In our second blog post of travel apps reviews, we turn to nifty programmes that turn your smartphone into a sat nav for trips at home and abroad, help you plan a hike, and generally utilise digital magic to stop you getting lost.
A good user interface, turn-by-turn navigation and real-time traffic information worldwide are just some of the reasons why Navmii is giving standalone sat-nav sets a run for their money. The first-ever free navigation smartphone app is still yours for nothing, or you can opt for the ad-free paid version (£1.49). Available on iOS, Blackberry, Android and Windows Phone (free)
Use Navmii better with this handy tutorial from the Daily App Show.
Planning your hike or run in the wild just got that bit easier to plan, navigate and even share – with Viewranger. Use it free, or buy topographical maps for over 20 other countries, including most of Europe. This cool GPS tool is now integrated with Apple Health, meaning iPhone users can view their step count, heart rate and other live stats. Available free on iOS and Android.
Teamwork is what makes Waze as good as it is. A community of ‘Wazers’ feed this navigation whiz with up-to-date road data, there’s automatic rerouting to avoid traffic jams and speed-camera alerts. And the look’s not half bad either. Available free on iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
Navigating to your destination may be more than half the battle, but there’s also the trickiness of finding space to park. AA Parking sets out to minimise UK drivers’ efforts but beware: one, this is the only paid-for app in this edition of our travel apps reviews; and two, there’s no real-time availability info. Available on iOS (£1.49), Android (£1.99) and Windows Phone (£1.99).
Leaving the car behind and heading further afield? If you’re making your way to/from the airport or the train station, and you’re after a convenient ride, then the Hailo app was just the thing. A couple of taps is all it took, and all cars and taxies were licensed. Was available on iPhone (free) and Android (free). Is there a replacement?
The velo-fans among you will love the bike-specific routing of Cycle Streets’ nav app. Put in your start and end points for any short- or long-distance ride, pick a route preference (from quiet and balanced to short and fast) and get on yer bike. Available on iOS, Android, Blackberry 10 and Windows Phone (free).
Look out for future travel apps reviews that we hope will make your wellbeing getaways even more enjoyable.
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