Which apps have been useful to me on my journey?

I used to be quite skeptical about travel apps. It seemed that the card, hotel reservation and translator were enough, and everything else could be solved on the spot. Then I went on trips several times where the Internet suddenly disappeared, the navigator sent me somewhere wrong, and the desired address turned out to be written in a language I don't understand at all. After that, my phone gradually turned into a full-fledged travel kit.

Now, before the trip, I check several applications in advance and try to set them up at home. Not because I want to look at the screen all the time, but on the contrary - to spend as little time on the phone as possible while traveling.

Maps and navigation

The first thing I install before any trip is the maps app. I usually use Google Maps, and for some trips I additionally download offline maps.

Offline mode is generally one of the most useful things for me. One day I found myself in a small town where the mobile Internet was so bad that the map loaded at about the same speed as a tree grows. It's good that the desired area was saved in advance.

The maps also turned out to be useful not only for finding attractions. I often look at where supermarkets, pharmacies, cafes, bus stops and public toilets are located. The last point is especially appreciated after a few hours of walking.

Translator

Translator is an application that I used to open only as a last resort. Now I use it all the time.

It's especially convenient when you can just take a picture of the menu, signboard, or instructions and get a translation. It's much faster than trying to type an unfamiliar word manually.

But the most interesting thing happens not in restaurants, but during regular communication. Sometimes it's enough to show a person a translation on the screen to solve a problem that could turn into a ten-minute pantomime without a phone.

At the same time, I try to download the required language in advance. When traveling, the Internet has an unpleasant habit of disappearing exactly when it is needed most.

Booking of accommodation

The hotel booking app is also always at hand. I like the opportunity to quickly open the address, view the booking conditions and show the driver exactly where to go.

In addition, I save a screenshot of the booking. It seems like a small thing until you find yourself at the reception desk with a dead phone and start explaining to the hotel employee that the room is indeed booked, just that the confirmation is somewhere "in the cloud" for some reason.

Airline's App

After a few trips, I stopped considering it useless. An electronic boarding pass, flight information, exit number, and departure time changes are all much more convenient to keep in one place.

This is especially useful when the flight is delayed. Instead of looking for information on the scoreboard every ten minutes, you can just check your phone.

However, I still sometimes keep a paper copy of important documents. Apparently, after a certain amount of traveling, you begin to realize that technology is fine until it suddenly decides not to work.

Taxi and transportation

The taxi app greatly simplifies life in an unfamiliar city. There is no need to explain to the driver with gestures where to go and try to understand the local fares.

Besides, I like to see the approximate cost of the trip in advance. This helps you at least roughly understand how much it will cost to move around the city.

If I use public transport, I download the application of the local metro or transport system in advance. Sometimes it shows routes much better than regular maps.

Currency Converter

At first glance, it seems that a currency converter is not particularly needed. Then you go into the store, see the price in the local currency, and start mentally multiplying, dividing, and rounding.

After five minutes, you don't know if this lunch is really inexpensive or if you've just spent half your budget on a drink.

So now I just open the converter and check.

The note-taking app

But this app is often underestimated.

I'm creating one note with the hotel's address, booking number, departure time, important phone numbers, and a small list of places I want to visit.

I can also write down the name of a cafe I like or the address of a store I happened to see on a walk.

As a result, you don't have to remember later: "Where did I see this? It seems to be somewhere near that square..."

And the main thing is not to turn traveling into working with a smartphone.

With all this, I try not to install twenty apps for every occasion.

Maps, translator, reservations, transportation, airline, currency converter, and notes are enough for most trips.

Because apps should help you travel, not replace the journey itself.

It doesn't make much sense to come to another country and spend half the day staring at a screen. Sometimes it's better to close the card, put the phone in your pocket and just go where the street leads.

That's when most of the time there are places that weren't on my original itinerary at all.