Whether it is concern for safety or meeting new people, travelling alone can be a daunting experience. Fortunately, technology is helping to make things a lot easier.
There are now a whole range of apps that can aid you in difficult situations when you find yourself overseas and alone.
CityMaps2Go
If finding your way around is one your biggest worries when travelling alone, then this is the perfect app for you. Rather than using regular maps and using massive amounts of your precious data while you are on holiday, CityMaps2Go allows users to save full maps for entire cities as well as map routes to popular tourist attractions before you leave home. You can then access the maps offline. The app also features a function that recommends activities and interesting nearby places based on your location and the time of day.
Download from iTunes or the App Store
Tripwhistle Global SOS
One of the biggest concerns people have when travelling alone is their personal safety. TripWhistle Global SOS is an iOS app that saves you the trouble of having to learn the emergency call number for a given location and instead automatically dials the triple-0 equivalent for 196 countries and shares your location if needed. Hopefully, you will never need to actually use this app, but having it installed will certainly provide you with a sense of security as you travel.
Download from iTunes
Detour
Want an audio tour guide for the city you are visiting? This app provides a walking commentary for 150 trails and attractions across 17 cities. The immersive audio walks you through the world’s most interesting places with the people who know these cities best. The one drawback of this app is that it’s so far only available in 17 cities, and most of these are in the United States. The app currently provides audio tour guides for San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC, New Orleans, Boston, Portland, Savannah, Charleston, Austin, London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Barcelona, and Marrakech. As the app grows in popularity, more cities are bound to join the list.
Download from iTunes or the App Store
Meetup
Just because you’re travelling alone doesn’t mean you want to tackle some experiences by yourself. That is where Meetup comes in. Want to go to the theatre or a sporting event with someone you can chat to? Meetup brings people together in thousands of cities to do more of what they want to do in life. The app allows you to choose your location and your interests, and it won’t take long before you are matched with a resident willing to show you around and enlighten you with deeper knowledge of local topics.
Download from iTunes or the App Store
Do you travel solo? What apps have you found useful on your journeys?
Related articles:
Solo traveller safety
Solo Travellers Club
Solo travel conversation starters
