CJAZ has carefully compiled a selection of handy holiday apps that will help enhance your next getaway.
Please bear in mind, many of these apps offer a free download period that you later must pay a monthly subscription for.
If there are any apps that you can’t live without when you’re on holiday, we'd love to hear about them, please share them in the comments below…
Entertainment Apps provide a welcome distraction
You can’t always guarantee that you’ll have Wi-Fi access, so having a couple of offline entertainment apps to while away the hours whether you’re waiting for your flight, or perhaps travelling long-haul is always a good option to have.
Kindle - So much easier than cramming multiple books into your luggage. You don't even need a Kindle device. Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Amazon offers a free trial for 30 days. Subscription costs £7.99 a month.
Netflix - Binge your way through your flight. The offline mode allows you to download all your favourite TV shows and films. Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Netflix offers a 1 month free trial. Subscription starts at £5.99 per month.
Spotify - Get hooked on a new podcast or listen to your favourite songs. You'll need Spotify Premium to enjoy these features offline - why not sign up for the 1 month free trial just before you head off on holiday? Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Spotify offers a 1 month free trial. Subscription costs £9.99 per month.
Embrace the local lingo with language apps
You’ll no longer be Lost in Translation or commit an embarrassing faux pas. These 3 language apps deliver over 100 foreign languages to your fingertips!
Google translate - Google translate allows you to translate a whopping 103 languages by text (59 languages offline) along with handy camera translations (37 languages), instant 2-way speech translations (43 languages), and handwriting translations (95 languages). Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Free.
iTranslate - Use the iTranslate app to translate text, pictures and speech in over 100 languages (38 languages offline). We particularly love that you can get an extension for smartwatches for instant voice translations. Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Free. Offers In-App Purchases.
Duolingo - Duolingo is a colourful, user-friendly app designed to help make learning a new language fun. Develop your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills with short, game-like lessons. There's over 30 languages to choose from, including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese, that are all completely free. Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Free. Offers In-App Purchases.
At your convenience!
From the Toilet App finder that could save you from an embarrassing situation to the Wifi app to help keep you connected. These apps only work in the UK.
Flush Toilet Finder Never get caught short again when you're out discovering a new place with Flush - the not-so-glamorous holiday app that you probably hadn't thought of, but is oh so handy to have. Simply open the app and you'll be able to view all the closest public toilets to you, even without an internet connection. There's over a whopping 200,000 bathrooms (and growing) in the database! Check out toilet ratings, select your preferred WC and use the map and directions to navigate your way there. You can even identify which restrooms have disabled access and charge a fee. Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Free.
WiFi Map WiFi Map is a handy little holiday app that helps you stay connected, wherever you are in the world, without eating into your data. With over 100 million free hotspots on the database, search by location to find the nearest WiFi hotspots, along with their passwords. Download offline maps to pinpoint places where you can connect while you're travelling without worrying about roaming charges. Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Free.
Eating out
Finding an amazing restaurant can be one of your holiday highlights, or maybe you’re struggling to find a pizza restaurant to keep your brood fed and happy after a day playing on the beach?
TripAdvisor The go-to app for seeking trusted traveller reviews, ratings, and recommendations for hotels, restaurants, and attractions. Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Free.
The Fork The Fork guides you to the best restaurants in Europe. Not only that, they also let you eat at a discounted price as much as 50 percent. Per The Points Guy, The Fork also features food reviews, a map, and location. It can be downloaded for free and contains more than 10,000 restaurants from 10 countries: France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Denmark, Italy, and Brazil. Download on: App Store | Google Play Price: Free.
GP in your pocket!
If you’re unfortunate enough to fall ill whilst on holiday, you’ll be glad you have access to NHS Direct. Don’t rely on general web search results for medical advice, always use a qualified site like NHS with over 70 years experience to draw upon you can’t go wrong.
NHS Direct All GP practices in England and the Isle of Man are connected to the NHS App. This means that anyone aged 13 or over and registered with a GP practice in England or the Isle of Man can use it. You can download the NHS App on an iOS or Android device. You can also access the same services by logging in through the NHS website in a web browser. https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-app/nhs-app-features
We hope these recommendations come in handy
Whatever you do, please make sure you’re connected to your Wi-Fi when you originally download them to avoid having to pay for the data.
Remember to take your plug converter and phone chargers, or you’ll not be able to use any of them!
If there are any apps that you can’t live without when you’re on holiday, we'd love to hear about them, please share them in the comments below…