Whether it’s for business or leisure, traveling can be a great experience. Besides sightseeing, visiting new destinations gives you the opportunity to broaden your horizons, improve your communication skills and meet different cultures.
However, travel can, sometimes, involve some unforeseen issues, especially if you’re traveling for business and have a tight schedule.
Fortunately, as a modern business traveler, you can take advantage of numerous useful apps to make the whole experience a lot easier. No matter where you’re headed or what problems you encounter, having the right app can set things straight again.
Here are seven great choices for your next business trip.
Tripit
Tripit is an app which automatically creates travel itineraries based on email confirmations from your bookings. It provides the ability to view maps of the airports and destinations you’ll be heading to around the world. The app can also provide info on restaurants, hotels, car rentals, and more.
Tripit allows flexibility for new emails and manual changes. Made for iOS and Android phones, there’s a free version (99 cents without ads) and a comprehensive paid version costing U.S. users $49 annually.
GateGuru
GateGuru allows you to plan multiple journeys ahead of time with a very simple layout. From the Home screen, you can view the AirportCard, JourneyCard, Rental Car, and Amenities screens to get details on these different aspects of your trip, including security wait times, flight delays, gate changes or layover time adjustments.
This helps you better prepare for every leg of the trip before you’ve even left the ground. This is an iOS app from TripAdvisor that you can download for free.
HotelTonight
HotelTonight uses constantly updated information from a network of reputable hotels across North America and Europe. It takes the hassle out of finding vacancies, prices, comparisons, and learning about amenities or discounts.
You can find and book the best deals for each destination on the go or months in advance. HotelTonight will save you from scurrying around a strange town trying to find a decent room. Made for iOS or Android devices, it’s free to download.
ParkWhiz
You can use ParkWhiz to find the best parking spots by price and location, then book them well ahead of time. The app covers 4,200 destinations around the U.S., including Chicago, NYC, and LA.
It includes a digital parking pass so you can pay automatically without reaching for your wallet. Easily identifying the best parking space at the best price can save you a lot of time and money if you’re a frequent traveler. ParkWhiz can be downloaded for free on your iOS or Android devices.
TunnelBear
TunnelBear is an app which lets you utilize a virtual private network (VPN) for secure connections to the internet, even while traveling internationally.
Using unsecure Wi-Fi networks at hotels or airports gives hackers a chance to steal your business data or compromise the security of your devices. TunnelBear prevents that from happening by using the strongest 256-bit AES encryption available. The app is activated or deactivated with a single tap and stays connected as long as you need it.
Made for Android devices, TunnelBear comes in a 500MB free version and a paid version at $9.99 per month or $4.99 monthly if you get a one-year subscription.
WeatherPro
The WeatherPro app can provide seven-day weather forecasts for over 2 million locations with regular updates. It provides full reports, including precipitation and temperature ranges. You’ll be able to check the weather well ahead of time for each destination to make the right plans and preparations for business or leisure time.
There are free Android and iOS versions for download. A paid version is also available with additional features for about $7.50 per month with a 12-month subscription.
Expensify
The Expensify app lets you track your travel expenses. Whether for tax purposes or corporate reimbursement, you can track costs and generate expense reports as you go.
All you have to do is scan receipts into the app and Expensify does the calculations. This will save you a lot of time, provide accuracy, and eliminate the need for saving receipts when you need to be fiscally accountable.
Expensify is available free for iOS and Android downloads, plus a Team version at $5 per user and a Corporate edition at $9 per active user. Each offers a free trial.
Wrapping It Up
In conclusion, business traveling can be much more difficult and stressful than personal travel. You have appointments to keep regardless of what troubles you may have. However, having a smartphone app right in your pocket to plan ahead and simplify your tasks can make business travel much more enjoyable.
About the Contributor:
John Porter is a Southampton-based freelance writer. He enjoys writing about business and technology and is particularly interested in all types of productivity apps. Find him on Twitter @johnpourter.
