As we’ve been visiting different cities, I have been experimenting with some different travel apps to use on our devices/phones to help make our travel either more efficient or more fun. For example, using the Huntzz app, Zoe did a blog post of a scavenger hunt in Vincenza, and Mikhaila posted a hunt in Verona. We also used the Huntzz app in Paris as we visited the Louvre.
The Huntzz app is good, but not every place we have visited is represented. To compensate, we have been searching the web as we arrive in new cities and towns to find self-guided walking tours. Often the tour is available as a static map – either a Google map or a pdf document – and I need to switch back and forth between the tour and a map in order to understand where we are and where we need to go in order to get to the next item on the tour.
How many times did I think or say: “If only there was an app that I could see the tour markers AND my GPS location on the same map.”? At least 4 times.
Finally…mission accomplished!
EasyTrail
While searching for a self-guided walking tour, Katina found a website called Everytrail. When I took a closer look I noticed that they had apps for both Android and iPhone! Bingo! My dreams were coming true! I downloaded it and we were ready to go.
For our first test, we used the app as we did some Tourin’ in Turin. Once I loaded up the Turin tour, I was able to tap on any of the points of interest (POI) and see the full description of the item.
The combination of an interactive map, with our GPS location, AND the historical information was a real home-run for us. You can also create your own “EasyTrail” guided tour and upload it for others to use. Maybe we’ll try that one out at some point in the future.
What app exploration post would be complete without a car-specific app?
One issue I always have to deal with whenever we go to a new city or town to tour is finding the way back to the car. Sounds easy, right?
“So far” I haven’t lost the car, but there’s always a first time!
Well, there’s an app for that, too!
Find my Car
It was very easy to use…when you get out of your car, open the app and tap the “Park My Car” button.
Then, when you want to find your car, you can either tap “Find my Car” or “Map my Car”.
“Find my Car” looks like this:
This option may not be as effective in a city as it ‘points’ in the direction towards your car from where you are standing at that time. However, I recently tried this option out when we had parked the car at a hiking trail-head, and this “arrow view” is really effective since you do not have the benefit of a map to follow!
The “Map my Car” feature looks like this:
The above is a screen capture from their website (I hadn’t figured out how to do a screen capture on the phone at the time!), but it is accurate in terms of what I saw on my phone.
I had to tap “Map my Car” several times as we made our way back to the car when my phone went into sleep mode, but it always re-mapped my route with no problem. At one point I accidentally powered off my phone (don’t ask!) and when I powered it back up, the app still knew where my car was and was able to map the route again.
As we continue to travel, I will try out some other apps along the way and let you know how they turn out.
Are there any travel-related apps you may have heard of that you’d like us to “field test”? Leave a comment!
Comments
3 responses to “Apps along the way!”
Ok, this post I am going to have to print and file and re read often. Great info! Many thanks, but how are you using your I phone without major roaming charges?
These apps sound like a lot of fun.
Both of the apps look wonderful. I specially like the find my car app.