Niseko, Toya-Usu and Shiraoi are three Hokkaido destinations for travellers who want to feel close to the communities they’re visiting.
Travel
Don’t leave without them: the indispensable travel apps for the 2.0 explorer
If you’re modern travellers, you’ll surely have a smartphone and know what an app is: that nuisance that takes space up on your phone and that you often don’t remember why you downloaded it. If you’re getting ready to travel, however, you may need important information and quickly: here is a list of useful travel
If you’re modern travellers, you’ll surely have a smartphone and know what an app is: that nuisance that takes space up on your phone and that you often don’t remember why you downloaded it. If you’re getting ready to travel, however, you may need important information and quickly: here is a list of useful travel apps.
Are you planning a trip to the mountains? Don’t start the journey without first checking the weather: there are many apps on the subject, but we vote for AccuWeather (iOS, Android and Windows Phone). It doesn’t guarantee sunny skies but it has a “good reputation”.
Always indispensable before setting off is the packing app: we recommend Bag List because it’s the simplest to use and we know that, for many, preparing the list of things to bring is a critical moment.
When you’re abroad you may want to communicate in languages you aren’t familiar with, and are thus in need of a simple, quick and relatively reliable translator. Relatively reliable because we know that languages are subtle tools, but the good old Google Translate is, in our view, still the best. Download it! It’s always useful.
Another important aspect is that of finance and a currency converter can make buying things more simple: it can also be used offline, therefore without Internet connection, click here to download the app.
Speaking of important thinks, the European Commission has released an app to defend travellers’ rights: Your passenger rights at hand, in case of cancellations and flight and train delays, lost luggage and other inconveniences that can occur when travelling. The app informs passengers as to the offices to contact to present a complaint. Part of the Your Passenger Rights at Hand project, the app is available in 22 languages and works on iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone devices. Best to have it and not have to use it.
If you’re already up-to-date and new technologies are an opportunity and not a nuisance, you could find Wikitude interesting: it offers augmented reality and very realistic maps. By simply pointing the smartphone camera at the horizon, it will pinpoint hotels, restaurants, bars and points of interest on your screen. The same system is used in Google Sky Map. Pointing the camera at the night sky, constellations and planets will appear. Truly romantic.
If there’s no connection, some of these apps won’t work, therefore Wi-Fi Finder, free on Android and iOS, allows you to subvert the obstacle by signalling the wireless access points closest to you.
And then? You need the toilet and you can’t find public facilities? SitOrSquat (available for iOS and Android) allows you to find the best public restrooms in the vicinity, including reviews! Indispensable. Vital.
We like thinking of travelling as a series of unique moments, to switch off from daily life and switch off everything but… if you have to bring your smartphone on holiday, then make sure it improves your travels!
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