It has been two years since the World Health Organization officially declared a global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Now with the existence of vaccines, the world is finally reopening its borders for people to travel again.
Travelling is a fun and exciting activity, especially after being in quarantine for two years. However, you may need a refresher on what you need to prepare. Here is a list of mobile applications to aid you through your travels.
Hopper
Hopper is one of the best travel apps, especially for flights. Hopper helps you by analysing billions of airfare and hotel prices then helps you decide to travel now or wait for later. In addition to that, Hopper also has a vast historical data archive to help you further.
To use it, you simply need to enter your destination. Then Hopper will show you a colour coded calendar with flight data along with their prices that differ from day-to-day. Then, the app will recommend you buy the tickets now or wait until the rates get better.
You do not need to stay glued to your phone to wait for the prices to get better. When Hopper recommends that you should wait, you can set up a specific price range and put your phone away. Hopper will send you a notification when the price rates fall in between your range.
TripIt
TripIt is another great smartphone app that can help make your travels go smoother. So, if you are a messy planner, fret not, for TripIt can help you organise your plans.
The app can declutter and organise all your itineraries in one place. You can set up reservations and send them to TripIt which then will let you view travel confirmations, tickets, hotels, and even driving directions. Other than that, TripIt also has a sharing feature that you may want to use for when you have someone you would like to coordinate your travels with.
Their premium service, TripIt Pro, costs $49 per year and offers a lot more services. The services include real time flight alerts, refund notifications, baggage claim info, as well as loyalty reward programmes.
Roadtrippers
Another great app to have on your Apple or Android devices is the Roadtrippers app. This app will help you to map your route with up to 7 stops for free. For access to more than 7 at a time, you can upgrade to Roadtrippers Plus for $29 a year.
Besides that, this app is especially useful when on the road. It can find some interesting and off-road attractions as well as restaurants along with landmarks that you might want to visit. Even if you cannot to visit it right away, Roadtrippers allows you to bookmark a place so you can visit it later.
You can choose their recommendations when you have no idea where to head but still want to go out on a road trip. Moreover, Roadtrippers has premade guides for popular destinations that you may use instead of making one of your own.
Airbnb
Once you have your day planned out, you must find a place to rest other than your car or the plane you came with. Airbnb lets you rent homes or rooms instead of the typical hotels. With this, you can feel more connected to the locals of your visit compared to a generic hotel room.
All you must do is type in your destination and dates to use Airbnb. Then, hundreds of rental listings will appear before you. You can filter the search results by home type, price, and amenities. You can even look for properties that do not require pre-approval for those last-minute trips.
Free for Android phones and iOS, the app lets its users filter through photos and reviews. In addition, this app is a great way for the tourist to find local gems as the local host can recommend them places to visit and try.
HotelTonight
Last-minute trips often land you with no hotels for you to rest during the night. HotelTonight can fix that problem for you as it is specifically made for people who do spontaneous travelling.
HotelTonight helps find last-minute deals on hotels near your location. It allows you to book stays on the same evening or up to seven days before you travel. Available hotel rooms range from basic, luxe, charming, as well as High-Roller penthouses and luxury suites.
This app has useful features such saving favourite hotels as well as being able to scroll through photos and reviews. In addition, HotelTonight has a great loyalty programme. Unlike video games, the app’s nine-level reward structure is substantial. You “level up” by spending a certain amount on the app, which leads to advantages like lower prices, free in-app concierge, and credits. Adding on to that, your level never expires, so you do not have to start from square one all over again.
Photographs by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi / Anna Shvets / Catarina Sousa