android phone apps while travelling

Smartphones are the miracle gadgets of technology. From replacing calendars to setting alarms, a smartphone has significantly taken over many of our regular life chores and operations. Now a smartphone comes with so many features that no separate organiser or separator is needed. Everything can be done with some simple taps on the screen.

Similarly, when it comes to travelling, the dependence on smartphones has increased more than ever before. Now people don’t worry about communicating in different languages or finding their way around in a new city, all thanks to technology. Different Android phone applications are also being developed to further facilitate the user’s travel experience. We have listed some of the top applications that will surely take your travel experience to the next level. Let’s take a loo

1. Google Maps

If you are travelling to another city or state, you will surely need assistance finding your way around. Let's suppose you are at your hotel and want to explore a famous tourist destination that one of your friends told you about. With Google Maps, you can easily find the best way, the distance, the traffic congestion details, and much more—all within a few seconds!

Google Maps is available for free on the "Play Store." Just download the app, complete the installation, and you are ready to go. The app needs access to your location data, which is only used for helping you during your tours. Your pin location is automatically assessed by Google Maps. Simply enter the name of your desired destination, and the app will display all necessary navigation details.

Other than this, if you are in a new city or state and don’t know where to go, Google Maps can also help you explore different restaurants or tourist destinations nearby. When you open the app, it will first show you "Latest in the Area" just below the live map. If you swipe that up, you will see a list of all the hotels, restaurants, or destinations nearby.

Not only this, but with each of the recommendations, user reviews and comments are also available. You can check the rating of any specific place, see what other people have said about it, and then make up your mind. You will also see little tabs just below the "Search Bar." Some of them are listed below.

  • Restaurants
  • Hospitals and clinics
  • Hostels
  • Gas
  • Coffee
  • Shopping
  • Groceries
  • More

If you further click on "More," you will see the options of beauty salons, car rentals, libraries, nightlife, takeout, delivery, and what not. Overall, with Google Maps, you can have all your navigation requirements sorted. From finding the nearest gas station to getting simple takeout, you can stay carefree about all your navigation needs during your travel.

2. Google Translator

Even when you travel within the state, there are many regions and areas in which locals speak different languages. If we don't go back even a decade, tourists used to face a slew of problems while on the road. For instance, it must have happened to you when you visited a new state and couldn’t ask for some simple guidelines just because there was a linguistic barrier.

People used to travel with dictionaries and vocabularies in order to interact with or communicate with locals. But this challenge has ended, thanks to Google Translator. This amazing app translates almost every language in the world. Enter the language in which you speak and the language into which you want the text translated, and ta-da!

If you are not sure about the pronunciation of any specific word or phrase, then click on the little speaker icon next to your query. The AI-supported speaker will guide you on how to pronounce the translated word or sentence accurately. So, you can enjoy discussions with the locals and get a complete sense of being in a foreign country with the help of a Google Translator.

3. Spotify

Literally none of us can drive without music in the background, especially when we are on a long route. It doesn’t matter if you are travelling by road or by air; having an app that supports smooth audio streaming is extremely important, and if you are a music maniac like us, then you might already know the importance of having a good music app within your smartphone.

Spotify is one of the top-recommended apps when it comes to audio streaming of music. Soundcloud is also a good option, but you cannot find most of the original songs on the app as it has become too cluttered with mashups, covers, and remixes. But on Spotify, you can find different albums sorted by singer, collection, niche, and what not. The app can even recommend a complete playlist depending on your mood and listening preferences. You can download the music simply by turning on the "like" option. All of the downloaded music can be streamed, even when you don’t have internet access. This means, network or not, the music won’t stop!

The app can be easily downloaded from the "Play Store" and is available in both free and paid versions. The free version lets you play 5 songs of your choice per day, and the rest are played randomly via the app’s own selection. If you are not that picky about music, then even the free version is sufficient for you. At the same time, the paid version lets you download music, stream any audio of your choice, create playlists, share songs, and do much more for a very small fee. So if you are planning a vacation, I would suggest taking the paid subscription to Spotify so you don’t feel restricted in any way.

4. Netflix

If you have to travel long distances, then having an entertainment companion can help a lot. Netflix for Android phones can be easily downloaded from the Play Store. You can download all of the seasons, movies, or documentaries of your choice to watch even when there is no internet. This will assist you in surviving those long and boring flights that usually kill us from boredom. Even sitting in an airport for hours (in case the flight gets delayed) will feel like nothing when you have Netflix on your smartphone.

5. Airbnb

You must have already heard of Airbnb. Airbnb is the first digital platform to provide reasonable and culturally diverse accommodation to its customers. The app is available on the "Play Store." After downloading and installing the app, you need to sign up using your phone number, email, Google account, or Facebook ID.

On Airbnb, guests can find local properties to rent. There are different small tabs just below the search bar on the app. You can search for "beachfront", "countryside," and "trending" properties available for accommodation in your travel destination. There are multiple benefits to using Airbnb. Firstly, it is much cheaper than hotels, and secondly, it provides a richer cultural exposure to the traveller.

You can use the app for checking the rents of different properties, booking accommodations as per your travel schedule, and much more. You can chat with the host if you have any concerns regarding your stay. The payments can also be done online via the app. Overall, Airbnb is one of the most used Android apps for travel because it is cheaper, more efficient, and easily accessible.

6. Trip Advisor

Just like Airbnb, TripAdvisor is a travel-dedicated app that takes care of all your vacation needs, including hotels, finding things to do, searching for nearby restaurants, booking your trips, and much more. The app is very well liked by its users.

Save all the places you’d like to visit.

See your saved places on the map.

Keep track of the places by adding notes, links, etc.

Share your plans with friends and family.

The app helps you check out the rates of different hotels and other properties available in your travel destination. You can check out their customer reviews, compare their prices, evaluate their perks, and then make your decision with maximum peace of mind. This way, you can also save a lot of extra money by ensuring that you are getting the best deals possible during your vacation.

In the "things to do" section, you can find all of the popular spots that you must visit or fun activities that you must do during your travel. Let’s talk about London. TripAdvisor suggests tourists visit the Tower of London, the British Museum, the London Eye, the National Gallery, the Tower Bridge, the Natural History Museum, and Westminster Abbey. Tourists can also use the app to purchase tickets for various fares, trains, and concerts without having to stand in line. You can plan your vacation around upcoming events at your destination. To summarize, this app will ensure that you get the most out of your vacation with the least amount of extra effort!

7. Booking.com

This company began as a website but has since evolved into a full-fledged application to improve the convenience of its users. To begin, the app allows you to book accommodations online. You can check the properties available for rent in your destination spot, compare their prices, and then book the one that you like the most. In some cases, the app also offers exclusive deals and bonuses to its users, which can further alleviate your accommodation costs.

Secondly, the app offers car rental services to its customers. Once you have installed this on your android phones, you can check the rents offered by different hosts and vehicle owners. This is highly beneficial for people who don’t want to book an Uber again and again. Instead, having a separate car to rent for some days might be a much better option.

You can download the app from the "Play Store" and sign up using your Google ID. The process takes even less than 5 minutes. The most amazing perk of this app is "Travel Talk." You can join different travel communities and discuss their travel experiences, learn from their mistakes or challenges, and collectively make a plan that suits your requirements the best. This also helps you get suggestions from someone who has already visited your desired state or city.

The best OPPO smartphones for travel

Now that we have listed some of the top applications for travel, let's discuss the most travel-friendly smartphones that you can get. If we discuss some of the top considerations, they include longer battery life, durability, and a good camera.

A longer battery life lets you enjoy your vacation without worrying about power banks or charging cords. Similarly, one of the things that we do the most during travel is capture pictures and/or videos. So, it is essential for the smartphone to have a nice camera that lets you capture things in a rich and dynamic way. Lastly, travelling means moving here and there and always being on the go. A smartphone with higher durability will be able to bear the daily wear and tear without shattering into pieces.

At the OPPO store, some of the top mobile phones that we think are most travel-friendly are enumerated below.

All of the recommended Android phones have 5G connectivity, which means you can enjoy ultra-fast speeds during your travel. Moreover, these latest phones are also SIM-free, so you can easily switch to your preferred network at your destination state without worrying about your original network provider.

Wrapping Up!

If used effectively, a smartphone can become your perfect travel organizer. No more need of hiring travel coordinators or consultants, with a smartphone in your hand, you can gain the most out of your vacations. So, if you are planning to go on a trip anytime soon, instal the apps that we mentioned above, and we promise that your travel experience will surely get much better. Don’t worry, you can thank us later! Have a happy vacation.