Helpful travelling apps
Travelling on the road to your holiday destination can come with its ups and down. This is why smartphones can help you navigate the roads and reach your destination in a timely manner.
Apps have been designed to make road trips safer and more enjoyable
Road trips can be loads of fun when everything goes according to plan, but what happens if your car suddenly breaks down in the middle of nowhere? Or bad weather blocks your GPS signal? You’ll have to improvise to find a way to reach your holiday destination on time.
READ MORE: Six tips to keep your children busy when travelling
No matter how meticulously you plan it, you can’t have control over every aspect of your journey. This is why it helps to have a few apps that can come to the rescue when the going gets tough. Here are Randburg Sun’s top five apps that can assist you while you’re on your way:
Google Maps
Driving without Google maps is definitely for the brave. The app not only gives you turn-by-turn directions but it tells you the fastest routes, detects oncoming traffic, accidents and construction sites. It’s the perfect in-car GPS navigation system with a voice prompt that leads you along the way. You can also create custom lists of places, save maps offline if you know your signal will fail at some point and you can share your location if you get lost or need help. All you have to do is make sure your phone is fully charged and that your network is strong and your journey will be stress-free for the most part.
Download it here.
Available on: Android, iOS, Web
Field Trip (by Google)
The Field Trip app by Google is a great companion when you’re on the road. It searches sites of interest around you, based on your location and categories you select. When you drive past or are near something interesting, it uses Bluetooth to send you pop up alerts in case you want to stop over. Field Trip taps into recommendations from travel and lifestyle publications and can also find some interesting local music for you as well.
Download it here.
Available on: Android, iOS
MySOS
MySOS is a proudly South African emergency app that offers you access to appropriate emergency assistance when you don’t know who to call, where you are, or if you want to notify your mySOS contacts about your emergency and the exact SOS location. It is also useful when you want the SOS services to navigate directly to your location in an emergency. MySOS Find Near ME offers you access to contact details and addresses for doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, vets and police stations in South Africa.
Download it here.
Available on: Android, iOS
Voicemap
There’s nothing worse than being lost in a city or town you’ve never been to and not knowing how to navigate. Voicemap suggests walking routes for you and becomes your travel guide if you’re a visitor. It also gives you some history and context about the area you’re in and suggests routes as well as stories around the locations its people. So far local destinations include the Overberg, Hermanus, Johannesburg, the Cape Winelands and Cape Town.
Download it here.
Available on: Android, iOS
Kids Aid
Traveling with kids has its own sets of worries. What happens in an emergency situation where you need to react fast? The Kids Aid app gives emergency information to parents and teachers when they need it. It is useful if you are traveling and are in an area where you cannot get help. It includes information about how to do CPR and what to do in the case of poisoning. The app also tells you what not to do. The app is available on iPhone, iPad, and Windows Mobile for R24.99.
Download it here.
Available on: Android, iOS
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