The best travel apps
There are thousands of travel apps out there to help our next road trip run as smoothly and safely as possible. Some of them provide real-time traffic news – road closures, accidents, traffic jams… Some also show us where speed cameras or petrol stations are. And others have been designed to make staying in an unknown city much easier: apps to pay parking meters from your mobile phone or to find amenities such as ATMs, supermarkets or pharmacies. Don’t miss out on the best apps to travel with.
Real-time traffic news
There are many applications that inform you about traffic and radar speed detectors. For example, Waze is a community-driven GPS navigation app that efficiently directs users based on crowdsourced information. Waze users are able to report a multitude of traffic-related incidents from accidents to police controls. This data is used by Waze to help other users either by alerting them of the conditions ahead or rerouting the user to avoid the area entirely. The DGT (the Spanish Directorate-General for Traffic) has launched a similar app, Comobity, by which voice announcements inform the driver of traffics jams and incidents with enough notice to avoid them.
Find your nearest petrol station
Other apps show us where the nearest petrol stations are, as well as their fuel price and opening hours. With Gasolineras España you can set the discounts you have for each brand or at a specific petrol station, so the app will show you the prices with the discount applied. It has a route calculation feature that allows you to search for petrol stations along a way and then sort them by price or distance.
Not without my music
Music is a must on any road trip. Sometimes we just enjoy listening to music or news and talk radio, but there are other times when we prefer to listen to catchy songs that are frequently stuck in our head. TuneIn allows users to listen to more than 100,000 radio stations from around the world. However, if custom playlists are your thing, you can create your own with Spotify or Deezer.
Paying parking meters
In most Spanish cities sometimes the only option is to leave our car where parking is restricted, e.g. in areas designated as ‘blue or orange zones’. Thankfully, there are apps that allow us to pay the parking meter from our mobile phone and get a notification when our parking session time is low. One of the drawbacks is that not all cities have the same app. In the Autonomous Region of Valencia we can use Moviltik; in cities like Madrid, Granada or Orihuela we have to use E-Park.
Don’t forget anything
If you’re one of those travellers who need to do a packing list so as not to forget any essentials, then check out this app. PackPoint will tell you what you need to pack based on your destination and travel dates. Users can also share the list with their travel companions.
Nearby amenities
When travelling, it’s very convenient to quickly find out information about your surroundings. How many times have you found yourself in need of finding the closest petrol station, ATM or pharmacy? AroundMe identifies your position and allows you to choose the nearest hotel, supermarket, hospital, restaurant…
Bill-splitting apps
Splitwise is the easiest way to share expenses with friends and family as it lets you divide up the cost of things so that everyone can pay their fair share. This way, you’ll know who paid what and if anyone owes money. For example, if you rent a car and have to pay for fuel, it’s a quick way to know how much everyone has to pay.
And remember, Lara Cars is your reliable car rental company if you’re travelling around the Costa Blanca. We have a wide range of cars for you to enjoy your road trip. Make the most of your travels with one of our cars and the apps we’ve just recommended!
