Let’s give a standing ovation to smartphones and the difference they make in our lives. Sure, you already download your plane tickets, look up directions and book hotels on a smartphone. But why stop there? Whether you’re planning a short or extended trip to Italy, here are the best travel apps to install before you go. You’ll thank us later.
WhatsApp – The Communicator
The best way to speak with your family and friends back home for free, WhatsApp is the also the best way to make calls in Italy. All you need is wifi to run WhatsApp – this is one of the reasons why it is used in 180 countries. Needless to say, this is hands-down the best app to have when it comes to communication in Italy (and Europe).
Google Maps – The Locator
When you see people walking down the street lifting their phones to the sky and wearing quizzical expressions, they are most likely using Google Maps. Google Maps provides directions via public transportation, by car, by foot and by bike. Don’t worry about eating up your data, just connect to public wifi, download a map of the area and use it offline. This is convenient, especially since the wifi is sometimes spotty in the Belle paese.
Triposo – The Big Idea
Triposo is an all-in-one travel app. Start by searching for the city you’re visiting (or that you’re already in) and a list of the things you need to know, see, eat and drink is generated. Triposo also allows you to book hotels and hostels, see weather forecasts and see currency conversion rates. If that wasn’t enough, save cities for later and download local maps for your arrival.
Skyscanner – Find Cheap Flights
Skyscanner sounds exactly like what it is – an app that scans the internet for flights. Find and compare cheap flights from any location for major savings. The app also retrieves and compares the cheapest hotels and car rentals for your trip if you need them. Available in over 30 languages, Skyscanner is used 60 million people per month.
Foodguide – For Your Inner Foodie
Foodguide is like having a local foodie in your pocket. Using a special algorithm, Foodguide recommends dishes to you based on your swipes and likes. Just think of it as Tinder for food. As photos of food from restaurants appear on your screen, swipe right or left. The food you like is stored in a list of favorites. From there, see exactly what restaurant makes it and how far away it is using the magic of GPS. Plus, all the photos are taken by locals, not paid advertisers, so you know this one of the best travel apps.
Duolingo – Your Mobile Teacher
Duolingo covers languages from Spanish to Swahili and is, by far, the most popular language-learning platform. Learn by reading, writing and speaking. Set goals and get daily emails to keep you on track – a perfect way to motivate your burgeoning multilingual talents. Before you go to Italy, brush up on your buongiornos and other basic Italian phrases. Italians will appreciate it.
WeTap – Stay Hydrated
WeTap is especially useful in Rome. Home to 2,500 water fountains, there’s no need to by single use plastic water bottles in the Eternal City. The water is fresh and cold, and all you need is a bottle to fill up. Especially if you plan on visiting Rome in summer, staying hydrated and cool is a major undertaking. WeTap helps you locate water fountains, so you can save the earth and money at the same time.
WeTap improves awareness, access and use of public drinking fountains, reducing dependence on single-use plastic, while improving public health.
I Want More Italy!
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8 comments
There are a lot of bad apps for travel, These are definitely worth the download though
Cool! Already have most of them on my phone already 🙂
Nice checklist, i’ll try them all on my next trip to Italy
Thanks for this! Smartphone made traveling much easier, less easy it’s find the best apps for tourists
I’ll definitely try Duolingo to catch some Italian before my trip to Rome!
Thank you for sharing. All great apps and I look forward to using them on my trip to Italy in May.
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