Many travel apps have attracted a huge fan base; users eagerly await every update that arrives with new features. Other apps have gone the way of the dodo, becoming a distant memory in ever-changing landscape of smart phone/ smart tablet usage.
Only time and download benchmarks will tell us if travel apps have staying power, but I think these four free apps are worth a look.
Are you on time to make your next transit connection or not? The HopStop app can tell you! This free app, which is compatible on multiple operating platforms, offers schedules for hundreds of railways, subways, bus lines, ferries, light rail, and more in approximately 100 cities across Europe, Canada and the United States. From within the app, users can also save addresses to their contacts lists, save searches, find wheelchair accessible routes, and view ‘zoom-able’ transit maps. One key thing to note about this app is that transit maps and schedules are subject to change without notice.
Anxious flyers, meanwhile, might want to check out the Turbulence Forecast app for Apple devices. Turbulence Forecast provides users with access to the turbulence maps used by pilots and professionals. Prior a flight, passengers can check to see if their flight is likely to encounter turbulence via pilot reports, weather maps, storm outlook reporting, cruise wave forecasts and other tools. The free app includes a disclaimer that wisely advises users to not use its data as justification to cancel flights, as the app is only intended to be an estimating tool.
Road warriors who are accustomed to booking last minute hotel rooms might warm to the Hotel Tonight app for iOS and Android platforms. Hotel Tonight is an aggregator of deals on unsold hotel rooms in several countries. Users can quickly and securely book a room night from their smart phone. Planning to visit the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland or the Netherlands? You are in luck and may find a room for up to 70 per cent off the retail rate.
Currency exchange rates and calculations can be befuddling for the best of mathematicians. The XE Currency app was developed to take the puzzlement out of the exchange process. Equipped with rates, charts and calculators designed for ease of use on a smaller screen, the app features exchange rates for worldwide currencies. Available across mobile platforms and on the web, the app permits a degree of user customisation and stores the last updated rates for those moments when you may not have wireless or a mobile connection.
Regardless of whether these apps have previously crossed your radar or not, they might be worth another look.
January 14, 2013 at 1:20 am
Of the four, Hopstop sounds like it would be the most useful to me. With the New Year, I got a new job at DISH, and it requires a lot of travel. I don’t always have access to a car, so Hopstop looks like it will help me find the next best alternative. There is another travel app that I think will “take off”. It’s called DISH Remote Access, and I can use it to stream live TV and recordings from my DVR to my phone over 3G, 4G, or wifi. I recently got stuck waiting hours for my flight due to a weather delay, but I was able to watch a movie from my DVR to help the time pass quickly.