This is a guest post by Joe Laing, El Monte RV.
Planning an RV vacation this year? How about any travel at all? The ideal way to start your planning and to map out your itinerary is to download some of the best travel apps available. Having these apps will help to make your vacation smooth and simple. Although there are probably hundreds of great apps available for travelers, the below are just a few of the ones you may really benefit from.
[Tip from Francis: Gogobot has a great travel app and useful website.]
Camping apps are a necessity, particularly when traveling in an RV during the winter or early spring months. You will want to know what campgrounds are open and what sort of amenities these RV campgrounds offer. Then you can also find more events and activities that coincide with your interests by getting the Goby app. Obtain a list of the things that appeal to you most, such as hiking trails, theater shows or kid-friendly fun.
This time of year, the weather can take surprising turns. Plan your trip around the forecast with the free Weather Channel app. You can get weather reports which are updated on an hourly basis. Another great weather app is Dark Sky where you will get the immediate forecast in lovely radar visuals (and down to the minute). Don't get caught in a thunderstorm when you don't have to!
Plenty of RV travelers like to get out and hike the trails into the national parks, state parks and mountains throughout the United States. There are hiking trails just about anywhere you go, and you can find many great hiking trail apps for an iPhone. So having your smartphone with you in case of emergency expands to the convenience of finding the perfect place to go on a trek. Of course, while you hike you are bound to see wildlife. But do you know what this furry animal is that you've spotted in the brush? Use the WildObs Observer to identify those strange creatures. You will also be able to report sightings and have your observations show up on a national wildlife site.
One free app that has come into its own is Wikihood. This app will list all the popular sights to see at your vacation destination. Included are beaches, historic sites and parks. The Tripomatic app is useful too. Type in your destination along with the length of time you will be there and it will tell you all the things you can do while you visit.
When gas prices at high, you will want to know of the cheapest gas stations. Your trip can be much more cost-efficient if you use the Gas Buddy app. This will tell you the closest gas stations and their prices so you can pick the least expensive one. The YP Local Search and Gas Prices will also list out the least expensive gas for wherever you are. It will also tell you where to find a specific food you are craving. Finally, keep track of your traveling expenses with Fuel Monitor. You can track with exactly how much your trip is costing you for gas.
Naturally, you will have those evenings where you just want to get out on the town and relax after driving or hiking the daylight away. Perhaps a movie would be nice or fine dining at a popular restaurant. The app you need is AroundMe. All your options appear along with a map so you can easily get to your destination. When wishing just to experience local dining, you can download the LocalEats app. It's only 99 cents but really worth it when you can find those out-of-the-way delicious eateries that not many know about. What if you are in Chinatown or an ethnic neighborhood and need to find out what this indecipherable thing is on the menu? The perfect app is the Google Translate app for solving those seemingly impossible language barriers. And last but not least, certainly you've been taking pictures constantly with your smartphone. You have stored up numerous photos of all the interesting places you've been and sights you've seen. You need to get the Image Blender app. You can create your own unique shots by blending and overlaying. There is nothing better than sharing your photos with friends and this app allows you to do that as well.
You can get all the above apps or just one. You can explore the Internet and find lists of all sorts of fascinating apps that make your trip that more pleasurable. A smooth and happy journey will be yours!
About the Author
Joe Laing is the Marketing Director for El Monte RV, your nationwide source for RV rentals. El Monte RV also sells used motorhomes through eight different locations across the United States. For more information on purchasing a used motorhome see http://www.elmontervsales.com/.
