Traveling is different for everyone. Some people love it and some people hate it. Some people do it to get to work every day and some people do it for “work” by vacationing every day. No matter the reason behind your traveling, it could always go more smoothly than it does.
Traffic, lack of amenities and fear are just some of the things that can get in the way of smooth traveling. While there is no app that can completely eliminate traffic or instantly rid you of your fear of flying, there are apps that can help with all these things and more.
Since driving is the most common form of travel (for either work or pleasure), it would be the most beneficial to make smoother. One of the best apps to have for driving is called Waze. Waze offers turn-by-turn navigation with help from its millions of users. Users on the navigation app report traffic, road hazards, speed traps and more.
The end result of Waze and all of the data pooled from its users is a quicker trip with fewer surprises. You’ll know about an accident ahead and be able to avoid the traffic from it before it becomes an issue. Users also report the current state of traffic where they are at that moment. So, you can know what to expect and see if a different route would be better for you.
Need proof that this is an extremely effective tool? Well, just last month, police in New York City demanded that Waze remove the feature of marking police locations. This alert to other Waze drivers was clearly working as police noticed drivers avoiding their hiding spots. The Waze community is strong and users are proud to help one another have a more enjoyable drive.
You may be having a quick and ticket-free drive thanks to Waze, but imagine your worst fears being realized. Despite your well-planned departure, it looks like you will have to pull over to use a gas station bathroom. Yikes! No matter how well you dehydrate yourself prior to driving, or how well you plan your trip, this can always become a problem. The solution to this dilemma is the Sit or Squat app by Charmin (yes, the toilet paper company).
Sit or Squat shows all the restrooms in your area and whether or not you would want to sit to use them, meaning they are clean, or squat to use them, meaning you’ll want to keep a clean distance. You can also quickly identify if the restroom will accommodate your needs. For instance, the app identifies if the restroom is handicap accessible, has a diaper changing table and if a fee or key is required for use.
Like Waze, the content and usefulness of this app is thanks to the community of users. Users of this app can say whether a restroom was for sitting or squatting, identify if it was “awesome” or “stylish,” add a detailed review and even post photos. Thanks to the users, there are new restrooms constantly being added and existing ones being reviewed. So, if you HAVE to go, make it more enjoyable.
Now that you have the mobile apps to handle any road trips you may go on, let’s focus on handling flights and any anxiety you or a loved one have on a plane. Considering more than half of the population has some sort of flight anxiety, odds are that someone you know and fly with faces these struggles. SOAR is a fantastic mobile application that helps you overcome a fear of flying.
SOAR tackles every aspect of flight anxiety. This app has techniques to curb anticipation anxiety, airport anxiety and in-the-air fear. You can find countless facts regarding the takeoff, climb and cruise and landing. The most helpful inflight tool is the G-Force reader.
This G-Force chart shows the level of Gs (gravitational pull) in real time. It also explains that planes can take up to five Gs of force without taking damage. This makes the little bumps you feel seem a lot less threatening when you see how low they are registering. A helpful tip on this is to keep the phone level on your table. If you hold it in your hand and make a quick movement with the bump, you’ll see a much larger number than it actually was.
Knowing what to expect will make your flight much more enjoyable. This application has turbulence and storm map forecasts that you can check on while flying. You can see the potential turbulence and its severity for the next hour, six hours and 12 hours. Like all of the apps I have mentioned in this article, SOAR is free. However, it does have in-app purchases available that consist of additional anxiety control courses.
Getting to your vacation spot is only half of the journey. Once you get there, you need to make sure you make the most of your time. The best way to do this is by using the Trip Advisor app to help you find fantastic restaurants, fun things to do in your area and tourist traps to avoid at all costs.
Wherever you are, there will be unique activities and restaurants that Trip Advisor will help you find. You can easily schedule your days by booking some of the best-kept local secrets. Depending on where you are, you can book sightseeing tours, cooking classes, canyon yoga lessons, boat rides and more.
Every mobile app discussed in this article was designed to solve a problem that you will run into while traveling. Thanks to the advancements of technology, your traveling has become much easier and cheaper. The cool thing about all of these apps is that their users power them. It isn’t just a single app creator helping you navigate a new area; it is millions of supportive users using this technology to help others.
Bahar Ferguson is the president of Wasatch I.T., a Utah provider of outsourced IT services for small and medium-sized businesses.