The way we travel has changed. Drastically. Ten
years ago a vacation or a road trip meant finding DVD’s for the van, bringing a
plethora of games and books to entertain myself, and a ridiculous amount of
travel maps sticking out of any and every available crevice. We no longer need to print out directions, buy
travel books, or cross our fingers on trying out a new hostel. The boom of Web2.0 and mobile technology has made the distant thought of going somewhere
foreign instantly accessible with a swipe of a finger. It is has come too easy
to “Insta-Vacation” and feel like you are exploring ancient ruins, snorkeling,
or catching the Caribbean sunset with your family and friends on their
vacations via their photos and videos on social media. We suddenly have an abundance
of resort reviews, flight comparison sites, and pictures of us framing the Roman Colosseum.
There is a lot out there to aid your travels whether you’re going to Europe, across the US, or even to a city an hour away. Not taking advantage of these apps can mean missing out on great deals, new restaurants, and hot locations that the locals try to keep secret. These apps can include helping you figure out a way through a detour, help you navigate a foreign city’s bus system, allow you to Facetime your pets when you’re homesick and thousands of miles away, and can tell you how to explain to your French waiter that you’re allergic to eggs.
Can we even imagine planning a trip without the
use of technology? Personally, I would not have gotten so much out of my
travels if I had not taken advantage of the applications available to me. I’m
going to do my best to keep you in the know of the new, top rated apps to make
your travels that much more rewarding. After all, we don’t want to end up
ill-prepared and catch typhoid fever as so many of us virtually experienced
playing Oregon Trail. J
