App Review: Which travel apps are worth the download?

Introduction: I’m trying to get that perfect shot of Times Square, you know, the one I can set as my phone’s screensaver without having random people’s faces in the picture. It’s nearly impossible to capture when being shoved around by an overwhelming crowd of New Yorkers and tourists. It feels like I’m being plunged into dozens of different countries because of all the different languages and accents I’m hearing. 

It can be hard to navigate through big cities like New York. Tourists are faced with questions like what types of food to try, what to see and what types of transportation to take. As an avid traveler myself, I set out to find the best apps to help out with flights, hotels, food and activities to do in your destination

How to fly and where to stay: While I’m not booking my own flights and hotels when my family goes on vacation, I had been recommended an app called Hopper many times. Hopper urges users to relax as they find you the best deals on flights and hotels by notifying you when tickets are at their cheapest. According to Hopper, you can save up to 40% on every flight, and the app is 95% accurate in its price estimates up to one year in advance. Just type in your destination, select the dates of your trip and click the button titled “watch this trip,” and the app will notify you when you can get your tickets at their lowest price. After you book your flight, Hopper also recommends hotels in your destination at costs in your price range. 

Hopper has a 4.9 out of five star rating and is listed as the third most popular travel app in the App Store. Looking through the reviews, I saw quite a few five star reviews, along with some one star reviews. Some people claim that the customer service isn’t helpful, while others love the features that it offers. 

Personally, I understand both sides of the argument. Hopper has some great features that most travel apps don’t. It’s also convenient to book both your hotel and flight all in one app. I would use Hopper, but with caution — stick to booking solo flights instead of booking multiple tickets for a family, that way there’s a smaller risk of losing more money if the app fails. I also wouldn’t use the app for a very important trip, like a business trip or a highly-anticipated vacation. Instead, use the app for a spontaneous flight for one or two, that way you can get the best deals without the risk of missing out on a one-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe that you had been planning since your freshman year of high school.

What to eat: When trying to find the best reviewed, trendiest restaurants to dine in, OpenTable has some great recommendations. OpenTable allows you to find restaurants in your area, reserve tables and view restaurants in different categories of cuisine. You can collect points by booking reservations, which can help unlock premium access to restaurants, allowing you to book a reservation during a busy time. 

OpenTable also includes a “get inspired” section, where the app suggests different types of foods to try. Mine suggested that I read “Discover the Best Sushi in New York City,” which immediately caught my eye. If you’re craving Italian food, you can also browse by types of cuisine, so you can find that perfect, Neapolitan pizza. 

When reserving a table, you can also select the time slot and gain access to the full menu, location, reviews and extra information about the restaurant. You can add restaurants that you’d like to try later to the “saved restaurants” tab. 

The only thing that bothers me with this app is that you can’t search for specific restaurants, such as chains like Starbucks and McDonald’s. The app is mainly just for recommendations and reservations, instead of finding whether or not there’s a certain restaurant in your area. So it’s best to use this app when looking for unique, trendy restaurants to try in a new city. 

What to do: When going to a new place, especially last minute, it can be hard to find all the fun things to do. After a long day, it’s so easy to sit back in your hotel room and order room service instead of going to the best museums, shops and monuments that a city has to offer.

But thank goodness there’s Culture Trip, which is an app that I strongly recommend. With a 4.8 star rating on the App Store, others seem to love it too. The beauty of this app is all of its features. You can scroll through the trendiest hotels and see the most highly recommended things to eat and do. 

When prepping for your trip, you can simply type in your destination in the search bar and explore results in categories like food and drink, guides and tips and more. Another helpful addition is how you can easily tap the flag feature which allows you to save suggested articles, adding them to your “wishlist” tab for later. Whatever destination you are heading towards, you’ll be able to find some variation of travel guides and tips. 

I’m the type of traveler who likes to find the hidden gems wherever I travel, and Culture Trip definitely has the content to help dig up those gems. I enjoyed looking through the articles such as “How to Spend 24 Hours in New York City” and other city guides, as they suggested to go to the more touristy areas like Central Park and Ellis Island, while still encouraging a unique experience. 

Overall: Back at home from my trip to The Big Apple, I would recommend looking into these apps. You should consider checking out the best deals for flights and hotel rooms on Hopper, reserving a table on OpenTable or finding ways to best experience the culture of a new place on Culture Trip.