Contributor
The urban jungle has its own unique challenges and paths. Every city is a treasure trove of experiences that will delight foodies, history junkies, the art savvy, bargainers and more. There’s something in a city for everyone. Don’t wander into the wilderness without some of these useful apps! The best part is that most of these are free.
1. UrbanSpoon
This app helps you find every listed restaurant in the city. Everything from ratings to menus and price range is listed. The price range feature is my favorite and helps me quickly eliminate my choices. (Gets narrowed down pretty quickly for this college girl!)
2. Airbnb
One of my favorite websites has its own app! Maybe you’ve taken an unplanned jaunt to London from Paris and need a cheap place to stay. This app will help you find trustworthy locals who can put you up. Many respond within a day or less! Keep up with your tenants through the app and make future plans.
3. Currency+
I’ve used this app for several years and found it to work great every time. It only needs wifi to update the rates occasionally, then you can use it wherever! It’s especially helpful for bargaining in those amazing street markets across the world, but also if you’re stopping at a cafe and don’t want to spend too much on a cup of coffee. Pretty much every currency is available and you can have several showing at the same time.
4. iTranslate
For obvious reasons, having a translator on hand would be more than useful abroad. This one has been free and its easy to use interface has come in handy to recall those important phrases or for translating the menu.
5. City Tour Guide Apps
In many popular cities, there are apps made for exploring all the major sights in the city. For instance, I used ones for Rome and Verona, Italy. I try to get the cheapest app that at least features maps (including bus or subways) and places to eat. A lot of them come with descriptions and history of locations. Especially helpful for me in Rome, a city with something historically relevant around every corner. They’re nice to have when you first reach the city and haven’t picked up any maps or guides yet.
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Christina Kuo is a twenty-something who has visited 9 countries and is about to graduate with a degree in Media Communications. She has a passion for travel and never wants to stop exploring.
