(content by Andrew M)
My wife and I have many things in common. To name some, we loved to travel but didn’t get to experience any road trip ever. We also have a knack for trying out different technologies, be it online apps or software tools.
Last year, we finally saved up enough money to go on a road trip. Not only that, we also discovered some apps to try out on this road trip. They’re only four apps and trust me, when you learn about them, I guarantee you’ll get the ultimate experience of your next road trip with these apps and tools. Read on to learn more about them:
GasBuddy
I was overly cautious about expenses before starting this journey. Specifically, it was the gas prices that worried me the most. I knew my sedan had a good mileage, but still, it would also need frequent fill-ups to stay on the road.
Well, that is when I came to know about GasBuddy. With GasBuddy, I could explore all the nearby gas stations on the road trip. The fun thing about this app was its ability to inform about the gas prices at different gas stations nearby. This way, I only narrowed down gas stations that were within my budget. I could also set up price alerts for cheaper gas so that I wouldn’t miss out on filling my car’s tank at a lower price. Also, as I constantly updated the GasBuddy community about the gas prices at different gas stations, the app gifted me free points that I could use to win free gas.
One more thing, I didn’t know about GasBuddy’s Trip Cost Calculator but you should take advantage of it. Simply enter your starting point, destinations, and vehicle’s make and model. Then, GasBuddy will give you an estimate of how much you’ll be spending on fuel on the trip. This way, you can easily budget your trip or adjust routes to find cheaper gas.
I believe GasBuddy saved me a serious amount that my wife spent on shopping. Also, think for yourself, even if it’s a difference of 10 cents per gallon, how much you could save on gas alone on a road trip?
Powercup
Have I mentioned that my wife is a freelancer? Well, precisely because of this reason, she brought her work laptop on this trip. Being the good husband that I was, I bought a cool tech gadget for her.
It’s called Powercup and can charge electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, or laptops. My motive was to buy something that wouldn’t let her laptop’s battery drain while we were on the road.
Using Powercup is like any other charger. The wire is plugged into the car’s charging port and then you can easily connect the laptop’s charger to the power socket. Additionally, there is a USB power port, so whenever your smartphone’s battery is about to die, you won’t have to remove another’s charger first.
Tidbit: If your travel partner works remotely, make sure they have a swift internet connection on the go. For instance, Xfinity provides more than 20 million hotspot zones around the country. Here is the Xfinity customer service phone number in case you want to learn more about their plans and packages.
HipCamp
While I wanted to spend a night under a sky full of stars, my wife wanted us to rent out an RV for this trip. Well, renting out an RV was way out of our budget so she had no other choice but to go camping.
I had planned earlier that I’d get help from the HipCamp platform. If you’re experienced in camping, you know how difficult it is to find a safe spot for camping. So, HipCamp saves you the trouble of finding a sound place to pitch in your tent.
HipCamp has a large depository of public parks and private lands that owners have opened for camping. Most public parks are free, while to camp on private lands, you may have to pay a fee. Also, RV parks, treehouses, glamping, and cabins are also up for booking on this app.
You can easily book any of these, pay online, and spend the night without any fear. As for me, I chose private land that wasn’t costly at all, considering how beautiful the mountains looked from that spot.
The Outbound Collective
Long drives on never-ending roads can be dull sometimes. Especially when your partner is working along the way or there’s endless green fields out the window. Well, The Outbound Collective has a perfect solution for your boredom.
The Outbound Collective is an app that lets you discover a lot of worth-seeing sites like monuments, artifacts, national parks, hiking trails, and more.
Also, it’s a crowd-sourced application, and users like us who actually visit the destination put reviews on the platform. Other travelers can then easily learn about places that are worth a trip or should be avoided. So, the next time boredom strikes you, open this app, find a beautiful place nearby, and take a stop!
Bonus Suggestions
- Autio: It’s a travel app that lets you discover location-based stories. Thousands of travelers have shared their experiences and you can get useful insights about various destinations.
- DayPass: If you don’t want to stay in a hotel but enjoy its amenities like a gym or spa, get help from DayPass. Just turn on the application and this app will let you know nearby hotels that offer their facilities to non-resident customers.
- HappyCow: Now, vegans can easily find delicious vegan food on the go with HappyCow. The app has listed thousands of vegan restaurants, cafes, and food stores you can visit while road-tripping nationwide.
