Travel Tip Tuesday | Never Get Lost
Navigate A City With Ease
On all Tours of Distinction’s small group tours, there is always time on your own to explore. For some of us, nothing can be more daunting than the fear of getting lost in a new city and being late for the group departure. But, not to worry, there is a new free navigation application called Citymapper that is like walking with a local!
You may love Google Maps, and that is fine, but for many, Citymapper is the better option. It is available for free for both Apple and Android phones. As the name implies, Citymapper provides mobile navigation in large metropolitan cities as diverse as London, Edinburgh, Tokyo, Paris, or New York. Currently, it covers 220 countries and territories worldwide. In 2021 they received 4,086 five-star reviews and they have an overall rating of 4.8 stars. Last year they launched 30 new regions and 76 new cities and added 437 public transportation brands.
Founded by a former Google employee, Citymapper displays route planning combined with real-time information to help you navigate public transportation networks like buses, trains, ferries, trams, and subways. Citymappers has people working to adjust routes in real-time and will tell you the best and fastest way to reach your destination. This feature is handy especially if you have limited time. You will get information about any delays, and best of all it will show you how long each route will take.
The App will also give you the estimated cost of different transportation options available, including rideshare services like Uber. It will even tell you when peak pricing surges. A real perk of this app is that it will remember your journey options that you can check whether you have data service at that time or not.
If you are counting calories, Citymappers will show you how many calories you will burn and the money you will save by choosing to walk! And, for the environmentally minded, the app will collect stats and track your CO2 savings.
There are step-by-step, turn-by-turn voice directions for walking, cycling, scootering, and public transport. One of the new additions for 2022 is the Main Roads option that will route you on well-lit streets at night. The app will sync with an Apple Watch and buzz you when you are one step away from where you need to get off, so no more missed stops! Citymapper is now integrated with Snap, a mobile app that shows you a live map of your friends. Another feature added was the sync with your calendar so that you will always be on time. The app sees your events and all you have to do is tap the event to see the best routes and what time you need to leave.
Citymapper is a great alternative to Google or Apple Maps. In the Apple App Store and on Google, it is the Editors’ Choice and the app of the year (5 years in a row for Apple) because of its accurate and real-time navigation options, comprehensive direction guide, and the fact that it offers so many ways to get to your destination. They also give it a thumbs up for including a Uber syn-up, live departure times, and costs. Navigating a new city should be fun and with Citymap in your hand, it becomes easier to navigate giving you more time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city!