On the Road: Websites and Apps for Travel
Loading the Right Apps • Lets you get the most out of your vacation • Helps you avoid missing important sites • Eliminates confusion while travelling • Keeps you connected to home
Tips for loading apps O Check the Google Play Store for Android apps and the Apple app store for iPhone and iPad apps. Some apps also have versions for Windows phones but there are far fewer. O You will need an Apple and/or Google id. O Make sure the app is available for your version of iOS or Android. O Some apps are only available on the company’s website. O Some apps have a corresponding website, others only have an app. O Unless otherwise noted, all apps are for Android & iOS.
Accommodations
Hotel Tonight app only Biggest name in last-minute bookings in the US. App focuses exclusively on O day-of bookings, although you can extend your stay for multiple nights at some hotels. Hotels in North America & Western Europe. Rooms are offered at discounts O up to 70% and categorized by tier (basic, solid, charming, hip, luxe). You can see ratings and user photos before choosing a hotel. Booking takes just a few taps. Hotel Tonight is the best choice if you want to quickly book a quality room. O It has fewer options than in other apps, but choices are good and offered at steep discounts. ‘Why we like it’ section describes why it’s a good pick. O No guarantee on a specific room or bed type until check in. O Deals available at noon local time. O Need to book for someone else? Just add a guest name, and select it O when you book.
Last Minute Travel website & app Download from website, not app store. O Deals for more than 16,000 hotels in 2,500 major cities. O Unlike Hotel Tonight, can book ahead of time. Up to 65% savings. O Culls TripAdvisor info, so each listing includes user-generated star O ratings, reviews, property descriptions, and photos. Many of the rooms it lists aren’t available to book via the hotel’s O website, so travelers will have a greater selection—and save time— by launching this app instead of conducting individual searches. Features “undercover” hotels. O Can sort by price, recommended, hotel name, distance from O current location, Trip Advisor or star rating to book.
Jetsetter Now iOS app only & website O Web site known as a curator of travel which promotes hotels and destinations that the JS team has investigated themselves to make sure they're top- notch. Any hotels chosen will definitely be chic. O Look at Flash Sales for best deals. O Properties are categorized by location as well as the collection they fit into - Royal, Posh, or Brilliant. O Look at “What We Love," "What To Know," and The Lowdown sections for insider information. O Full website also available but need app for last minute deals. O The app’s strengths: panoramic photos and insights from Jetsetter’s team of expert correspondents.
One-of-a kind Accommodations websites & apps Features: O Search for available properties by destination O Both apps/sites feature pictures of properties O Peruse amenities, descriptions, nearby airports, local attractions O and more Read reviews from previous guests O Contact the property owner or manager O Get a quote for your travel dates O AirBnB O Thousands of places to stay in over 34,000 cities O Includes last-minutes accommodations anywhere in the world O Skews a little younger, more shared accommodations & apartments O Home Away & VRBO For travelers O More than 1 million property listings in 171 countries O Skewed a little more to rental properties. O
Hipmunk: Flights & Hotels website & app Offers last minute hotel deals. Can also book flights & get information. O App offers three options on the main screen: Search Flights, Search O Hotels, & Discover. Discover lets you combine flight & hotel info. Discounts range from 10-40%. O Hipmunk gives you more options than Hotel Tonight but plenty of controls O to help narrow them down. Download the mobile app from the main website or get it via one of the O app stores. Although it’s a flight and hotel aggregation search app it’s unique in that it O includes non-traditional lodging such as listings from Airbnb and HomeAway in its search results.
Major Travel Sites Booking.com O Booking.com’s Tonight app also provides lots of options but at smaller discounts (~10%) than Hipmunk does. O Since both HotelTonight and Jetsetter have more curated content, results are very limited. O Once you click on a hotel, it will list all available rooms, hotel facilities and policies, and other pertinent information. O If you want a plethora of options that you can filter by price, location, facilities, etc, this is a great option. O When you book a hotel, you can download a free travel guide to use offline. Includes places to eat, sites, shopping, etc. O If you're less interested in how hip the hotel is, the big booking agencies will give you loads of results with more budget options. Hotels.com, Booking.com, Expedia, and Priceline all have mobile apps for travelers on-the-go.
Restaurants & Eating Out
Restaurants & Eating Out Yelp - website & app User restaurant reviews ChowHou ound.c .com om - website Food forums in U.S. & major world cities OpenTable le – website & app Book a table, read reviews U.S. only
Foodspotting website & app O Reviews dishes, not restaurants. O Can scan for food in map area, based on users’ recommendations (thumbnail photo of food). O Can also search for nearby restaurants based on your current GPS location. O Includes map and links to Yelp reviews. Can also order takeout via GrubHub. O Website: For each city, users can browse selections by category and neighborhood location O Also available for Windows phone.
TV FoodMaps website & app O Restaurants featured on Food Network and Travel Channel shows, such as "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," "Man v. Food," "Best Thing I Ever Ate“ O Search by show or location.
Sightseeing & Local Info
Gogobot website & app Social travel app that helps you find places to eat, play, and sleep O based on your location and based on your personal preferences, such as whether you're more outdoorsy or are looking for family-friendly spots. Community of users upload photos, information, and ratings for the O sites, while also tagging them based on different interests, such as family, foodie, local, outdoor, budget, and adventure. Explore an area ahead of time and save points of interest to a list in the O app. Photos taken by other users help you get a better sense of what you O might find at different places of interest. Book hotels recommended by members and get the best prices. O Contains over 800,000 reviews and 4 million photos. O Website tip: Blog contains articles with reviews, tips & information. O
Field Trip app only O Looks for sites of interest around you, based on categories you select and your location. O Sends pop-up cards, short blurbs about unique, sometimes hidden locations, as you pass them. O Especially good for history buffs. O Will send audio alerts if you're driving and have a connected Bluetooth audio device. O Taps into recommendations from travel and lifestyle publications, such as Thrillist, Zagat, and Sunset, as well as Songkick and Flavorpill for finding local music. O Can set to show frequent or occasional notifications, and you can turn on an audio option that will speak the title and description of a spot. O Another feature: restaurant reviews and coupons for discounts show up as you pass by.
Rick Steves Audio Europe Travel App O Regularly updated. Can also listen from website. O Self-guided walking tours for dozens of Europe’s top museums and sights O Travel tips and cultural insights from Rick’s radio show O Download files before you go O PDF maps included
Making Connections
Virtual Tourist website & app O Virtual Tourist.com (app only available for iOS) O Worldwide travel community where real travelers and locals share real travel advice and experiences on over 63,000 destinations. O Offers travel guides, insider tips, reviews, and photos. O Get travel advice from people behind the scenes via their world travel forum.
Maps
Google Maps website & app O Turn-by-turn directions O Detects delays up ahead, such as traffic, accidents, or construction. App automatically offers a quicker route. O In-car GPS navigation system, right from your phone. O Also works for walking directions and for public transportation. O Download maps while connected to wi-fi.
Stay Connected
Free Wi-Fi Finder app only Find free Wi-Fi hotspots at hotels, restaurants, airlines and stores O around the world. Can filter by provider, venue or free/pay. O Can download Wi-Fi directory to use offline. Uses about 55MB of O disk space.
WhatsApp Messenger app only O Free mobile messaging anywhere with Wi-Fi or 3G. O Uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing so there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends (e.g. no roaming charges). O All users must have app to connect. O Users can create groups, send each other unlimited images, video and audio media messages. O Available for Windows phone.
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