The travel season officially kicked off with last week’s summer solstice. Planning a trip? Whether you’re backpacking, car camping, hosteling, or luxuriating in hotels, there are some must-have apps to make your trip better. Here are our top picks for 2014.
Postagram takes a different approach to photo sharing We all have plenty of ways to share pics digitally. But what makes Postagram different from all the other “-grams” out there is that it lets you send snail mail postcards to your friends and family. This app is great for sharing your travels with grandparents, or just for adding a touch of tangibility to your digital life. Postagram now has the option of sending free postcards, otherwise $0.99 for domestic shipping, with ad placements.
AllTrails app is for the outdoorsman or urban hiker All Trails is the ultimate app for the outdoor enthusiast. Find trails for walking, running or biking around you, whether you’re in The Presidio, Yosemite Valley, or the
Appalachian Trail. The app even lets you track your progress and share your results with your friends. Though most of its maps are focused in North America, some users have generated trail data for other continents.
Hipmunk takes the “agony” out of travel booking Hipmunk is the ultimate aggregator for all things travel. From hotel bookings to flight searches, Hipmunk scours all the hotel (even Airbnb), airline, and deal sites to help you pick the cheapest and best options. It combines all that information in sleek UI for easy comparison. As a unique feature, the app also allows you to sort flights by “agony” so that you can avoid those 4 AM layovers.
First Derm tells you about your skin on the go Skin problems come in many unpleasant forms: annoying, embarrassing, itchy and painful. They can be especially problematic when you’re on the road or out of the country. Imagine the frustration of trying to explain a skin problem using your high school French, or even worse, discovering that the closest dermatologist is 500 miles away. First Derm tackles this problem by letting you take a picture of your skin and send it to a team of board-certified dermatologists– in your language. They have a look and tell you what to do next: either get a cream or go see a doctor in person. Most of the time, spontaneous skin concerns can be relieved by over the counter medication, so this app can save you the hassle of seeing a doctor when you’re on the go.
Couchsurfing is for traveling on a tight budget For those of us too cheap for hotels or hostels, there’s always couchsurfing. Make a profile and join the international community of thousands of couch hosts and surfers. Of course, if you’re going to be surfing a lot, it’s best to pay it forward and offer your couch back to the community when you’re home.
Sources:
Dermatoses in international travelers seen at Bordeaux teaching hospital travel clinic, 2015-2018: a GeoSentinel-based study. Authors: Blaizot R et al. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2020 Jan 9.
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The Specialist doctor from the University Hospital in Gothenburg, alumnus UC Berkeley. My doctoral dissertation is about Digital Health and I have published 5 scientific articles in teledermatology and artificial intelligence and others.
