GET APPY!

I thought I would share the most useful apps I found whilst travelling, excusing the obvious social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Skype and the MUST HAVE essential apps like Google Maps, Banking apps etc.  

1. Hostelworld

Those of you who have kept up to date with my posts so far will have seen that I am a massive champion of this app. For those of you who are less familiar, Hostelworld is a site in which you can search for hostels by location, check in date and guest number. The results then show the price (which can be edited to be different currencies) but also reviews about the hostel. This therefore allows you to collate and contrast. Furthermore, directions are often provided by hostel world. If you are going interrailing or travelling in general this is a must have app. You can always use the website version of this if you only have computer access. Let's not forget- it's free so you have nothing to lose! 

2. Booking.com

For when Hostelworld is not providing you with what you want. I would recommend this specifically for Italy hostels/hotels because the selection on Hostelworld is poor and often has bad reviews. It works in pretty much the same way as Hostelworld and there is a website version also if you should ever need it. 

3. RailPlanner 

This is a must have if you are planning on going interrailing! Basically the rail planner app allows you to search for trains and will present to you routes and has the option to select trains that do not need a reservation. The best thing about this app is that you can use this when you don't have wifi! As well as being able to check trains you can keep up to date with your journey and be able to work out if you are running late. Moreover, there are good extras like what the interrail pass offers you have in each country, country facts and city maps. Again this app is free! 

Downsides to the app are that they update it monthly so often if you have not updated the app the times may be slightly out. 

4. XE Currency 

This app simply allows you to compare currencies but it is so helpful especially in Europe when you are constantly changing currencies as you go east. Plus, you can check that you are paying the right price when you are paying for hostels when you arrive etc. it is also helpful before you go because if you are taking money out for the initial few days of your trip so you know you are taking out enough etc. 

5. World Mate 

This app allows you to keep all your boarding passes, hostel reservations, currency converters, tip calculators and all things holiday related in one place. It is basically a digital holiday notebook and allows you to stay organised throughout your trip without having to worry about needing pieces of paper etc! It even has tips for local restaurants although I did not use this option!

6. Trip Advisor

Although, dubious about including this I would recommend downloading Trip Advisor because it always shows the best sites to go and see and has reviews and advice everywhere. 

HOWEVER, be cautious of reviews because many people only review if they have had a bad experience rather than a good one. I am guilty of not publicising good reviews so always remember when looking at the reviews...what is important to you and whether the author of the comment is being pedantic especially where restaurants are concerned. So although helpful, do not forget that this is completely reliant on personal taste so take advice with a pinch of salt! 

7. Evernote

This app is a real help with essentially making lists so is perfect for packing and planning your trips. There are also there are good features which allow you to keep PDFs on there so if you have boarding cards, schedules or documents you need to hand and this is all accessible without wifi!  Furthermore, you can sync this up from your phone to your iPad, kindle etc. This means that you could not only link up your own devices but also the person/people you are travelling with as well!