Blog
Pavel Kaplunou
Mobile World Congress Barcelona may have been cancelled, but business travel is not entirely out of the question. Those keen to meet partners and clients face-to-face can still venture a business trip to Europe to a less crowded venue. To make business travel enjoyable and slightly less stressful, Smart IT has compiled a list of mobile apps to “pack” on your next journey.
1. OMIO
Category: Travel planning, ticket purchase
Installs: 5M+
Omio was previously known as GoEuro. Euro was right in its name, but the mobile application has since expanded beyond Europe’s borders. Omio aggregates dozens of flight, bus and train travel offers from over 800 international and local transport partners worldwide. The service soon plans to add routes by ferry across Europe as well.
It boasts an easy-to-use search engine and will even regale users with travel bonuses in the form of discounts and live journey updates. The app is not only a great way of scheduling impromptu trips and commutes, but also a handy way of comparing pricing across carriers. It is definitely a viable alternative to for best rates and seasonal offers.
2. SPLITWISE
Category: Expenses tracking
Installs: 5M+
If you have ever used Concur, another enterprise-level expense tracking and finance management app might seem like a burden. Which is exactly what Splitwise is not. The expense tracker was designed with simple money management online or offline.
It works well for solo travellers, who can keep track of spend in multiple currencies, or for group travellers, who just don’t want to go Dutch. Billing can be shared on occasion or scheduled as a recurring expense. Similar to a note keeping app, Splitwise allows users to upload photos and electronic sales slips to tracked bills. Business travellers will appreciate exportable data for accounting purposes.
3. RENTALCARS
Category: Car Rental
Installs: 1M+
Another aggregator on our list, RentalCars is the Booking.com of vehicle hire. Essentially the RentalCars mobile application saves time going through individual car rental services to find the best fit. Data and vehicle availability is compiled from across the biggest brands in car hire such as Sixt, Avis and Europcar.
The service will even offer Theft Protection and Collision Damage Waiver, while the app can be used to track the car’s parking location. Best thing about it though – no admin fees on cancellations. Just remember to bring your driver’s license!
4. BOLT (formerly Taxify; Uber and Cabify alternative)
Category: Ride-hailing
Installs: 10M+
For those less in favor of having to drive themselves, ride-hailing is a viable alternative. Though this is where things can get tricky, as not every country, or even city for that matter, will be serviced by an Uber. Many locations can even have several competing taxi services.
This is where Bolt comes in. Alongside Uber it is perhaps Europe’s other most frequently used private transport option. The service is available in 30+ countries and over 100 cities. If Spain is on your radar, despite the WMC cancellation, Cabify will do the trick.
5. MAPS.ME
Category: Offline Maps and Navigation
Installs: 50M+
Maps.me tends to be one of those apps that still manages to veer off people’s radars, despite having almost universal acclaim. If the download numbers do not speak for the themselves, then the ability to have all the maps in one place – offline – should drive the point home.
An ideal substitute even for your car satnav, Maps.me has great precision for a navigational application. Any itinerary will be made easier without having to look for the best routes. Maps.me has an avid community dedicated to submitting the latest updates, smallest routes, best shortcuts and fine details, as well as reviews on places. In a nutshell, it will benefit any traveller, even if is a bit draining on that battery life.
Disclaimer: Mobile application recommendations are given without affiliate links. Smart IT was in no way endorsed by the listed companies to promote their services and has put together this list for the convenience of its clients and potential partners looking to travel on business.