What are the best travel apps to have with you?
Aside from a few die-hard adventure enthusiasts, it's hard not to appreciate the convenience of using your smartphone and the many travel apps available abroad! Planning, travel, sightseeing… At Languages and Travel, an agency specializing in organizing language immersion programs and Working Holiday Visas (WHV), we believe they're practical, but be careful not to overuse them!
Useful apps before departure
WIFI FINDER
Before launching into a list of the best travel apps that will save your life, it's helpful to know how to find a Wi-Fi connection… That's where WIFI FINDER comes in. Thanks to this travel app, available on iPhone and Android, you can easily and quickly find the nearest Wi-Fi networks (paid and/or free) wherever you go: in a bar, which square to head to, free access points, a restaurant, a café, etc. Another advantage: download the database of access points. Once offline, you can access all available networks!
PACKING LIST
We recently published an article about documents and things not to forget when traveling. This app will help you pack your suitcase properly so you don't forget anything. The concept is simple: Packing List offers lists of items to pack based on your destination and the local context: beach, mountains, camping for those who decide to fly out on a Working Holiday Visa, for example.
FLIGHTAWARE
Want to track flights in real time from any country or city to know if your plane or connecting flight will be on time? FlightAware is for you. This tool will also reassure your loved ones, as they too can see your live location by searching by carrier, airport, and more.
Practical apps for living there
METRO
Not very good with directions or simply don't want to waste time? The MetrO app is for you! Why? Because it helps you navigate public transport in over 400 cities worldwide. You can download the places you're interested in and search for your route by metro, bus, tram, train… Its advantage: no network connection is required once the cities are loaded. Note, however, that it's only available on the App Store.
WORLD CUSTOMS & CULTURES:
While you're there, but also and especially before you arrive, the WORLD CUSTOMS & CULTURES app is essential for any traveler open to the world and eager for discovery. Available only on iPhone, it lists the customs and traditions, as well as other important cultural information, of more than 165 countries worldwide. A must-have for understanding the local population or avoiding being surprised by unusual gestures from the people you're talking to!
XE Currency
Not great at math? XE Currency lets you convert nearly 200 currencies. This converter also provides regular rankings of the most advantageous exchange rates. A travel app that can be very useful for, for example, exchanging currency at the most opportune time. Note that with eCurrency, a similar app, you can also find out the "normal" value of a product in the country you're visiting... and thus avoid being ripped off.
ITRANSLATE
Even if you're abroad to learn a language, iTranslate will be useful when you're unsure about an English phrase you want to write or pronounce. Its options? Translating words, expressions, or sentences in over 50 different languages. Use it sparingly, though—you're on a language immersion trip to learn!
TRAVEL SAFE
How to quickly find emergency numbers worldwide to call an ambulance, the police, a poison control center, an embassy, a hospital… It's simple, with the Travel Safe app in your pocket! Among the best travel apps, this one is definitely one of the most practical!
CITY MAPS2GO
The City Maps2Go app invites you to discover tourist attractions such as restaurants, shops, bars, and more across the globe, thanks to its collection of 6,700 interactive maps. Available offline, this comprehensive travel guide ensures you quickly find detailed information about your destination!
MOBILE POSTCARD
Tired of writing postcards to all your family members? Now, thanks to Bpost's Mobile Postcard app, you can write your card directly from your mobile phone. In addition to adding text, you can also add a photo from your library to personalize your postcard even more. Any card created before 3 p.m. Belgian time will arrive the next day in your recipient's mailbox. And this time, it won't arrive after you get back from your trip if you've only been away for a week or two!
PIVO
Finally, and just for a little anecdote, here's how to order a beer in any situation! The Pivo app lets you pronounce the magic phrase "a beer, please" in 59 languages. And that includes Afrikaans, Zulu, and even Latin. As a bonus, you'll sometimes find information sheets about certain beers and videos!
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