Holiday season? There’s an app for that
TAKE OUR ADVICE TO GUARANTEE A REALLY APPY SUMMER GETAWAY
THE summer holidays are on the horizon – and this year you want a better getaway than ever. Don’t go anywhere without these, the best apps to help you make the most of your sunshine break.
BOOKING
Hopper (iOS and Android, free)
THEY SAY: Save up to 40% on your next flight or hotel stay! Hopper predicts the future of airfare and hotel prices. Watch your next flight andw hotel stay in the app and get a notification as soon as the prices drop to their lowest point.
WE SAY: An amazing app that monitors price fluctuations for the flights and hotels you are interested in, and predicts the best time to book to get the best deal.
Works like a charm. Skyscanner (iOS and Android – free) THEY SAY: Skyscanner is an all-in-one travel app with flights, hotels and car rentals, all in one place. WE SAY: If Hopper doesn’t find you the deal you want, Skyscanner will – once you’ve found the flight you want, the app will notify you if the price changes.
TRAVELLING
App In The Air (IOS and Android, free with in-app purchases – £4.99 monthly/ £29.99 annual subscription)
THEY SAY: Your personal flying assistant that keeps you up-to-date with your flight: real time status, airport tips and in-airport navigation maps, flight profile with all your flights logged.
WE SAY: The best way to keep up with your flight’s gate and departure time while in the airport, using App In The Air means you won’t have to listen out for gate calls, or keep squinting at the departure board to see just how delayed you are… iTranslate Converse (iOS, free with in-app purchases – £9.99 monthly/£39.99 annual subscription) THEY SAY: Introducing iTranslate Converse, a revolutionary new speech translation app. WE SAY: It literally turns your iPhone into the first real-time
translation device. Feels like living in the future. Amount – Unit Converter (iOS, 99p)
THEY SAY: Amount is the most intuitive, lightweight and easy-touse unit converter you’ve ever seen.
WE SAY: Make sure you’re not getting ripped off at the bazaar by converting every transaction to pounds on the go. Easy to use, and accurate.
DISCOVERING
Travel Guides by Ulmon (iOS and Android, free)
THEY SAY: Download your comprehensive travel companion with in-depth curated content from travel experts, tips, photos, and more.
WE SAY: Complete with nice downloadable maps (so they work without connectivity), Ulmon’s travel guides have expanded to feature points of interest, as well as an option to save favourites so you can plan your trips in advance. More than 50 cities are covered.
EATING AND DRINKING
Yelp (iOS and Android, free)
THEY SAY: Yelp has more than100 million reviews on businesses worldwide! Whether you are looking for a pizzeria that is open now or a coffee shop nearby, Yelp is your local guide to finding just the place to eat, shop, drink, relax, and play.
WE SAY: Yes, a lot of people use Trip Advisor for this, but Yelp is a great resource, too. I’ve found its recommendations to be winners every time.
SHOWING OFF
Trips by Lonely Planet (iOS, free)
THEY SAY: Explore every day with Trips by Lonely Planet – a beautiful, simple and intuitive way to share travel experiences. Upload photos and videos to your timeline, then share your trip with your friends, family and fellow travellers.
WE SAY: Lonely Planet makes the best guides (and its app for that is pretty sweet, too), but Trips allows you to document your trip with words, pictures and video, and share with the Lonely Planet community.
It’s a resource for trip-planning, too, as well as being beautiful to look and inspirational to read.
Journi (iOS, free with in-app purchases – £48.99 annual subscription)
THEY SAY: Journi is the easiest way to capture your life as beautiful timelines with photos, notes, maps and more. Turn them into printed photo books in seconds.
WE SAY: If you’re a member, you get 10% off the great printed books you can make with this app – it’s all done pretty automatically and the results will be a treasured keepsake for years to come.
It also offers online backup of your images at full resolution, which may also prove priceless if your hard drive fails.