Looking to save money on travel this summer with a quick road trip? Or maybe you just need to get out of town for the weekend? Here is a look at some great apps that will simplify your road trip driving and keep you and your friends or family entertained throughout the drive.
Waze
If you haven’t yet downloaded Waze for your mobile device, you’re missing out on some serious app-driven navigation capabilities. Waze does more than simply get you from point A to point B; it lets you in on upcoming detours, traffic updates, road obstacles, police traps, construction areas, best gas prices, and more. This crowdsourced traffic-mapping app works pretty much like an in-car navigator who knows the streets and traffic patterns of where you’re driving by heart—only better. No wonder Facebook, Google, and Apple all allegedly sought to purchase Waze at one point—until Google bought it for $1.1 billion, that is.
iExit
Wondering what’s coming up in terms of exits while driving in the middle of nowhere. iExit presents you with a list of upcoming exits and clues you in on what to expect at each exit, indicating where you might find rest stops, gas, food, lodging, and major retail stores. You can even search for conveniences according to your needs, such as “open 24 hours,” “pet-friendly,” and “premium gas.”
Along the Way
Along the Way is an app that lets you plan out dining, lodging, and activities according to a planned route, so you’ll never be left wandering about looking for what you need in terms of sustenance and entertainment. It finds restaurants, parks, landmarks, and more along your route so that you can save time and gas money.
Glympse
Do you want to keep friends and family updated with your road trip progress? Glympse makes that possible. You can share with friends and family of your choice your current whereabouts as well as your estimated time of arrival, so that they never have to worry about the progress of your trip.
Songza
What road trip is complete without a great selection of music to go with it? Songza is Pandora-like app that automatically plays music according to your preferences. You can browse music categories by activity (e.g. driving in the left lane), genre, decade, or mood, meaning you’ll end up with a perfectly catered selection of music for your trip.
