Whether you’re travelling abroad or booking a trip somewhere more local, it’s always wise to be prepared. The use of technology – in the form of handy apps – can be very useful when it comes to support during a group trip.
With the development of technology, we now can practically hold the world in our hands. Whether you’re tech-savvy, or someone who prefers to read the manual, there is a wealth of apps out there just waiting to be discovered which are simple to use and will really make a difference to your organising.
Communicating
Whatsapp is a phone messenger app that offers a platform for group conversations. By making a group chat on the app before you go on your travels, everyone who has the app can communicate with one another in a form much like text messaging.
Other apps similar include Facebook Messenger (which requires you having a Facebook account). It works in a very similar way and alerts you when someone in your group has messaged you. Handy if one of you group members accidentally wanders off or gets lost.
Navigation and Transport
City Mapper app.
Google Maps is used by millions across the globe; in fact a lot of smart phones come with the option to install it when you buy the device. The good thing about it is it has live traffic meaning you can enter your destination’s post code in and it will let you know which is the fastest route and if there is any congestion on the roads. Not only this, but it’s also great for walking as you can use it to navigate your way around the city streets.
City Mapper is a great app for city trips as it helps you easily navigate your way around. It also offers a more detailed journey planner than you might get with Google. It includes real-time departures and road disruption alerts and points out cycle routes. The app is available in 30 cities worldwide including all your obvious city choices like London, Edinburgh and Oxford. It also allows you to save personal and favourite routes as well as bus stops for quick access and gives you step by step instructions for your journey.
Money
Splittr is an app that helps you handle and organise money and payments. It is particularly useful for splitting bills meaning sharing costs between friends and group members is very easy. You can also enter any expenses your trip has as you go, plus it lets you see who has paid what and who is yet to pay.
XE Currency app.
Great for abroad is XE Currency – an app that gives you information regarding currencies and helps you convert your money into other currencies, as well as see live rates which are refreshed every minute. This app is handy for those group organisers who visit many countries each year and need to quickly know the currency.
Language
Getting past that awkward language barrier can be an issue that plays on everyone’s mind when going abroad. If you have the time to prepare a bit in advance, apps such as Duo Lingo allow you to practise your basics through fun word games and let you learn to read, speak and listen to hundreds of languages. Should you wish to take your language learning even further you can move past the basics to the more experienced levels.
More instant translating apps also exist such as Google Translate, Microsoft Translator and iTranslate Voice. These are a great way to roughly translate phrases and words when exploring a new town, city, or country.
Organisation
Tripit app.
Tripit is a great app for organisation when travelling or arranging a trip. It pulls together all your information such as confirmation emails for flights, hotels and event bookings and puts it together for you in a single itinerary. All it requires is for you to forward your emails to the app and then your job is done. When travelling with a group you can easily share your plans with each other, meaning you are all aware of each other’s itineraries, travel plans and information.
Fancy more travel-inspired ideas?
Head to the Group Leisure & Travel Show on Thursday 12th October at the NEC in Birmingham.
Free pre-registration parking is available until 29th September, so don’t miss out on this offer.
