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A ringing endorsement for my apps
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burgh because I thought that the Steel City, not your typical tourist destination, would pose a good challenge for the many apps that claim to be universal. Before I left, I established some basic rules for the trip. I would use only the iPhone’s apps; the Internet browser, where all questions could easily be Googled, would be off-limits. And under no circumstances would I visit tourist offices or benefit from brochures, maps or advice from locals. Like the noble outdoorsman venturing into the forest to try out his knife and compass, I headed into the urban jungle of Pittsburgh on a mission to test the limits of the iPhone and its array of travel-related apps. After three days of living on apps alone, I was surprised to find that the iPhone’s claim isn’t completely bogus. In fact, in some ways, travel with the iPhone was better than travel with a guidebook. For one thing, the apps offer
flexibility and spontaneity. In- stead of laboriously researching hotels in guidebooks and online, I easily chose and booked mine on the fly. Upon arriving in downtown Pittsburgh, I con- sulted a tourist information app called Pennsylvania ($1.99) to get a general sense of the city’s various districts. Intrigued by the descriptions of a couple of neighborhoods, I drove around and quickly settled on the uni- versity area, which is filled with parks, historic buildings, restau- rants and bars. I parked the car, checked out a
variety of lodging locator, rating and pricing apps, such as Hotels- ByMe (free), Kayak (free), Inn- Touch (free) and HostelHero (free), and finally used Priceline Negotiator (free) to bid on a three-star hotel. My bid was ac-
cepted, and I got a room for $52, almost 75 percent off the listed price of $190. I happened to be parked right outside the hotel at the time, so I simply walked in and claimed my room. In addition to hotels, apps can
find and provide reviews of al- most anything a traveler could want or need. To choose restau- rants, I used Travel Channel Go (free), Urbanspoon (free) and Lo- cal Picks by TripAdvisor (free). Urbanspoon is an especially in- tuitive app that incorporates user-generated ratings as well as local newspaper and blog re- views. Looking for dinner in the South Side neighborhood, I browsed restaurants on Urban- spoon and happened upon Fat Head’s Saloon. Eighty-five per- cent of Urbanspoon users liked Fat Head’s, and one blog, Deman-
dy.com, described it as a “must- see on anyone’s Pittsburgh visit.” Inspired by a local newspaper
review, I ordered a delicious (but heavy) pirogi-filled overstuffed sandwich and managed to eat it without spilling sauce on my shirt. If I had gotten stains on it, I could have used iWant (free) to locate a nearby laundromat or used the Target or Walmart apps (both free) to find stores to buy a change of clothes. I used apps to find nearby
ATMs, public toilets, restaurants, the cheapest gas stations and even speed traps. At one point, I used an app to check the safety of an area. I’d parked in north Pitts- burgh on what appeared to be a sketchy block. Wondering whether it was imprudent to leave the car there, I checked Am I Safe? (99 cents), which charac- terized the area as “unsafe.” But the statistics actually reflected a low theft rate, so I left my car. It was still there when I went back eight hours later. The iPhone also functioned as an interactive tour guide. One evening, after enjoying a sunset
Apps for the traveler
The world of travel apps is expanding exponentially, cov- ering nearly every aspect of a trip. Here are the 15 apps (and cost per use) I consulted most during my trip:
Maps (free) — Comes preload- ed on all iPhones. Locates des- tinations and provides walking and driving directions. This was the one app I used most, and it led me to the wrong place only once.
Cheap Gas! (free) — Finds the
cheapest gas stations nearby. It would be even better if it were incorporated into driving di- rections so that it listed sta- tions on your route, not just in your vicinity.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY HUGH D’ANDRADE FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
At times, I was so absorbed in the apps that I was missing out on the sights.
view of the city from the top of nearby Mount Washington, I rode the Monongahela funicular down to the bottom. Curious about the funicular’s history, I opened up Hear Planet Lite (free), an app that “geotags” (geo- graphically pinpoints) all Wiki- pedia and Wikitravel articles. Hear Planet Lite listed all the sights closest to me at the time, and after I clicked on “Mononga- helaIncline,” what sounded like a robot read me a Wikipedia arti- cle. Although the voice was a monotone and read every word of the Wikipedia entry, including some interminably long links, it
was a worthwhile listen. I learned that the funicular is the oldest continuously operating one in the United States, origi- nally built by German immi- grants who modeled it after ones in their homeland. Finally, the iPhone was a great resource for sharing my experi- ence with others. On a drive through some especially beauti- ful backwoods roads in Pennsyl- vania, I recorded my route, my speed and my elevation using Ev- erytrail (free). When I stopped to take photos of dilapidated farms amid cow-filled green pastures, Everytrail geotagged the photos and incorporated them into my route. Afterward, I posted the trip on my Facebook profile, so my family and friends could “play” a kind of video narrative of the experience. I also used So- daSnap (free) to send digital postcards with the photos I had taken. And I sent a personalized snail-mail postcard through Postcard Star (free). For $1, I had a postcard of me standing in front of the Pittsburgh baseball stadium mailed to a friend who’s a Pirates fan.
Despite those positive experi- ences, there were frustrations, too. Enough that I’d have a tough time choosing between a guide- book and the iPhone if I could take only one on a trip. I found the limited scope of various apps annoying. While certain apps found sights and others listed parking and others rated restau- rants, it was hard to assemble all the information into a cohesive plan. Because of the apps’ speci- ficity, I found myself having to go back and forth between apps over and over again, and while on the go, I was often forced to retrace my steps. Also, the apps do a great job of locating nearby attractions, but few specify the ones worth seeking out.
Priceline Negotiator (free) —
Displays prices and user-gener- ated reviews for hotels. Though many other apps also list ho- tels, this is the only one that al- lows you to name your own price and bid for hotel rooms.
ATM Hunter (free) — Finds
nearby ATMs. Though not comprehensive, it’s very good.
Pennsylvania ($1.99) — Offers
general travel information for Pennsylvania. It’s not a perfect app; its links rarely worked, and many of its listings lacked phone numbers.
Sit or Squat (free) — Finds the
nearest public toilets.
Travel Channel Go (free) —
Finds the nearest bars, restau- rants, museums, parks, monu- ments, shopping venues and sights.
iWant (free) — Finds many of the same things that Travel Channel Go does, but adds banks, hospitals, pharmacies, parking, libraries, car washes, police stations, laundromats and other practical resources.
Urbanspoon (free) — Finds
nearby restaurants and pro- vides reviews. Good if you want to find something close, but it doesn’t necessarily list must- visit restaurants in a given city.
Events Finder (free) — Finds
events and concerts.
RouteShout (free) — Finds the nearest bus stops and provides information on bus routes in Pittsburgh. This was a confus- ing app for a Pittsburgh visitor, as the bus routes were fairly complicated.
HearPlanet Lite (free) — Geo-
tags Wikipedia and Wikitravel
Furthermore, the apps weren’t
always dependable. I walked past three ATMs before arriving at the one that ATM Hunter (free) claimed was the closest. Like- wise, Sit or Squat (free), a bath- room locator, first directed me to
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articles. Using the iPhone’s GPS, it locates nearby sights and reads the articles out loud, turning your phone into a talk- ing tour guide. A livelier voice could improve it.
EveryTrail (free) — Records
your route, speed and elevation using the iPhone’s GPS and in- corporates the photos you take into your route. You can then share your trip with relatives and friends and view trips tak- en by others.
Foursquare (free) — A mobile game in which people check in at specific locations and re- ceive points according to the number of places they visit. More points are awarded to those who leave tips about each place, which results in all sorts of quirky, location-specific, user-generated advice about what to see and what to eat.
Am I Safe? (99 cents) — Pro-
vides crime statistics about your location and characterizes the area as either safe or un- safe.
Here are five more apps that
I’d recommend for trips farther afield:
HopStop (free) — Provides
bus, subway and walking direc- tions for those looking to get from point A to point B without a car. It works in 10 cities, in- cluding Washington.
iTranslate (free) — Translates
between more than 50 lan- guages and can voice the trans- lations out loud.
Tripdeck ($9.99) — Manages
flight itineraries as well as ho- tel, car rental and cruise reser- vations. It also warns you of up- coming flight delays and can- cellations.
NileGuide What’s Next
($2.99) — Aggregates travel guide content for 200 destina- tions worldwide. Most signifi- cantly, it lets you pick and choose the sights you wish to visit, then compiles those desti- nations onto one personalized map.
Mondial (free) — A password- protected virtual wallet in which you can keep important scanned documents, such as copies of your passport. It also stores contact information and includes language translation and currency exchange fea- tures.
—R.A.
a Starbucks that looked to have been closed for several years be- fore it led me to one that was open.
Finally, I found that an overre- liance on the iPhone had subtle negative effects on the travel ex- perience. At times during the trip, I was so engulfed in iPhone apps that I felt as though I was missing out on the sights, and es- pecially the people, around me. But aren’t they the whole point of travel? Bottom line: I don’t see the iPhone in its current state as a re- placement for guidebooks, though it’s definitely a valuable travel tool and supplement. As for the thought that all you need for a trip is your iPhone: Well, at the very least take along a tooth- brush.
travel@washpost.com
Arbes is a freelance writer in Washington.
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