The Power of Smartphones: Essential Apps for Travelers

Smartphones have revolutionized the way we live and travel, providing us with access to information and services that were previously unavailable. When traveling abroad, having the right apps on your iPhone can make all the difference between a seamless and enjoyable experience. In this article, we will explore some of the best apps for travelers, from communication and navigation to accommodation and expense tracking.

One of the most essential apps for any traveler is Skype. This free app allows you to communicate with others through text, video, photos, and voice calls. The big benefit of Skype is that it enables you to make voice calls to actual phone numbers, rather than just connecting with other Skype users. When connected to Wi-Fi, these Skype-to-Skype connections are entirely free, making it a cost-effective way to stay in touch with loved ones back home or connect with locals in your destination. Additionally, Skype-to-cell or landline connections are super cheap compared to the high roaming rates you'd pay if you tried to make a call normally.

Another useful app for travelers is Citymapper. This app provides a comprehensive guide to getting around cities and countries, including real-time departure times, information on delays, transit maps, bike routing, and bike-sharing services. One of the best features of Citymapper is its ability to connect with ride-sharing services, making it easy to find transportation options that suit your needs. With an ever-growing list of cities and countries, Citymapper has become a valuable tool for anyone looking to explore new destinations.

Airbnb has revolutionized the way we think about accommodation, offering far cheaper prices than traditional hotels and providing a more local-like experience. When traveling abroad, Airbnb is often my go-to option, and I use it exclusively for most of my trips. The platform offers a wide range of options, from shared apartments to private rooms, and I appreciate the flexibility and affordability that comes with staying in an Airbnb.

One feature that has recently been added to Airbnb is Trips, which offers curated events that you can participate in with local guides. While I haven't had the chance to try this out yet, it sounds like a great way to experience the local culture and make new connections while traveling. For business travelers, Expensify is an essential app that makes it easy to create expense reports and start adding receipts as you go. This app is super convenient, with features such as automatic receipt scanning into an easy-to-read report that's ready for reimbursement.

Hotel Tonight is another app that has proven to be popular among travelers, particularly those who are initially skeptical about booking hotels at the last minute. The app provides consumers with great deals on unsold hotel rooms that haven't been booked for the same or next day. Not only does this help consumers save money, but it also fills empty hotel rooms and allows searches to be done by more than just city alone. While I still prefer Airbnb, Hotel Tonight is a great last-minute backup option.

For those who struggle with language barriers when traveling abroad, Google Translate is an indispensable app. This powerful tool provides text translations between 103 different languages online and 52 languages that can be saved offline. In addition to typing translations, Google Translate also offers instant camera translations, conversation mode that provides two-way speech translation in 32 languages, and even a handwriting translator that works in 93 languages. While I'm still waiting for the day when we'll have something like this integrated into our earbuds, Google Translate is an incredible resource that's already making a huge difference for many travelers.

Finally, if you're planning to travel overseas from the United States, be sure to check out my previous video on how to use your phone overseas without incurring those crazy expensive carrier charges. This will show you how to navigate the world of international roaming and stay connected without breaking the bank.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Smartphones have changed theway we do almost everything.We start and end each day with them,propped up on our stomachswhile we lay in bed,and they're never reallythat far from our handsfor the remainder of the day.One of the most direct benefitsof having a smart phoneis the availability ofinformation at a moment's notice.And there's a particular time thatthat can't be anymore beneficial,when traveling abroad.So in this video I thought I'd show yousome of the best apps foryour iPhone when traveling.(smooth hip hop music)It would be hard to find someonewho isn't familiar with Skype.And since it's free, it'sdefinitely a must have.Skype allows you to communicatewith text, videos, photos, et cetera,like most other modern chatting apps.The big benefit of Skype, though,is that you can use it to make voice callsto actual phone numbers,and not just to otherpeople with that app.When you're connected to Wi-Fi,which is increasinglyavailable throughout the world,those Skype to Skypeconnections are entirely free.And Skype to cell or landlineconnections are super cheapcompared to the crazy roaming ratesthat you'll pay if you tryto just make a call normally.Citymapper is a prettygood a to b travel appthat will help you getfrom place to place,while in a city you don't quite know.It has an ever growing listof cities and countries,and is one of the best toolsto help you utilize public transportation.You'll find real timedeparture time tablesand information on delays, transit maps,bike routing, bike sharing services,which is one of my favorite waysto get around when I travel, frankly.And Citymapper even connectswith a few ride sharing services as well.Airbnb is a household name,and with good reason.Whether it's as a benefit to travel,or to potential hosts,Airbnb has changed the paradigmfor people looking for short term staysin different cities or countries.When you're abroad andlooking for places to stay,Airbnb undercuts hotels byoffering far cheaper prices,and typically a more local like feel,that I frankly really appreciate.I pretty much exclusivelyuse Airbnb for traveling,when I'm staying in different places,and I use hotels for my backupif I can't find a good Airbnb.As an added incentive,Airbnb recently addeda feature called Trips.Which offers curatedevents you can partake inwith local guides.I haven't used any of these yet,as I prefer to have lessof a plan when I travel,but I have to admit that someof them sound kinda cool.Now if you're traveling for business,Expensify will save your life.Expensify makes it easy tocreate an expense reportand start adding receipts as you go.Whether you type in the informationor take a picture withyour phone's camera,which is super convenient,the information is automatically scannedinto an easy to read reportthat is ready to passalong for reimbursementto whomever you need to do that to.For anyone that has dealtwith a messy stack of receiptsto try and get travel reimbursements fromyour company's financial department,Expensify will become your best friend.So some were initially skeptical aboutwhether travelers would wannadelay making hotel reservationsto the last minute,but Hotel Tonight,an app built entirely around this concept,has proven that thatconcern isn't quite right.Hotel Tonight has had great successgetting consumers to buyinto their business concept.Providing them a great deal on hotel roomsthat haven't been sold foreither the same or next day.And judging by the reviews,it seems like people really like it.The upshot is thatconsumers get great deals,hotels get to fill their empty rooms,searches for rooms can be doneby more than just the city,you can do things like attractions,distance to xyz, et cetera.And it can help you choosewhere you wanna stay.If you can deal with the inherent fearof waiting til last minute,and aren't quite a type a person,it can help you get somegood deals on hotels.Now I still go for Airbnb first,but it's not a bad last minute backup.Now of course none ofthis would be any goodif you have to talk topeople while abroad,and don't speak the language.That's where Google Translate comes in.It provides text translationsbetween 103 different languages online,and 52 languages thatyou can save offline.Which is really importantwhen you don't always havean internet connection where you are,and still need to ask for the bathroom.In addition to typing translations,Google Translate providesinstant camera translations,a conversation mode that actually givestwo way instant speech translationin 32 different languages,and even has a handwriting translatorthat can work in 93 languages.It's kind of nuts, actually.I'm still waiting for the day that like,we put something in our ear,and it just like instantlytranslates as people talk.And you can maybe like giveanother one to the other person,and then they can hear you.That's cool.I think that's coming.But in the meantime, Google Translate.By the way,if you're in the U.S. andplanning to travel overseas,you should probably check out myhow to use your phone overseas video.It'll show you how touse your phone overseas,but without incurring thosecrazy expensive carrier chargesthat we always get charged when we travel.And there you go guys,let me know what you think of this list.I'm sure I've left someoff that you guys like,so please leave thosein the comments below.I love to see what your favorites are,and I'm sure other peoplewatching this videowould like to see them as well.Now if you liked this video,please thumbs up it or share it,it is greatly appreciated.And if you want more videos like this,please check out my channel.There's a link somewhere around here.And if you like what yousee there, please subscribe.And as always, thanks for watching.(smooth hip hop music)\n"