BackGadgets and apps: your new travel companions
Here are some apps that will help you plan a vacation better, and nifty gadgets that will come in handy when you hit the road
PremiumNEW DELHI :
Summer is here, and a lot of people are probably busy planning their vacations. If you are fretting as you stare at the calendar, don’t. A lot of apps can now help you with bookings, lodging, transport and more.
And once your bookings are done and you start packing, don’t forget these rather nifty gadgets that will come in handy when you board a train, take a flight, or just drive. Some of them will help you stay connected by charging your phone, iPod or laptop, and one gadget can even help you track your luggage.
APPS
Your smartphone can now help you figure out the mode of travel, compare ticket prices and bookings, plan your stay, even get you advice from fellow travellers:
ROUTOFY
Android and Web
This service offers details of point-to-point distances in your journey, with multiple travel options based on a combination of various modes of transport—trains, flights, buses and cabs. It also lists the estimated time for each and the cost, and you can book your tickets through the app. One advantage is that you don’t need to jump between websites or apps to book air tickets, cab pickups, etc. Routofy is currently available as an app for Android devices and on the Web browser too. An iOS app is in the works.
REVV
Android and iOS
Road trips have a charm of their own. But don’t take your own car, use services such as Revv, currently available in Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. You can book a car for your trip by paying 5,000 to Revv as a refundable security deposit. You can select your vehicle from an extensive range of cars, including the Hyundai Grand i10 (starting at 59 an hour), Nissan Sunny (85, per hour) or even an Audi Q3 (249, per hour). The car is delivered to your home, and picked up once you return.
CLEARTRIP ACTIVITIES
Android, iOS, Windows Phone
Getting to a city and checking into a hotel is just the beginning. What should you be doing? This is where the Cleartrip Activities app comes in handy. There are 10,000-plus curated fun activities in more than 50 cities across India, including culinary classes and food walks for the foodies, Segway tours, microlight aircraft flying, scuba-diving, yachting and Harley-Davidson motorcycle rides for the adventurous, and some great deals on meals. You can make the bookings through the app, which has a beautiful layout.
TRIPIGATOR—TRIP PLANNER
Android and Web
If you want to save yourself the hassle of looking for interesting landmarks to visit in the destination city, Tripigator’s Trip Planner helps. You just need to type in the name of the city, select some interests and the date of travel, and the app will throw up options. For example, if you select Lucknow and choose culture as an interest, it will throw up a potential daily plan—Bara Imambara and Dilkusha Kothi were some of the options that showed up—along with images, detailed descriptions and the time you should ideally spend at each location.
TRIPOTO TRAVEL APP
Android and iOS
This is crowd-sourcing at its best. Fellow travellers can share their experiences of travelling to various locations across India and in other countries. Tripoto says the Travel App currently has blogs for more than 20,000 places in India and 200,000 locations globally. A useful feature is that you can take tips from other travellers on planning your itinerary, and finer details such as weather. This app has a simple layout, and so much information that you may actually find the answers to all your questions.
GADGETS
You may not have realized the need for these gadgets, but once you start using them, the utility and convenience will be addictive
CHARGING STATION: TRONSMART TITAN
$36.49 (shipping extra)
www.amazon.com
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!
