Our Favorite Travel Apps
Fly with Chris and Di
English - March 11, 2019 07:05 - 44 minutes - 25.9 MB - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsPlaces & Travel Society & Culture Leisure Hobbies europe lasvegas travel travelocity vacation airbnb airports cruise disney excursions Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
This episode is about key apps to make your travel more enjoyable. We share the apps we use to plan our trips, the apps we use to get around while on vacation, and other apps that help us with impromptu decisions. We know that having a well planned vacation is a fun vacation, and we want to help you discover that too.
We talk about the six apps or types of apps that help us plan trips in advance, so we don’t waste our valuable vacation time having to decide what to do and where to go. We also talk about the apps that help us get around once we are at our vacation destination. We also talk about some apps that we love to use to add local flavor.
Show Notes
[02:30] TripAdvisor gives you access to lists with details of things to do, places to eat, and places to stay.
[03:01] It's great for researching fun things to do at new locations.
[04:03] We use Yelp all the time. It's great for finding restaurants.
[05:31] When you put in pizza, it provides you with all of the nearby places with pictures and reviews.
[07:45] Yelp is also great for finding fun things to do. You can also create bookmarks and have lists of great places to visit.
[08:57] It also gives you a map of all of your bookmarked locations.
[09:49] Chris is a Hilton Honors member, and he has found the Hilton app to be very user-friendly. You can use it to check in and get a digital key. You can also use it to check out.
[10:52] Hilton will also give you the lowest possible price when searching.
[11:24] Hotel chain memberships are free. Sign up and you earn points as you stay. Also be sure to download the app.
[13:15] Airline apps. Southwest, Delta, and American. If you're a rewards member, all of the up-to-date information will be on the app. This is helpful if there are any changes. Make sure you're logged in while traveling.
[15:29] You can also track your bags. Plus it gives you access to music and entertainment.
[16:50] Airbnb and VRBO are apps to rent homes, condos, and apartments. They are vacation rentals or sometimes in people's homes. These are great for getting beach houses.
[18:09] Sometimes people are shy about using these. The app gives you access to locations all over the world. We balance the cost and the location. Sharing these can get you a really nice place that is affordable.
[19:12] These are great for beach, mountains, and the city. There are also great perks like communal space and a kitchen.
[20:52] You can read reviews and also communicate with the owner with email or phone calls.
[22:14] YouTube is great for travel. You can learn so much like the video version of what you find with the pictures in the apps. We used it in Paris for a tour of the Louvre.
[23:51] All six of these apps are great for planning trips. Especially, when you don't know a lot about the destination.
[24:19] Apps that help us get around with these once we are at a location.
[24:25] Google Maps is great for planning and getting around. You can also select walk or mass transit choices.
[25:11] You can pinpoint locations and see how far they are from each other.
[27:09] Waze is a GPS social media type map. It has GPS and live social input. You can also change the voice on Waze.
[29:44] GasBuddy is a great way to find the best places to get gas with prices. Gas prices can fluctuate by 10 or 20 cents a gallon. It also shows you where the gas stations are. Don't let your gas get less than a quarter of a tank.
[31:34] Lyft and Uber are phenomenal. You can save cash and it's easy.
[33:16] We usually use Lyft in Vegas. Check the license plate and make sure you are getting in the right car. Lyft and Uber are everywhere and accessible. They also have scheduled pickups now.
[37:48] Apps that we love to add some local flavor. We leave down time for resting and while we're here decisions.
[38:47] Yelp, TripAdvisor and Top 10 Lists all help to find and provide local flair. Most cities will provide you with these lists in local papers. A Google search can help you find great top 10 lists in specific cities.
[42:14] If we come across a place that looks interesting, we'll check on Yelp real quick and then possibly give it a try.
[42:57] Another impromptu tip is to ask locals, the hotel concierge, or your driver.
Links and Resources:
How to Choose the Perfect Vacation Destination
How to Find Travel Reviews You Can Trust
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