In this digital age that we’re living in, it seems that traveling anywhere without the correct arsenal of smartphone apps is frowned upon. So, before I left on my Great American Road Trip, I did a bit of research into which travel apps might be useful as my sister and I drove cross-country.
Here are some road trip travel apps that I found worthwhile, and you may, too:
Navigation
1. MapQuest or Google Maps (FREE) — The digital age has made getting lost on the backroads of America nearly impossible. (Well, okay, it can still happen, but if it does, you aren’t likely to stay lost for long.) Going on a road trip without some sort of mapping app is just silly. My sister and I mostly relied on Google Maps, simply because you can do a Google search for a specific destination, and get directions in just one click. But, the MapQuest app also offers turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions, much like a GPS does. This app would be more practical if you don’t have a travel buddy to navigate for you (or if your travel buddy is prone to falling asleep whenever the tires are spinning).
Finding Amenities
1. GasBuddy (FREE) — Need to figure out how far it is to the next gas station? Need directions to that station? Want to compare prices at all nearby gas stations? GasBuddy will do all of that for you and more. My sister and I used this app multiple times on our trip, sometimes deciding to wait a few extra miles to fuel up if the prices were a lot cheaper (and sometimes they were).
2. iExit ($1.99) — We actually had the book version (yes, a real book with pages and everything!) of this app, but I’m told the app is great (and much more portable). Basically, this app (or it’s softcover counterpart) lists every exit on every U.S. Interstate highway, along with all the amenities it offers (restaurants, gas stations, hotels, rest areas, shopping, etc.). True, it doesn’t cover any of the secondary highways, and the app doesn’t cover every single exit in the middle of nowhere, but it’s still really useful.
3. Urbanspoon (FREE) — Once you’re at a destination, use this fun app to discover all the dining choices around you. You can either check out a list of what’s on offer (searching by location, type of cuisine, or price range), or use the fun “shake” option to have Urbanspoon choose for you. With this fun feature, the Urbanspoon “slot machine” will randomly land on a suggestion — great if you (like me) are very indecisive!
For Fun
1. Roadside America ($2.99+) — Chances are, if you’re on a road trip, you’re planning to stop off at at least a few quirky roadside attractions. Whether it’s a town dedicated to Santa, a graveyard for cars, or some funky museum, the Roadside America app will give you plenty of suggestions. You can search based on a nearby city, your current location, or just a theme. It even has some extra features, too, such as letting you know what time the sun is due to set wherever you happen to be. The only downside to this app is that the $2.99 price only buys you access to one of 6 “regions.” To have access to the whole U.S., it’s another $5.99 annually. However, if you’re really into roadside attractions, 9 bucks is probably worth it.
2. Extreme Road Trip (FREE) — Sure, I know we could all probably play Angry Birds for hours on a long car ride, but why not choose a game that’s roadtrip-themed instead? This app isn’t necessarily “useful,” but it is definitely a fun way to pass some time. (Just maybe consider turning the sound off so the driver doesn’t threaten to throw your phone out the window…)
Other
1. A weather app (various) — I won’t suggest a specific weather app (we all have our preferences), but you should definitely have one. On my road trip, I plugged in each city we’d be staying in, and kept an eye on the weather forecast a few days out. True, there’s nothing you can do if bad weather is heading your way, but it’s always better to know and be prepared than to be caught by surprise.
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Have you used any great other apps on a road trip recently? Share them in the comments!
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Super useful, and not only for American roadtrips. Thanks for sharing!
Eurotrip Tips recently posted..3 Easy Daytrips from Annecy
Thanks! I know I don’t usually do solely practical posts, so I really hope people find this helpful!
Something to pair with Google Maps is Google Navigation. It will offer turn by turn voice advice, and if there’s traffic will help divert you around.
Cool! I haven’t even heard of that one, but it certainly sounds like it could be useful, too! Thanks for the suggestion.
I love GasBuddy. It’s super useful, especially when gas prices are so high nowadays. I didn’t know about iExit or Roadside America. Good to know! Thanks for sharing.
Danielle recently posted..Surprise Dining [Bucket List Edition]
GasBuddy is actually a great app, even if you aren’t on a road trip. I even get e-mail alerts from them when it looks like gas prices are about to go up. It’s a very handy app, for sure!
Glad I could introduce you to a few new ones!
We love using the Roadside America app; it’s brought us to a 40-ft long driftwood sea serpent in Virginia Beach named Isabel, the world’s largest shoe house in PA, and the world’s largest pancake griddle in NY!
Traci recently posted..PHOTO FRIDAY – World’s Largest Crayon, Easton, PA
It’s a really fun app to play around with! I’m planning on using it in Ohio a bit this fall if I can!
Google places is really handy for finding anything from ATMS to gas stations. Great apps you’ve found..I have some downloading to do!
Thanks for the suggestion! It seems like any Google-related app could be really useful on a long trip.
What a great list of apps. I didn’t realize Mapquest gave turn by turn directions. I’ll have to look into that one for my next trip. I use the Yelp app a lot, as well as using Urban Spoon to find restaurants. Yelp is also good for finding other businesses and things to do in a new city.
Alouise recently posted..Reflections on September 11
I considered including Yelp here, but it’s one we really didn’t use on our trip, since we already knew ahead of time the sorts of things we were interested in doing/seeing in each place we stopped. But it’s definitely a useful app if you’re not sure what you want to do!
And I didn’t know about Mapquest and its turn-by-turn directions, either, but my sister pointed that out to me. Really handy, and saves you having to spend money on a GPS!
Great idea for a blog post. Very useful. Thanks!
Juliann recently posted..The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Thanks, Juliann. I’m glad you found this useful! That was, afterall, the point!
this list is so great thank you for posting! i am downloading some of these now to use on my trip to the southwest – most of which will be a road trip so these are especially useful
These will definitely be useful for your trip!
i should share a few of my favorites that are great for road trips:
take me to my car: you mark a point where your car is, while you’re standing there, and then it will gps you back to wherever you leave it – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/take-me-to-my-car/id288903235?mt=8
aroundme: find out what’s around you from restaurants to taxis to hospitals – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/aroundme/id290051590?mt=8
where: like around me – http://site.where.com/download-where
campfinder: if you wanna find a campsite – http://www.campingroadtrip.com/camp-finder-iphone-app
Oooo, that “take me to my car” app sounds awesome!
This is a great list, very helpful. I’ll have to keep it in mind for my next road trip!
Reena @ Wanderplex recently posted..How to keep your checked luggage safe
Yes, definitely tuck this away for your next road trip! (Though, by then, who knows what new apps may exist!)
Great list – this will be very useful when I return to the United States for some traveling!
Mark Wiens recently posted..Khlong Saen Saeb: A Tour of Bangkok’s Central Canal
Thank you, Mark! I hope it is useful to you once you’re back traveling in the U.S.!
What else can a traveler look for with these useful apps? Your list includes all important stuffs that everybody need whenever they plan to travel. What I like most is Urbanspoon since I really love to eat anywhere and to try any kind of food. lol
Maria Pavel recently posted..Tips When Writing Your CNA Resume
These are all really useful travel apps, no matter where you’re planning to travel. There are SO MANY apps out there, though. This list could have gone on forever, but I decided to limit it just to the apps I’ve actually tried out myself!
Same here! I’m getting lots of apps which I can make use of. But not really all are actually useful for me so I delete it right away and maintain those really useful for me.
Maria Pavel recently posted..How to Open a CNA School
Yes, some turn apps really out to be duds. So I guess it’s a good thing you can delete them so easily! I’m always wary of expensive apps for that reason, though.