With all of the technology that we have available at our fingertips today, is it really necessary to pay for a tour guide? If you have access to a smartphone or tablet, using a tour guide to show you around a city could be a waste of your money.
There are a number of free apps that you can download onto your mobile device to enhance your travel experience and save you a tremendous amount of money. Since choosing the right travel apps to download can sometimes be overwhelming as there are so many options to consider, we wanted to take a moment to highlight some useful travel apps that you can utilize in lieu of a tour guide:
The app itself is free to download, and users will benefit from having access to digital travel guides for just about every major international destination. Each city's travel guide will give users the inside scoop on attractions, shopping, restaurants, bars, nightlife, hotels, and more. Travelers can navigate through the city with the app's maps (no roaming charges), and users can also design their own daily itinerary for their trip. The app also shares customer reviews from people that have already been to the attractions to help you determine if it's worthwhile to see.
Just because you're on a budget doesn't mean that you can't still have an incredible vacation. This free app will automatically present you with deals and discounts on site-seeing activities and attractions either in your current area or in the area that you are able to travel to next. These suggestions are ideal for someone traveling in an area that he or she has little knowledge of, but still wants to be adventurous and try some activities that are off the beaten path (and often for a discount).
Why hire a tour guide when you can turn your smartphone into your own personal tour guide? Pocket Guide supports cities all throughout the world and will guide you through your city of choice by voice, making this app the first of its kind. The tours are made by the top local tour guides in those cities, and every tour has been tested and approved by a Pocket Guide staff member before releasing it to the public. Users also have the option to their own experiences (through video, voice, and pictures) while touring the city. Another perk to this app is that it works offline, preventing you from having to spend money on roaming charges.
Planning to drive up through New England this fall to see the changing foliage or make your way down the Florida coast? This unique app has been designed for travelers that want to experience the countryside by car instead of a group tour. Each driving tour can be downloaded ahead of time so that no data or cellular connection is required to complete the tour. While some of the driving tours offered are free, others can be downloaded for a small fee (typically $4.99 and under).
So there you have it. Each of these free travel apps offers a very different touring experience, whether you want to explore a city on your own or take a voice guided tour. Take the time to explore these options. We think that you'll quickly see that these are useful resources for touring a city without having to pay a hefty fee to a tour guide.
Image Sources
Tablet Photographer by Maggie Osterberg
Around the World by HyperAKT
