Today, it seems there’s an app for everything. For those of us who spend a great deal of time traveling, the good news is that there are apps to help make the most of your travel experience and save money in the process. We all know things can get expensive between accommodations, airfare, and car hire (try Nova Car Hire to save money on rental cars), so being smart about business travel can make a huge difference.
Being frugal doesn’t have to mean you can’t enjoy yourself, either, thanks to these apps. In compiling the list of apps below, we focused on those that give you the best of both worlds – they not only help you save money, they also provide some of the best ways to enjoy your trip by exploring a city the way it was meant to be explored. At the end, you’ll find five tips that you should keep in mind to make your business trip the best yet. Take a look:
Kayak
Free
Get in on steep discounts by using the popular travel search app, Kayak. You can find discounts and book hotels, airfare, and car rental from the app, even if you’re looking for something last minute. When browsing hotels, you can click through to find full color photos, traveler reviews, and booking information.
TripIt
Free
Keep your flight confirmations, hotel reservations and car rental information all in one place with TripIt. Simply sign up for a free account, then forward all of your info to your TripIt email address and you’re set to go!
TaxiFinder
Free
If you’re in an unfamiliar city without a vehicle, hailing a cab can be a headache. TaxiFinder lets you browse nearby taxi companies based on your location, then check their ratings, read real traveler reviews, and contact them from your phone. The app also gives you a fare estimate based on your destination city’s average fares.
HotelTonight
Free
If you find yourself stuck at an airport after a cancelled flight, or are just looking for a last-minute hotel, HotelTonight is here to help. Available for the Android and iPhone, the app partners with hotels in major cities to find unsold rooms – which means you can get these rooms for a deep discount. Download the app and check for special rates starting at noon in the local time zone and you might just get in on a bargain.
OpenTable
Free
Find an open table at the hottest restaurants in town with OpenTable. Using the app, you can browse by location and sort by category to find a great place in your destination city. After selecting it, you can click on it to get directions, view full menus, and make reservations all from the palm of your hand!
Each of these apps are a great way to help you business trip run smoothly – and aside from these, we have a just a few final tips to leave you with:
- Carry on vs. checking your luggage – It seems like airlines charge fees for everything nowadays. Instead of paying up to $50 each way, try to pack lightly so you can fit everything you’ll need into a carry on.
- Use public transportation – People usually think of taxis first because they’re easy and the driver knows exactly where he or she is going. But, public transportation systems like busses or metro lines can sometimes get you downtown for a fraction of the cost. If you have a bit of time to spare, consider checking it out.
- Choose an extended stay hotel – Extended stay hotels usually offer kitchenettes and a larger living space so you can spread out. And, you’ll have a space to cook meals so you’ll also save on dinner expenses.
- Choose a hotel with free WiFi – Some hotels charge up to $25 per day to use their WiFi. Instead, look for a hotel that offers a reasonable rate and has WiFi included with the room cost.
- Do lunch instead of dinner – Who says your client meeting needs to be at dinnertime? Instead of entertaining clients in the evening, opt for lunch. It’s much less expensive – and, you may be able to travel home the same night and save yourself money on a hotel.
Keep these tips in mind next time you’re planning a business trip. Trust us, you’ll be happy you did.
Guest article written by: Laura Murphy has lead the eclectic vagabond life, traveling here and there and now has settled into the perfect gig for the perpetual itinerant: writing for the money-saving gurus at www.novacarhire.com! She’s learned a thing or two about saving money on travel and hopes you follow her on her quest to share her lessons with folks who have a traveler’s heart, if not the budget.
Two other tips as well…
1) book your room/accommodation online so that you are 100% guaranteed of the room (particularly useful for busy backpacker/guesthouse cities)
2) use Google maps to plan out your train to bus to guesthouse (etc) so you know exactly where to go when you get there.
Thanks – Martin
These applications are worth for the business trip because it will help you when you will have travel for business in unaware county or city. Application will help to find different services very easily according to your requirement.
As Alan said IPhone applications are very useful during the travelling time. It will help to find any services easily and the best application is TripIt. The reason is that you can use this application cost-free and you can keep all the important details of trip such as flight confirmation and hotel reservation etc information securely with yourself by using this application.