Travel Apps

Hands down my smartphone is probably the one most useful tool that I’ve brought with me travelling. The phone’s done everything from keep me into contact with friends, provide me with countless hours of wifi and skype, as well as guide me to destinations. For example tonight the closest grocery store was closed by the time I got home from work (late aka after 6pm shopping is only on Fridays here in Oz). Thankfully I whipped my phone out and found the next closest Coles. One of the great uses was using my phone to guide me using public transport, and there are plenty of apps to help! Here are three apps available on the Android market that have helped me get around certain cities.

Seoul Subway

Seoul’s subway is renown worldwide for its ease of use and tourist friendliness. Despite these titles and awards, once you’re on the ground it can be confusing...very confusing. Seoul’s subway system looks like someone dropped spaghetti on a piece of paper. Lines criss-cross all over the place and there are so many of them. The other source of possible frustration is that at some stations they’ve installed the turnstiles at the actual entrance to the subway platform and not in a more general area. This means that if you go through the wrong turnstiles you’re either taking that subway to a station with a middle platform, or use hand signs and bad Korean to get the station manager to let you through to the other side. Seoul Subway will help you map your journey, telling you which station to transfer at and more importantly which direction your new train is going. This app was so helpful getting me to the tourist sites all over Seoul as it’s a MASSIVE city! Also one of the greatest tools would be to learn a little hanggul. Also from firsthand experience I highly recommend you AVOID the last train of the night!

Tram Hunter (Melbourne)

Melbourne has an extensive tram (streetcars for you Torontonians) network that can get you all over the city. While they can be a little slow and extremely cramped during rush hour, they’ve gotten me to many of the tourist spots throughout the city. There’s even a free tourist city-circle tram which can be extremely useful for a newbie to get a feel for the CBD. Tram Hunter is an app that will let you know which trams come to your stop and how long till they pass. An extremely useful feature is the GPS functionality which will allow the app to locate the nearest stop. This app has ensured that I’m always at work on time as I always know when the next tram is passing, with pretty darn good accuracy!

Train Trapper (Melbourne)

More recently I’ve been using Melbourne’s train network as I’m staying a little further out of the city. The thing about trains during weekdays is that there are express trains that don’t necessarily stop at all stations. While the express trains have been a blessing for me since I go from one extremity of the line to another, for those that are going to a not so busy station at rush hour could be in for a surprise. Train Trapper will help you find out what time the next train is passing at your nearest station (thanks to GPS). The app will also go into detail as to which stops the train will make and how much travel time you’ll endure. This app has been quite useful over the last few days, I highly recommend it!

As you can see, these apps can make your life much easier. Especially as a tourist and being new to the city and its public transit system. Having a pocket guide can be a priceless tool. if you can, be sure to pack your unlocked smartphone when you leave the country. That way you can pick up a local SIM and use these apps to their full potential. If you don’t want to unlock your phone, you can still use the wi-fi functionality but just keep in mind that free wi-fi is not necessarily as prevalent as back home!