Road trips are the fun answer to all the things that can make vacations unappealing. They’re easy to do on a budget, they enable you to be spontaneous and they give you more control over the whole process. Technology has streamlined almost every aspect of life and road trips are no exception. The portable quality of apps helps you to research things thoroughly and still make decisions on the fly. Here are some apps to make your road trip run smoothly.
Google maps is well known. GPS by TeleNav is a navigation app with some good features. It can help you scope out the cheapest gas prices and avoid heavy traffic. You can not only avoid getting lost, you can avoid overpaying for fuel and wasting time. Speed trap alerts help you avoid the expense and hassle of traffic tickets.
Track My Mileage helps you track your mileage and expenses. This will come in handy in the event that your road trip is business-related. Though you are having a good time and seeking out fun activities it’s a good idea to keep a record of expenses for tax deduction purposes.
To stay safe you should have the AAA mobile app. You can request help by sharing your GPS location without even having to make a phone call. This app has many other features that make it a comprehensive road trip planner in itself. In addition to keeping you safe it can be considered a handy second opinion to the other apps you are using. Safety is the sort of thing for which apps were designed.
When you have to go, you have to go! Nobody likes using dodgy gas station restrooms or having to wait an hour for the next stop after you passed the last one. Rest Stops Plus lets you know where the closest ones are. They make an effort to keep it up to date in regard to rest stop closings, which are often in a state of flux. They list what’s nearby so you can turn your stop into an opportunity to explore a point of interest. This app helps you find a rest stop that is on your desired side of the road. This will help you to see exit signs and leave the highway at the right location.
The Weather Channel app is comprehensive. It even includes pollen forecasts and local flu levels so you can take precautions and feel good during and after your trip. Road conditions can be checked on Let There Be Light Innovation’s Road Conditions app. You can search by state, keywords and other parameters.
The app called Traffic shows views from a traffic camera. This is a good way to know in advance about road construction. Road construction is among the top annoyances experienced on road trips.
For reviews of restaurants count on the Yelp app to inform you of your choices. It’s fun to read the reviews. Since everyone has different priorities one person’s bad review can be your positive. Road trips are about discovery and variety but avoiding unpleasant food is a big plus. Road trips are a good time to try restaurants that are not chains. McDonalds is plentiful and reliable but is not the most interesting choice available.
You need good music for your drive and the Pandora app provides this. You can avoid shuffling through local radio stations or taking the time to create a playlist prior to your trip. Good music is essential to enjoyable travel.
Hotel Tonight can help you reserve a room the day of your stay. Many of their prices are deeply discounted. You can be frugal and spontaneous.
The road can still seem a little long even with good music and lack of road construction. To avoid having to resort to playing Slugbuggy you can use a game app. The Family Car Games App has fun choices like memory and singing games.
These apps do have some overlap of features. You are likely to find your favorite one to use exclusively. They give you more control and this actually encourages experimentation. With road trip apps you can be safe, informed and entertained the whole way. You can relax and enjoy your travels more with technology.
This post comes from Skedaddle Car Hire, you can check out their blog post on apps at their site, or one of their many destination guides.
