Don’t leave home without these apps – they’ll make your holiday easier, more successful and more fun, giving you more time to Play Every Day. With helpful apps like these, you’ll wonder how your parents ever managed those family holidays without them.
A digital guidebook: Google Trips
Google’s latest offering, Google Trips, is right on the money when it comes to making your journey, and your holiday, simpler.
Download and install Google Trips and, if you also use Gmail and have info on upcoming flights or hotel bookings in your inbox, it’ll automatically create a ‘trip’ to which you can add information. If not, you can simply build your own trip.
The app picks up your current location, so once you’re at your destination, it gives you a selection of places to stay, things to do, where to eat and essential information. The app functions very well as a digital itinerary – you can add things to do under the heading, and if you’re staying somewhere for a few days, you can add different activities on different days. You can make sure your activities are close to one another by planning them based on location.
And the best part? Once you’ve created a trip, you can tap a button to download it to your device, meaning all those suggestions, maps, transport information and other details will be stored on your phone or tablet, so you won’t use any data when you access it.
Download it for Android or iOS.
Get reviews of restaurants and hotels: TripAdvisor
Don't go anywhere without first consulting your trusty travel guide, TripAdvisor. With over 225 million reviews and opinions by travellers just like you, TripAdvisor is a travel guru of note, and you can be sure to know exactly what to expect from any hotel, hostel, restaurant or tourist attraction if you consult TripAdvisor first.
The app, called TripAdvisor Hotels Flights Restaurants on iOS and TripAdvisor Hotels Restaurants on Android, offers free-to-download maps, reviews and your saves for over 300 cities worldwide. So if you're stuck in one of those cities without the internet, you'll still be able to vet and rate the places you eat, visit and stay on the app, even though you're offline.
Download TripAdvisor for iOS and Android.
Find an affordable place to stay: AirBnB
AirBnB has taken the travel world by storm, with people opening up their homes to travellers around the globe. You can search for shared accommodation, a private room in a shared space or an entire private space.
The long list of search filters adds details such as a kitchen, washing machine, child-friendly facilities, Wi-Fi, air con and more to help you find the perfect spot for a self-catering holiday.
The bonus is that you will often get an insider’s view into a destination and a feeling of how real people live in a city – this is ideal if you want an authentic experience by staying in someone’s home rather than staying in a hotel. Download AirBnB »
Get the kids to stop whining in the car: Family Car Games
Forget I Spy. Family Car Games is an app that teaches you 100 different games to play on your road-trip, with no equipment required. Select a game, read the instructions, put your phone away and start to play! The games are suitable for the whole family, and kids of all ages. They're a great way to bond ahead of your holiday and will help to get you into relaxation mode. The games are fun and creative, like none you've ever played before. A common favourite? Grandma Is SO Weird!
Download Family Car Games for your iPhone or iPad here.
Control your data spend at a glance: VodaPay App
Holidays are a time when you and your family are likely to use more data than usual, with all the photos being uploaded to social media, and the endless Whatsapp-ing that your kids will do because they miss their school buddies.
Don’t let data spending get out of hand. The VodaPay App is the simplest way to manage your Vodacom account because it allows you to:
- Check up on your account balances.
- Manage your bundles - check up on whether your recurring bundles are sufficient, or whether you should top up with another Once Off bundle.
- Receive notifications that alert you when your balances are low.
- View your invoices, statements and bills to date.
You can also buy data, MMS and SMS bundles in an instant.
Forgot to get Christmas presents for your niece and nephew? One of the greatest features of the App is that it lets you buy data and airtime bundles for other numbers, and they make the perfect gifts for extended family.
Know what to pack: Accuweather
What sets Accuweather apart from other weather apps is that you can use it offline, and it gives you a 15-day forecast, so even if you're away for two weeks without mobile data or Wi-Fi, you'll know whether to pack your bikini or your scarves (if you’re going to Cape Town – pack both). Plus, Accuweather is about as detailed and precise as it gets with weather apps.
Download Accuweather for iOS and Android.
Note that while these apps may be free to download, the data to do so is not. Log into the VodaPay app to purchase data bundles quickly and affordably to make sure you never run out of data »
