Digital-savvy travellers don’t need a smartphone full of gimmicky apps, so we’ve rounded up a selection of the latest, curated travel tools for you. Whether you are off on a holiday or travelling for business, you’ll find these apps super handy. Just download them and you’re ready to go.
Café WiFi
Travelling the globe but need to stay connected? Want some caffeine and connectivity? Enter Café Wifi. It tells you not only if there’s that much needed Wi-Fi, but also what the Wi-Fi speed is, if the connectivity is lousy, whether or not the coffee is good, where there are power outlets and more. It is powered by a community of people that work remotely or at cafés all over the world, enjoying the best beverages, Internet speeds, and environments that cities and towns can offer.
For iOS only.
HappyCow
HappyCow has been featured on CNN, the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal, listing vegan and vegetarian restaurants in nearly 10,500 cities worldwide, from major ones like London (Book & Kitchen) and New York City (Blossom du Jour), to obscure places like Vatra Neamului in Moldova. Each restaurant listing comes with a short description of the menu and user-generated reviews. It also includes health food stores and has an interactive map for directions.
For iOS only.
Velocity
This is a very cool reservation app that is a highly curated collection of the hottest restaurants, such as Drunken Dragon in Miami, or Petty Cash in L.A. Heralded by the Financial Times and GQ, it features hundreds of restaurants from Michelin-starred classics to hot new openings, all vetted by an international team of experts. You can book a table on the app and snap up hard-to-get reservations. The process is sleek, simple and seamless. You can also use it to pay your bill or split it with your dining companions. Coming soon: popular nightlife spots in Aspen, Colorado, and Gstaad and Verbier, Switzerland.
For iOS only.
Dayuse.com
Stuck with an extra-long layover? Use this app to book a hotel room for a few hours to grab a shower, take a nap, or just freshen up after a red-eye. Simply book a great hotel for the day for up to 75 per cent off regular nightly rates at over 3,000 hotels in 16 countries and over 100 cities. With just one click, you get prices, availability, and reservations on a single page, and you can filter by amenities, arrival time, duration, location, hotel type, and more. You also get to book without credit card 24/7, free cancellation and pre-selection of hotels based on your location.
For iOS and Android.
G. Spotting
Yes, that’s really the name of Gwyneth Paltrow’s travel app, an offshoot of her Goop lifestyle site. It brings you in-depth and authentic guides on restaurants, specialty shops, boutiques, hotels, museums, culture and more with over 25 destination guides curated by Goop editors, Paltrow herself, and her hip and happening, in-the-know friends. Included are both well-known stomping grounds as well as little-known gems.
For iOS only.
Memrise
Get your learning on the go. More than just a linguistic tool, this app gives you classes that actually teach both the language and the culture of your destination. There are a variety of topics in over 25 languages with subjects that cover fun, unusual and informative themes, such as picking up Pokémon terminology in Spanish. And there’s an offline mode also available for learning in those hard-to-reach places without Internet connection.
For iOS and Android.
All images captured on Apple App Store. Captions (from left to right):
1. Cafe WiFi
2. Velocity
3. Dayuse.com
4. G. Spotting
5. Memrise