.  Find Great Accommodation

When you travel all the way from your home to a place far off, a strictly-formal hotel, which alienates you further and induces homesickness, is the last thing you need. Trust me. Hostels don’t work either in this case, because sharing a room with weird roommates is also not a dream come true if you know what I mean. However, lucky for you, there is a better alternative which comes in the form of Airbnb. This app allows you to rent a lodging with the local dwellers and experience their culture firsthand. You can make a deal with the Airbnb host of your choice and book affordable accommodation. It’d just feel like home because you’d literally be residing in someone else’s homely quarters. So, download the app right now from Play Store/iTunes using your internet connection, acquired from those special Spectrum deals or alike.

3.  Connect from Anywhere

Not every region has the same level of digital connectivity that you might be used to back home. There are special charges on phone and internet when you travel across international waters. So, it might not be easy for you to stay in touch with those you’ve left behind or those you might be planning to meet up later. Communication becomes cumbersome. But there’s a way out of this hassle and it goes by the name of Whatsapp. Yes, this smartphone app, available for download from both Android and Apple play stores, allows you to stay connected with your loved ones/friends, to send them photos of your travels and to have group chats from anywhere in the world without worrying about SMS or mobile charges.

4.  Request a Ride

Imagine you’re staying at this guesthouse in Amsterdam during party season and want to attend a nearby rave around midnight. Whom do you call? Your Uber driver. Yes, this app, much like the Lyft one, operates on the ride-sharing logic. It is quite simple to maneuver. You enter your pick up location and your destined location, request a ride, and you’ll be connected to a driver in the vicinity within seconds. All it needs is a good internet connection to work. The drivers are professional and background-checked, so you need not worry on that score. This ride-sharing technology has made getting around a place quite easy for the travelers.

5.  Make a Postcard

I remember how my grandfather used to send me these vintage postcards on his travels across the world. Those were the best times. I would stay up all night waiting in exhilaration for a stamp-laden piece of paper, which was nothing in itself but held quite a lot of sentimental value for me. The practice of sending postcards is arguably dying in the present age, but I want to keep it alive. And in this mission, Postagram app serves my purpose. This app allows me to take pictures from my smartphone, edit them in a tasteful way, convert them into workable postcards, and send them off to anyone across the world via mail just under $2!

So, you can see how the traveling community is being digitized due to the aforementioned apps, which introduce ease and efficiency into the whole field.