Stuck in a jam? There's an app for that!
Your bag is zipped up, your first hostel is booked, and you jump in your ride to the airport. Your mind is racing, wondering what you may have forgotten to pack, and you feel the butterflies fluttering incessantly in your stomach as you embrace the build up of both excitement and nervousness. You finally did it! You have been saving up for months and now you are heading to Europe for the first time.
While you are at the airport terminal waiting for your boarding, and wondering when would be the best time to pop that sleeping pill your mom gave you because she knows how nervous you get on planes… remember to download the following Apps for your smartphone.
Listed in no particular order of importance, these are the best applications for anyone traveling alone or with friends, for any amount of time, through new and unfamiliar European countries and cities. They are all free and I am absolutely sure they will prove incredibly useful on your adventure. Learned on my own or through the advice of those I met along the way, these apps will form your “Utility Belt” and get you through any situation, help you manage your travels, find places to stay, find ways get there, and (most importantly) allow you to meet other travelers and locals.
Now reading on, you may ask yourself, “But when will I even use these??” As someone who wishes I knew about these apps before I left for my first solo backpacking trip:
SkyScanner
Arguably the most important app for any traveler with a flexible schedule, this one is definitely one of my personal favorites. At first glance, Skyscanner appears similar to almost every other flight-booking application or website, however, one novel function sets it apart from the rest. When planning a trip, a user can choose a departure date and type or select the nearest airport into the “From” box. Pretty standard right? Read on, my friend. In the”To” box, unlike any application before it as far as I am aware, Skyscanner allows users to select an “Everywhere” option. A search will return a list of all the flights leaving from your selected airport, on your selected date, listed from cheapest to most expensive. This comes in handy when someone knows they want to travel somewhere new but don’t know where exactly to go. For those with truly flexible schedules (or anyone looking to find out when would be best to take vacation time off from work) can select a whole month to find a flight that is within their budget. Another useful function is for anyone who knows the country they want to see, but is unsure of that country’s major airports or even which city to fly into. In that case, simply type the country’s name into the “To” box and get a list of the cheapest cities to fly into! You will be shocked at how much money you can save on flights using this app.
My experience and suggested use:
Again, you would actually be amazed at the prices you find using the “To: Everywhere” and “Select whole month” options Skycanner provides. I am putting this app on the list because I know how many people are scared off by the idea of vacationing in Europe because they think it is too expensive. Most people search for specific flights, on specific dates, to and from specific cities, and end up spending more than a thousand dollars before they even breathe European air. When using Skyscanner, you will come across unbelievably cheap flights in and out of Europe. Most of these airline companies make the bulk of their money charging for things like baggage size, seat selection, and other random upgrade options. For me, being able to select a seat is meaningless, and my backpack is never over the limit for what would be considered a carry-on, so the price I pay for my plane ticket is usually what I see on the app, plus any applicable tax.
Some notable examples of flights I’ve snagged using this app: Paris, France -to- Prague, Czech Republic: $24.89; Miami, Florida -to- Brussels, Belgium: $158.24; Orlando, Florida -to- London, United Kingdom: $204.35; Orlando, Florida -to- Berlin, Germany: $315 round-trip (this was made all the more incredible by the fact that it was during Oktoberfest!).
I’ve also used this app to fly into neighboring countries when I’ve determined that it is too expensive to fly directly into the country I want to visit itself. This isn’t as daunting of an idea as it sounds when you realize that Western Europe is actually only about the size of the Southeast United States. You just have to weigh the amount you would save versus your willingness to spend a few more hours of your vacation traveling. For example, if I know I want to be in Milan (Italy) to see family on August 25th, and flights into Milan from my city are in the $700+ range, I wouldn’t mind flying into Nice (France) for $350 and taking a train into Italy for another $20. You can even take that opportunity to spend the day/night in your arrival city to explore or get a good night sleep before heading to the station the next day.
Hostelworld
Another favorite, frequently used, application of mine is the Hostelworld.com app. Hostelworld is number one in my book for being able to find affordable accommodations while traversing the European continent. If you are unfamiliar with the idea of youth hostels, the idea is simple. While hotel rooms can cost upward of $150 a night during peak season, it is entirely possible to find a comfy bed in a youth hostel for anywhere from $15-$30 a night in the same city. While many hostels do provide private rooms (for an increased price), they usually consist of rooms with as many as 10 “dorm style” bunk beds in each. Most provide their guests with individual lockers to store your own belonging. Remember, while you are abroad, you should not be spending much time in your room anyway, so you are basically just paying for a nice comfy place to sleep.
If you are still unsure about the idea of spending you nights in a hostel, let me try to sell you on the notion. Because of the introduction of sites and apps like Hostelworld (and a certain trilogy of early 2000’s horror films simply titled, ‘Hostel’), the entire youth hostel industry has been forced to rapidly evolve to obtain and keep a steady flow of customers. Hostelworld has a review system, where travelers can rate and comment on the hostels they stay in, so it is in the hostel’s best interest to maintain the best conditions to receive and keep a high rating. Things like cleanliness, customer service, atmosphere, safety, and location are rated from 1-10, so you can pick the one you feel most comfortable with. The app provides pictures of the interiors, detailed directions on how to get to the hostel from major stations and airports, and the ability to reserve space right from your phone.
My experience and suggested use:
I use this app pretty much exclusively when I am looking for accommodation in the cities I visit. I fell in love with hostels the first night I stayed in one. Hostelworld is incredibly useful, easy for anyone to use, and has amazing features like the interactive map. I use the app to find places which are within my budget, have free wifi (which becomes as valuable as gold when you are traveling), have good reviews, are close to the city center, and have great atmospheres or on site bars/pubs. Staying in hostels is the absolute best way to meet other travelers from all over the world and share your experiences and stories with. A hostel’s common area is where I have met many of my friends for life and each night in a hostel means at least 3 new Facebook friends in the morning. Many hostels found on the app also have kitchens, free food, barcrawls, and city tours. When traveling in a group, this app provides the best way to ensure you all are able to stay in the same room. The app is also great for females who are uncomfortable with the idea of spending nights in co-mingled rooms as it provides the option to book space in all-female dorms so they don’t catch cooties (does anyone remember cooties?!).
Airbnb
Still can’t bring yourself to accepting the idea of staying in a hostel and sleeping in a room with other (sometimes stinky) people? Fine. Spoil yourself by renting an apartment or home for a day or two with the Airbnb app. This company showed up out of nowhere in the summer of 2008 and has revolutionized the hospitality industry by allowing normal people to rent out their own homes and apartments while they are away. The app is beautiful, easy to use, and provides a great way to save money on sleeping arrangements while traveling.
My experience and suggested use:
I use Airbnb when I know I will be spending at least a week or two in a city. I’ve realized that staying in a hostel and sharing rooms with strangers is only fun for a few days at a time. I love to be use Airbnb to get some privacy, relax, and catch up on all the sleep I lost in that hostel because the guy on the top bunk snored like an angry warthog for 3 nights in a row. I would suggest using Airbnb if you are traveling with a group or make friends along the way. Splitting the cost of a few nights in an Airbnb between a group of friends can end up being a lot cheaper than everyone paying for space in a hostel individually.
Maps.me
If you don’t have an expensive international data plan and have ever used the internet on your smartphone while outside of your home country, you are familiar with the sinking feeling that happens in the pit of your stomach when you get your phone bill at the end of the month. Even just occasionally using your phone’s internet to locate places in your standard map application adds up quickly and can make a dent on your travel funds. Before this app came along, the only alternatives to using your phone’s expensive data, were those big paper brochure maps that they give you at the desks of hotels and hostels. You can never fold them back correctly and I’m sorry, but you look stupid and unapproachable when you are standing in the middle of busy sidewalks looking open-mouthed at street corners and then back down at that antiquated form of navigation.
Thanks to Maps.me, you never have to do that again. The app allows you to download a virtual map of any city on the planet that you can refer to offline while you are away from wifi hotspots and get a little “directionally challenged”.
My experience and suggested use:
I have the worst sense of direction out of anyone I know. I mean, it’s so bad that I could get lost in an elevator. Also, even though I am a tourist in the literal definition of the word, I hate the idea of “looking” like a tourist. This is especially true in cities or on streets that have a less than sparkling reputation for general safety when it comes to outsiders. This means that if I get a little lost while walking somewhere in an unfamiliar city, I would rather take out my phone and seem like I am sliding into somebody’s DM’s, than unfolding a giant pocket map to look like someone who definitely has no control of the situation they are in.
XE Currency Exchange
This is a simple application that is pretty self explanatory. It allows users to view exchange rates for certain currencies. It updates in real time, so you know exactly how far your money will get you in any particular country.
My experience and suggested use:
Google Translate
Okay, you found your hostel, picked out your bed, unpacked a bit, and took a shower. Now you want to go explore the city a little bit. Use this app to translate a couple of key phrases into the language of the country you are in. This is the most accurate and user friendly translation app that I have come across so far. My favorite part about the app is the ability to hear your translated words and sentences spoken back to you out loud. I don’t know about you, but I would rather listen to Siri say “viszontlátásra” once or twice, and repeat the sounds I hear, instead of going for it without any help and sounding like a cat in labor.
My experience and suggested use:
Because of this application, I now know how to say at least these four things in the language of every country I’ve ever been to:
“Excuse me, do you speak English?”
“Two beers, please.”
“Thank you”
“Cheers!”
I mean… what else do you really need to say?
Rick Steves’ Audio Europe
I cannot stop telling people about Rick Steves’ audio tours and I make sure I check the app for one in every city I visit. The tours are also available in downloadable podcast form through iTunes and there honestly is no better way to take a tour of a city or museum. You simply download the audio (and corresponding map which details the route), go to the exact place where the description tells you to begin, pop in some headphones, and press play. European travel advice expert, Rick Steves, then proceeds to take you on an exciting and informative tour of the city or museum of your choice, with incredible detail, as if he is right next to you personally guiding you along. You can pause the tour anytime you want, so you can people-watch in the square, take a nap in the park, or grab an espresso at that 200 year old coffee house you totally would have missed if you had not discovered it through the audio tour.
My experience and suggested use:
While I do like to meet people on group walking tours, you can’t beat the convenience of being able to start/pause an audio tour whenever you feel like it, and these are definitely the most fun and informative ones you can possibly take. When it was recommended to my by a fellow traveler, at first I thought the whole thing was kind of cheesy. I soon found myself getting more excited about taking a new Rick Steves’ audio tour in the daytime, than I did about exploring the city’s bars and clubs at night.
Uber
Need a ride from the hostel to that club everyone in the common room was talking about? Don’t bother taking a taxi, whose drivers are notoriously sketchy, and have been known to take longer routes to hike up fares while driving tourists who are unfamiliar with the area. There has been a lot of controversy surround the app since its introduction because of how it revolutionized an entire industry. By providing better customer service, fixed fares, and the opportunity for anyone with a car and a little ambition to become a driver, Uber is effectively breaking up the monopoly taxi companies have had on intra-city transportation for more than a hundred years. It is also a lot more comfortable to have a personal Uber driver pick you up at your exact location, instead of having a to flag down a taxi, haggle for a better fare, or even witness two or more taxi drivers fist-fight each other in order be the one who gets to drive you (yes, that happens so much more often then you think). If the city you are visiting has an available Uber network of drivers, you will not regret using it to get around.
My experience and suggested use:
In the recent decade, work for European citizens has become a lot more difficult to come by. As a result, many have turned to Uber as a means of scraping together some cash, and they take their star rating seriously. As a result, it isn’t uncommon for an Uber driver in Europe to arrive wearing a suit and tie, get out to open the door for you when he/she pulls up, and offer you water, juice, or snacks while you are enjoying the ride. Because Uber drivers tend to be from the area, personable, and a lot more friendly than the run-of-the-mill Taxi driver who is probably sick of tourists like me, I use my time in the car to talk to drivers. They’re usually excited to tell you about the best places to visit, and the funnest things to do during your time in the city. You might even make a new friend out of them and get them to turn off their app to park and have a drink with you at the pub where he/she was originally meant to drop you off.
Bumble / Tinder
For those who really want to see everything that a city has offer. If you are not familiar with either of these apps… where the hell have you been the last 5 years?? In both Bumble and Tinder, users create a profile where they upload pictures and write short bios and get the chance to view the pictures and profiles of other users in the area. You swipe left on the profiles you are not interested in and right on the people you wouldn’t mind chatting with or possibly meeting. As I have found, there is a kind of stigma and deviancy associated with these kinds of “dating apps” in the United States, but it is much more accepted as casual way to meet new people in most large European cities. Over there, it does not seem like there is as much of a sexual implication tied to the use of these apps, and it isn’t like someone is forcing you to meet up with anyone. You could always just use the app to ask locals in your age range about cool places to go at night, or great places to eat. Many European users are delighted to meet and chat with fun and interesting people over the app and would be excited to make a new American friend to show them around for a day or two! For those who are up for a little adventure, there isn’t a better way to meet up with locals, make new friends, experience life as they know it, and even potentially spark up a romantic connection… especially after you realize you melt every time you hear that sexy accent of that French girl who looks exactly like she does in those modelling pictures on her bio. (More about her in another post.)
My experience and suggested use:
While these apps are free, a premium membership on Tinder allows users to swipe in any city, in any country, in the world. This is a great way to meet people in the city you will be in next, and already have a friend to hang out with when you get there. My profile on either app basically states that I am only traveling through Europe for a limited time, and something witty about me needing a tour guide to show me around. This way, no one who swipes right on me can expect anything too serious as far as dating goes. I have used Bumble and Tinder to meet up with locals as well as other travelers, and because of the distance preferences available in the search settings, most of whom are within walking distance of my location in any given area. Through these apps, I have met plenty of great people, eaten at a hundred restaurants that tourists normally never find out about, and seen European cities in ways only the people who live there can show them.
Along with data as I mentioned before, international talk and text rates can be through the roof. The best way to communicate with the people you meet, as well as your family and friends back home, is WhatsApp. This application allows you to send texts, voice messages, and even call other users over the app without being charged by your phone company for the minutes you use or the messages you send and receive. As I understand it, having a fixed monthly service plan for cellphones is a uniquely American concept. Most Europeans pay for cellphone minutes and messages as they use them, so they are generally pretty stingy about calling or texting using conventional methods. WhatsApp is insanely popular around the world, and almost every attempt to remain in contact with a new European acquaintance will begin with them asking you to message them over the app. The app uses your phone number to connect with other users and all messages/calls are sent and received over your smartphone’s connection to the internet.
My experience and suggested use:
This app is the perfect way to communicate with others while you are abroad while avoiding the use of your service provider’s international call and text rates. Remember, the app uses your internet connection, so your data rates will still apply. I suggest turning off your data roaming settings on your phone and using the app to chat with friends and family while you are on a wifi connection. Besides Facebook, I use WhatsApp to stay in contact with everyone I meet on my travels, and to keep in touch with my mother back home, who constantly worries and wants to hear from me daily to make sure I am alive and eating well.
Rome2rio
Alright, so you had a great time in this town but now you are wondering how to get to the next stop on your vacation. Here is where Rome2rio comes in handy. When you use the app to search for a way to get to your next city, type in your location, your destination, and the date you need to travel. You will be provided with all the available options to get you there. All the relevant trains, buses, rideshares, ferries, and airplanes (although I suggest Skycanner to search for flights) between your location and destination appear in order from cheapest to most expensive, so you can easily find the perfect way to get there according to your budget and comfort concerns.
My experience and suggested use:
Before discovering this app, there were two ways to organize travel from one place to another, both equally frustrating. First, I would attempt to navigate a train or bus company website that isn’t in English to hopefully purchase the correct ticket. The alternative is to show up at a station with your backpack on the gamble that you will be able to jump on a train or bus that leaves soon. I would wait in a long line with other inconvenienced and anxious travelers to buy a ticket from someone who hopefully speaks enough English to understand where I need to go and when. Now, I use Rome2rio. It is an all-in-one service that allows me to search for routes, select the cheapest and shortest method of travel, and purchase my e-ticket through the app. Its a lifesaver, and its so much better to know when exactly I need to be at the station to catch my ride, instead of showing up at the station with my bags only to realize that the next train doesn’t leave for another 4 hours.
Honorable Mentions
If you plan on taking public transportation in the cities you are in, it is worth mentioning that there are Metro map apps for most of the major European cities with a subway grid. Apps like “Paris Metro” for Paris, and “Tube Map” for London came incredibly handy during my time in either city. The most useful functions of apps like Paris Metro allow you to select the station closest to you and type in your destination. The app will then give you an easy to understand guide, with a highlighted route for you to follow, with train numbers and times.
That's it!
Those are the travel apps I find myself using the most when I travel. Make sure you download them before you head out and you’ll be finding you way around Europe like a pro!!