Maybe you’re killing time waiting for transportation.\u00a0 Maybe you’re in a boring meeting.\u00a0 Maybe the movie you’re watching is less than captivating.\u00a0 If you’re like me (and you are because you’re\u00a0here) it’s time to preoccupy yourself with daydreams about your next travel adventure.<\/p>\n
In any of these cases,\u00a0there’s no question that the smartphone is the ultimate preoccupation device. Of course your first objective must be to seek out the most recent WorldWanderlusting post.\u00a0 But what do you do after that?<\/p>\n
May I recommend that you install the following eight great travel apps?<\/p>\n
1. Rick Steves Audio Europe:<\/strong> It’s like candy for your ears.\u00a0 Imagine an audio tour of ancient Britain, a discussion on Dutch culture, the greatest hits of Barcelona… they’re all at the tips of your fingers with Rick Steves Audio Europe.\u00a0 You can take it in in 10 minute blips, or occupy an entire 45 minute cardio workout… how is that for wanderlust fuel?<\/p>\n 2. Awardwallet: <\/strong>It’s time to brag. Bragging about financial success is taboo, but bragging about all of the free frequent flyer miles you’ve accumulated is a neccesity.\u00a0\u00a0Telling people\u00a0 that I have more than 750,000 miles and points\u00a0sounds like\u00a0an outrageous claim until I’m able to back it up\u00a0with a simple summary from\u00a0 www.awardwallet.com<\/a>.\u00a0 It also comes in handy when you’ve got booking fever.<\/p>\n 3. Google Earth:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Literally hold the earth in the palm of your hands.\u00a0 Zoom in close enough and you’ll actually feel like you’re walking the streets of Bilbao – or any other city in the world for that matter.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0TripAdvisor:<\/strong> TripAdvisor is the Library of Congress for travel tips, reviews, and ideas.\u00a0 It becomes a little overwhelming, so sometimes it’s good to begin with something in mind.\u00a0 Check out the Magic Water Circuit in Lima, Peru.<\/a><\/p>\n 5. EarthCam:<\/strong> Check in on webcameras from around the world. Years ago, my wife and I visited Akumal Beach<\/a>, south of Cancun.\u00a0 A webcamera keeps a constant eye on the ocean lapping at the white sand, and a periodic visit keeps the memories fresh on my mind.\u00a0 If that weren’t enough, Earthcam’s database will take you virtually anywhere you’d like to go.<\/p>\n 6. Wikipedia Mobile:<\/strong> <\/strong>Sitting in an internet cafe in the shadow of Notre Dame is cool, but add in the phone-perusal of architectural specifications, historical accounts, and a plethora of details and it becomes even cooler.\u00a0 Suddenly it becomes all the more interesting when it occurs to you that Napoleon I was coronated in that very location.\u00a0 Even if you’re not on-site, the thorough nature of Wikipedia will transmit you there.<\/p>\n 7. Skype:<\/strong> Yes, everyone knows about Skype, but its power is awesome.\u00a0 Skype allows you to turn your phone into… get this… a phone… while overseas!\u00a0 I just laugh when I hear about people paying for international phone coverage when wifi is as ubiquitous as it is.\u00a0 On a trip to Costa Rica a few years ago, my friend had his wallet stolen and needed to make at least a dozen calls to cancel credit cards.\u00a0 He spent more than an hour making calls with my\u00a0Skype app\u00a0from the comfort\u00a0our jungle paradise<\/a> and, despite my pleas,\u00a0insisted that he repay me the $2.32 it cost to make them.<\/p>\n 8. Chase Ultimate Rewards Bookmark:<\/strong> Ok, so this isn’t an app, but bookmarking www.ultimaterewards.com<\/a> is an absolute necessity for booking fever.\u00a0 If you don’t have at least 100k Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you obviously haven’t been WorldWanderlusting for long.\u00a0 These puppies are powerful elements of free-travel-exploitation, in that you can transfer them to United<\/a>, Amtrak, Marriott<\/a>, Southwest<\/a>, and more.<\/p>\n We hope you enjoyed these ideas.\u00a0 If you’d like to see more in our series in “Eight Great” posts, please check out: Eight Great Foods to Feed the Wanderlust<\/a>, Eight Great days in Costa Rica<\/a>, Eight Great Youtube Travel Videos<\/a>, and Eight Great Bridges Around the World.<\/a><\/p>\n If you’re intrigued by the idea of piling up 100k Chase Ultimate Reward Points, look into the Chase SapphireSM<\/sup> Preferred Card<\/a>, and The New Ink BoldSM<\/sup> with Ultimate Rewards<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maybe you’re killing time waiting for transportation.\u00a0 Maybe you’re in a boring meeting.\u00a0 Maybe the movie you’re watching is less than captivating.\u00a0 If you’re like me (and you are because you’re\u00a0here) it’s time to preoccupy yourself with daydreams about your … Continue reading