(Newswire.net — September 26, 2020) — The ability to travel was one of the many luxuries denied to us during the novel coronavirus outbreak – its spread was felt throughout the world, and we were tasked to put all of our plans on hold and staying at home to “flatten the curve”. As of now, the virus has slowed down to some extent, and even its countermeasure (aka vaccine) is on the horizon.
Dr R. Reiner of Behavioral Associates has rightly said that this pandemic is not forever – it has its beginning, middle, and an end – and now, it looks like we are almost at the ‘end-stage’. In fact, it’s seen that many have already started to give themselves a distraction from the pandemic problems – simply put, the people are setting themselves up for trips. Right now, the spirits of the people are at an all-time low, and planning for trips can be a mood-reliever. However, restrictions are still underway on travel, but that does not mean that you can’t lift your mood by planning for a trip for the long-term, say, 2021.
Even though travelling is not technically allowed right now, the ability to look and dream, and think what you want to do at your upcoming trip, is what matters. Planning a trip – even for the long-term – is not to be taken lightly. Right from booking flights to managing logistics or finding the best restaurants to great fitness classes, there is a lot that as a the traveller you will need to do.
The best part is that you will not be alone in your task – various tools can help you while planning for travel after the coronavirus pandemic. Below you can find the list of those 15 tools:
1. Hopper (www.hopper.com)
Available in both iOS and Android platforms, Hopper is an app that helps travellers to find the cheapest possible flights. To use this app, you will need to put in your home city and the desired destination and then, Hopper will show you a calendar of all the upcoming flights with colour codes to reflect the cheapest to the expensive flights. That said, there’s also a notification feature that you can use to get notifications for any flights if the price changes, or say, remains the same.
2. Hotels.com
This platform is a dream for many travellers – with this platform, one can make, modify, or view reservations at hotels. Accessing your rewards, status, and activity are some of its perks. Plus, each of the hotels is ranked by their ratings. What more do you want? If looking for extraordinary hotels, Pickvisa.com has a cool article about it.
3. Airbnb
Say, instead of hotels, you want to book home rentals?
There’s the “Airbnb” app for that – all you need to do is to enter your destination and dates, and you get to the answers by filtering results such as requisite amenities, type, price, to name a few. Once you have booked yourself a home rental, you can also book local experiences such as shows, hikes, wine tasting sessions, concerts, fitness classes and many more.
4. TripIt
A one-stop platform for travellers, that’s what TripIt is – with this app, you can keep all of your travel documents and itineraries in one place. TripIt will let you set your reservations – it will also allow you to view your travel confirmations, tickets, hotels, and any other information that you might need as a traveller. TripIt also has a feature that lets you share your travel plans with others if they are going to pick you up from the train station or airport.
5. PackPoint
Packing for a trip can be quite stressful – opt for this app.
PackPoint will give you a list of items of what you need to bring and what you should omit, based on the travel destination that you enter. Other information that this app will need is the activities that you have planned along your way. Based on what your destination is, this app will even give the weather and will offer you packing suggestions.
6. LoungeBuddy
No matter what class or the airline is, LoungeBuddy will offer you a list of premium airport lounges around the world. All you need to do is to create a trip, and this app will give you a list of lounges that you can access based on the airports that you will be passing through. Plus, this app will also show how to purchase access if you don’t already have one. Access can be purchased either on the day that you are travelling or even before a few months ahead.
7. FlightAware
Do you want to track a flight? Or maybe, you have a tight schedule? Why not use this app? This app will let you track flights online, check on delays, cancellations, and even gate changes. This app also comes in handy if you have family or friends that need picking up from the airport.
8. SkyGuru
Created by pilots, this app comes in handy to know more about the routes through which you plan to travel. You can get notifications on the weather and turbulence forecasts on your route. Even though there’s nothing that you can do if there’s turbulence on your route, it surely helps to be prepared mentally.
We all had wondered during our trips – are we getting a good deal for our currency? There’s an app for that – XE Currency Converter. This app will provide live and the current to- the-minute currency rates that you can store in your library and view them offline.
10. Google Translate
With this app, you can translate languages. Not only that, but you can also use your handwriting to translate any language instead of typing. It also has a feature to point your camera in any language, and it will offer an instant translation. Plus, it also provides a speech translation too!
11. TriCount
If you plan to travel with your loved ones and are worrying about how to split the cost amongst you, worry not – TriCount is here. TriCount will calculate the share costs and split bills, so you don’t have to worry about who owes what. Simply enter your trip and currency, and then, invite your mates. To get the costs, enter the amount of the bill, and it will split everything evenly, or you can simply snap the photo of the receipt – it will work that way too!
12. Google Maps
This app is of the utmost importance when you plan to visit a new city – you can map locations, get directions, and see how crowded the area is in select cities. That’s not all – you can also check out restaurants, cafes, and hotels and make reservations; saving your favourites and getting to write reviews are its perks.
13. MeetUp
Want to interact with locals or say, other travellers with mutual interests or shared hobbies? MeetUp is here to help you – this app will show you groups that are formed around particular interests such as photography, cooking, yoga, hiking, to name a few. Whatever group catches your fancy, you can join them, and get regular updates from them. This app can also help with networking or say, with a co-working group. The options are many, you just need to have an interest, that’s all.
14. Happy Cow
Sometimes, it can be hard to find a vegan option around you, be it a restaurant, cafe, or bakery. ‘Happy Cow’ can change all of that – if you are a vegan traveller, this app can show over 100, 000 restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and even farmer’s markets and grocery stores with filters ranging from vegan to cuisine type to gluten-free options. The great news about this app is that it works in over 195 countries around the world, plus, you can get to read the reviews and get recipes.
15. Triposo
Why lug around a bulky guidebook when you can simply install Triposo on your phone? With Triposo, you can download city guides in over 50, 000 destinations that work offline plus, you can also read up about the city including the background, attractions, with other necessities such as weather, safety tips, and details on what you can do during your stay.