As I continue to whittle down my apps thanks to the Decluttering iStuff series, it’s time that I really lighten the load of my iPhone. Since I like to travel light, there’s no more fitting type of app that should get the nod than apps that are related to travelling.
Much like the Twitter app purge, some would say that some of the apps I have chosen to be part of this experiment don’t qualify as travel apps…per se. But again, I use these apps in question while on the go. So apps like Google Translate and Yelp are put to the test only when I’m out and about. I have made a habit of not using any of these apps in conjunction with anything other than when I’m travelling for business purposes or am otherwise on the go without my family. I’ve drawn the line there.
The apps under consideration for this edition of the Decluttering iStuff series are:
- KAYAK
- Google Translate
- Yelp
- Tripit
- Siri
- MUJI to GO
- uPackingList (the free edition)
Again, as with the other app categories in the series, the above apps are the ones I’ve installed on my iPhone. There may be others that are worth considering keeping in the fold, but I don’t have them. If you know of some that I need to check, please let me know. I like trying out things.
For those wondering about Maps, it has to stay…and it actually is one of the more useful native apps that has to stay on board.
KAYAK
KAYAK is pretty popular with the masses, perhaps only usurped by Hipmunk (which, as you’ll notice is not among the apps being considered here). This one boils down to personal preference and time invested. I have spent more time in another app that essentially made getting into this app less desirable.
Sorry, KAYAK. Time isn’t on your side in my case. I’m abandoning ship.
Google Translate
This app was introduced to me by my brother-in-law while vacationing in Mexico earlier this year. It seemed cool at the time, but for the amount of times I would really use it, it doesn’t seem worth the effort of keeping. While TripLingo covers specific languages in a far more elegant (and utilitarian) fashion, I don’t know that I’m going to be whipping out my phone all that often in order to understand the local language.
While this may be useful to me down the road, a translation app isn’t on my radar right now. Translation: This app is gone.
Yelp
This is another example of a type of app that may not necessarily fit into this category for most. What’s more is that I have found that i’m not a big user of apps that rate locations, restaurants and the like. I don’t even leave tips in foursquare, folks.
I’d like to like Yelp…but it’s not for me. It’s one of the types of apps that I just don’t spend time in. So it doesn’t spend time on my iPhone anymore.
Tripit
What does Tripit do that lands it on my iPhone’s runway?
• Add trips by forwarding emails from travel services (air, hotel, car, etc)
• Lets me network with others via email integration
• Syncs with my online calendar
• Syncs with my iPhone and iPad
Tripit hits the sweet spot for me. It keeps track of my travel itineraries, reward miles and has made me a much savvier traveller. I have gone so far as to pony up for Tripit Pro. TRipit is my escort wherever I travel…and I highly recommend it. (So, yeah, it makes the cut.)
Siri
This is one of those apps that I’d love to have the ability to use to its fullest. But, as a Canadian, it is pretty limited up here in terms of usefulness. Sure, this is all about travel apps that need to stay or go — and Siri does much better in the US. Yet it doesn’t get used very often up here, so my familiarity with it isn’t as solid as I’d like for it to be a mainstay on my iPhone.
So long, Siri. I hardly knew ye.
MUJI to GO
This one’s a bit of a cheat…because it rests on my iPad and not on my iPhone. But to be clear, whatever travel app choices I go with will be residing on both of my iOS devices. Unless they only work on the iPad.
Guess what? This app only works on the iPad. And it’s great.
It covers a lot of what I need (local weather, times, currency conversion, etc.) and also serves as a one stop window shopping experience at the same time. It’s that past feature that acts as a trigger to remind me what I need (and don’t need) to pack. An elegant app that is multi-faceted? That’s gold.
Considering how valuable gold is these days, MUJI to GO makes the cut.
uPackingList
I did use this for a while. Then it crashed…several times. I haven’t used it since. As a free app, I shouldn’t complain. Should I?
Either way, it has no right to complain about being booted from my iPhone.
Conclusion
So, the travel apps that remain part of my carry-on luggage are:
- Tripit
- MUJI to GO
But that means that I only have one travel app on my iPhone, right? Yep. So maybe it’s time for give Hipmunk a look…now that I’ve sent the rest packing.
