We all know to do plenty of preparation before heading off on our holidays, from remembering to pack the sunscreen and adaptors to scheduling a taxi for that early flight. But what about prep for when you're abroad? There are more and more apps to help you navigate your destination.
Irish Times Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope joined Brendan O'Connor to highlight the essential apps you need before you head to the airport. From bagging the best currency rates, to finding the best taxi apps to navigate local transport safely, Conor explains how to make your holiday smoother and cheaper.
If there's one slight downside to the apps, Pope says, it is that "in some ways they've drained the fun out of travelling because you don't have to explore quite so much and you're not getting lost and you don't have to ask people 'où est le Centre Georges Pompidou?' in terrible French".
For getting around, Pope recommends researching the predominant taxi apps in the country, from FreeNow to Bolt, both of which are widely used around Europe. In the US, Uber will be the default option, he says.
Once you've gotten the lay of the land, picking what activities to do - if you haven't researched and booked ahead - can use up valuable time if you don't know where to start. Pope recommends trying GetYourGuide, an app that "acts as an online concierge".
"If you want to do something in a particular place and you might struggle to do it independently, you can use this app", he explains, having used it for booking a camel ride on a recent trip to Morocco.
Booking it on the app included the price of the activity, a hotel pick-up and drop-off and came to around €50 for three people.
After you've tired yourself out with some activities, finding a place to eat is the next hurdle for the unprepared tourist. Pope says that review apps are "really good - sort of".
"TripAdvisor is still the big player in that market", he says, and suggests using it to "get a sense of what's around you in a particular location".
However, he recalls going to a restaurant in Portugal a number of years ago based on the "absolutely glowing" reviews on that site, "and I had probably the most disgusting meal of my life. I was like Mr Bean, shovelling the food around my plate because I didn't want to offend the waiter".
"You have to take all of that stuff with a heavy grain of salt."
Instead, he suggests using Instagram for recommendations. On a trip to Amsterdam last year he "resolved to eat in all the viral sensation places".
"I ended up having the best pastrami sandwich I've ever had in my life, I had amazing truffle fries and pastries in places I wouldn't have otherwise gone to." The only catch, he says, is the length of the queues at these spots.
Google Maps has a decent review section, he notes, while others use Yelp to find restaurants.
To get the most of out Google Maps, "use it offline". "Using Google Maps when you're travelling is fine if you're in the EU and there's not so much roaming problems", he says. To make sure it works without data coverage, open the app when you're connected to the Internet and select 'offline maps' and download the map of where you're visiting.
For navigating a new city, especially on public transport, Pope recommends Citymapper, while for wilderness or trekking holidays he suggests using Maps.me, which tracks your journey.
And finally, to ensure you're managing your money well while using a different currency, Pope recommends XE, the popular currency converter app, or Trail Wallet, which is "designed specifically for holidays" and allows you to track what you're spending by category.
To listen back to the full interview, click above.
