There’s no two ways about it: Europe is a continent that everyone should explore at least once in a lifetime. There’s no other landmass like it on Earth: The rich history, culture and customs are all just waiting to be explored by tourists of every cut and color.
There has never been a better time to travel than in today’s modern world. In addition to state of the art modes of transportation, everyone with a mind to travel can access GPS, local restaurant reviews and helpful travel tips from their Smartphone. Here are some of the best apps to download before you begin your trip across Europe.
Free Wi-Fi Finder
Internet access in the modern world is often free of charge – it’s just a matter of locating networks that will let you hook up without paying. This app, which is also free, is essential for anyone who is travelling anywhere. European tourists will be able to use it to discover the best locales for emailing, Skyping and uploading trip pictures to Facebook without paying a cent in roaming fees. Of course, it’s a good idea to look up the free Wi-Fi locations in advance. Map out future hotspots while already at one and you’ll never need to pay your phone company roaming data charges.
EuroRailways
This beautifully designed app allows travelers to hop from city to city or country to country more easily than ever before. Every backpacker has heard tell of Europe’s fantastic railway network, and for good reason. It truly is the quickest, most efficient and inexpensive way to travel across the continent in short bursts. For car-loving Americans, however, the train tables can be a bit difficult to navigate. This app makes organizing train travel a snap; tourists will know exactly what type of ticket to purchase before stepping up to the vendor. Best of all, the app costs nothing.
Lonely Planet
Tour guides are an essential staple of European travel, and this app offers some great advice from one of the best guide books on the market. It’s not free, but the in-depth information concerning the destination in question is well worth a few extra dollars spent. Writers at Lonely Planet believe that a new place is best experienced firsthand and in the moment, and they do their best to provide users with the necessary tools to make the most of their experiences. In addition to their guide applications, Lonely Planet also offers a free Audio Phrasebook app that allows users to grasp 600 phrases in more than 20 languages, through both audio and phonetic pronunciations.
AllSubway HD
Local transportation can be something of an obstacle when one is travelling from place to place without much time to fully acclimate to a new subway system. Thanks to this app, travelers won’t have to carry around extra maps. AllSubway HD provides underground metro maps of more than 100 cities around the world – including popular European destinations like London, Madrid and Milan. Maps can be downloaded so that they are easily accessible underground, without assistance from a Wi-Fi or cell phone network. For only 99 cents, users can figure out the best way to get to their destination via Smartphone, without any of the locals taking note of their confusion.
This is just the kind of resource I’ve been looking for! I’ve been planning my coming trip to Europe for about a year now, and I’ve been looking around for some EU-specific travel apps to help me along my way. One of my DISH coworkers, who is also an avid traveler, suggested this site to me. The Free Wi-Fi Finder app is going to be absolutely essential, as will be the EuroRailways app. I’m not going to be renting a car, and have planned a large portion of my travel once I’m in Europe via the extensive rail system, so this is perfect! Another favorite of mine for long journeys is the DISH Remote Access app. With it, I can use my iPad (or phone) to watch live or recorded TV off my home receiver. As long as there’s a wifi or 3G connection available, I’m good to go! Thank you again, so much, for these suggestions!