Back in the good old days, travel accessories used to consist of a sturdy backpack, a pair of decent hiking boots and a map. Today, that’s no longer the case. Yes, these things are still useful out on the open road, but so too are many travel apps that make up the modern traveller’s arsenal. We’ve selected five of the most useful applications available at the moment.
Pack the boots, but don’t forget your charger.
TripAdvisor
An obvious place to start, but has there ever been an app more useful for regular travellers? Find out the best places to eat in town, from the high-end gourmet treats to the little-known family run eateries. Fancy a drink off the beaten track? Consult the app for a cool place to spend the evening. With potentially just one day in any given place, you want to make the most of your time there and that means finding the best possible place to eat, drink and have fun.
On top of food and drink, there’s also a highlight of the best attractions in any given city, plus the reviews from people who have been. With an easy-to-understand five-star rating system, you can get a glimpse of the good stuff when you’re in a rush and check out the comments for a more in-depth view when you’ve time to spare.
If you haven’t ever used it, you really should give it a go before your next big trip.
Google Translate
Because no matter how many phrases you learn in Thai, there will be a point when the words for “please, no more buckets” escapes you.
On top of a regular translate mode, complete with phonetic guide, the newest version of this helpful app includes ‘Conversation Mode’; a really useful piece of kit. Simply hold up to two people having a conversation in another language and the app will tell you what they are saying. It’s excellent for those times when frantic gesturing and pointing just aren’t enough.
If you are planning a big end of year trip and you really want to learn a little language, try Duolingo as well.
TravelSafe Pro
One for the more cautious travellers, TravelSafe Pro contains the emergency numbers for almost every country on the planet – or at least the ones you’d want to visit on holiday.
As well as numbers for police, fire, ambulance and emergency medical assistance, the app also contains numbers for your embassy within a country, in case your passport is lost or stolen.
Available on Android, the app only costs 99p, which is nothing when you consider how important it could prove to be.
WiFi Finder
Even the most intrepid modern travellers still need a good internet connection every once in a while. WiFi Finder helps you avoid excessive roaming charges for those times when you need to transfer money to your travel card or when you absolutely must update your Facebook status in order to induce envy among your friends at home.
Download it for free on all major smartphones and use the offline mode to avoid further charges. Just fire up the app and follow the directions to that sweet, sweet internet.
Dropbox
Snap happy travellers might want to invest in this handy cloud storage app to keep the holiday pics safe and secure. There’s a free initial service of 2GB, or you can pay a monthly fee to ensure you have maximum capacity – it really depends on how many pictures you intend to take on your trip.
Why choose eShores?
One to One Service
Our experienced personal travel consultants will ensure you find the most suitable holiday, whilst taking care of every last detail. Everything from start to finish will be effortless.
100% Tailor Made
We can use any hotel, in any destination, so we will craft an itinerary to suit your exact needs. Also, as we can provide any itinerary, the only holiday we'll offer, is the one that's right for you.
Fully Protected
Our ATOL bonding provides you with the financial protection you need and as a member of the Travel Trust Association, you'll have 100% financial protection. Covering you for any eventuality.
Competitive Pricing
As a tour operator & travel agent, we'll search the market to ensure that we find you the best price. Also as an online business, we can ensure our prices are as competitive as possible.
-
TeresaFrancina
Eshore’s are an excellent company I can’t praise them enough, especially Adam who has been amazing. He was really patient as I’m indecisive and changed my mind several times. He persevered and found us a dream holiday and put together great itinerary covering every aspect of our journey . Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances we had to cancel the trip and Adam went above and beyond to recoup as much as possible for us. It was a huge help & felt very personal as if he were a friend. We have rescheduled the holiday & will use Eshores for all future trips’
Posted 20 hours ago -
DebbieAnn
Nick was helpful from start to finish, helped us with any concerns, would recommend( not been on the holiday yet but sure we won’t be disappointed)
Posted 1 day ago -
KarenBryant
Lynette has been very accommodating it meeting all of our requests and changes and also with her suggestions. Price was good too.
Posted 2 days ago -
Chuk
I had never heard of eshores till I decided to plan a multi-stop holiday in Turkey some weeks ago. The decision to use eshores was based on a quick internet search for any help I could get with this. So, i wasnt really expecting much. As the planning was at relatively short notice...and we had never travelled to Turkey, I was pleasantly surprised at the support I had from Rachel at eshores who listened to what I wanted and was patient to go back and forth with me till I had the exact holiday I wanted (Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya). I always had a response with every query(and I had quite a few!!). The travel itself worked like a dream...both international and domestic flights were straightforward, but even more surprising was how reliable the multiple taxis to and fro airports were, even when picking up at 0330!! Overall, the experience has been very positive and I would be very happy to use the service again
Posted 3 days ago -
carol
We have just booked a two centre holiday in the Caribbean through eshores. This was the first time we've used this company them and found them to be GREAT. Lynette helped us find the perfect holiday, she was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and efficient. Thank you.
Posted 5 days ago -
Stephen
To be honest, I had not used eShores before, however, after arranging our holiday plans with Michelle, I will certainly be back. Very helpful and knowledgeable and we are delighted with the advice received and all the travel arrangements, choice of hotels and flight times. Thank you so much.
Posted 6 days ago -
Michaela
Booking was great and easy with Rachael. She was polite and listened to our requirements. I am positive the experience will be a fantastic holiday in October !
Posted 6 days ago -
Carole
Just booked a two centre Caribbean holiday through eShores and Rachel was extremely helpful. She listened to our needs and nothing was too much trouble for her. Her pleasant and friendly manner made it easy to discuss our requirements and made the whole process so easy.
Posted 1 week ago -
John
I found eShores efficient and helpful. Dave Felton found me good times, prices and hotels for a twin trip to Krakow & Warsaw and dealt effectively with any concerns I had. Definitely recommended.
Posted 1 week ago -
Debbie& Mick
Nick arranged a 2 week trip to Argentina & Brazil for us in March. We were happy with the itinerary he put together and his choice of hotels. We had a good level of contact from taxi companies for collections at airports & hotels. On our return he checked everything had gone smoothly which was a nice touch. I mentioned that I was looking for a beach holiday in a couple of months and he put together some hotels at a good price so I’ve booked again with him. I would definitely use Nick, EShores, again and recommend them to friends.
Posted 1 week ago