Then on arrival in a strange city it was how to get somewhere, how long it would take, what was the best route etc.
Not any more. Three travel apps I use all the time have sorted all of this out almost too easily.
1. Tripit – I wrote about this before here – the best app for travel planning Two of the best features of Tripit, apart from being extremely easy to use, are that firstly it syncs with all of your devices, whether PC, smartphone, laptop or iPad, so you never lose touch with what you’re doing, and you can update it from anywhere. Secondly Tripit includes links to maps of wherever you’re going.
Simply give a trip a name and start adding in your Eurostar booking, flights, restaurants, hotels, concerts etc including confirmation numbers, arrivals and departure dates. Everything stays together in one place and you don’t lose track of anything. Once you start using it Tripit will rapidly become your new best travel friend.
2. Citymapper
Citymapper is a real time public transport app covering major cities such as Londo
n, Brussels, Paris, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, New York, Boston etc plus some smaller cities. So it’s not comprehensive, but provided you’re going somewhere on their list you’ll find it invaluable.Want to get to Grand Central Station from the Mariott on Broadway? Just input your start and end points, click on go and you can immediately see how long it will take you if you walk, go by cab (or cycle) and the best way to get there by public transport. Citymapper includes the map of how to get to the subway and which stops, not to mention when the next train will arrive.
If you want to go by cab Citymapper is linked to Uber and will tell you immediately how much each ride will be. It’s also linked to other apps, and you can sync with your PC and other devices.
3. PackPoint Packing App
Packpoint provides a comprehensive list of things you might need for a trip, depending on the type of activity, and where you’re going. Upgrade to the Pro version and you can set up your own templates by activity, using their suggestions and adding your own. You keep these templates, and then sync your data with Tripit so that for each trip you can select the types of activity you’ll be doing, and automatically update your templates.You’ll need to spend a little time, whichever version you choose, setting up your lists and learning your way around. But after doing this you’ll find this an invaluable app to make sure that you don’t forget anything essential on your next trip, and help make packing so much faster.
