6 Apps to Make Summer Travel So Much Better
These will make your summer vacation little easier or a little more pleasant.
— -- intro: There's traffic apps and airline apps and hotel booking apps galore. And if you're a traveler -- armchair or million-miler -- chances are you've heard of the best of the best by now.
Sites and Apps to Save Your Summer 2013 Travels
The apps -- one app about to launch -- that follow are designed to make your summer vacation little easier or a little more pleasant. There's one for getting glam and one for getting a doc, stat. And there's one that saves you from standing in the rain waiting for a taxi.
quicklist: 1title: PAGER url: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pager-doctor-house-calls-on/id864058356?mt=8text: Nothing's worse than getting sick on the road.
You can look for a walk-in clinic or email your doctor and hope he or she will write you a script without waiting to see you. Or you can use the new app, Pager, to find a doctor to make a house (or hotel, in this case) call, stat. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's brand-new and available in New York City only, but the company has "plans to expand quickly." media: 24219114
quicklist: 2title: DOGGYBNB url: http://doggybnb.com/beta/text: It's so new it's not available in the app store yet, but Doggybnb is expected to launch this month.
"With the push of a button, you can now ask your friends to watch your best friend," it promises. How? It will access your contact list and social network and through one post, asks friends and family for help watching or walking your pooch. It allows you to include information about payment too. media: 16101281
quicklist: 3title: GLAMSQUAD url: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/glamsquad/id766676007?mt=8text: It calls itself the Seamless of the blowout -- have an event or planning a night on the town but your favorite blow dry bar is booked? No problem.
Glamsqaud can be at your hotel in just 60 minutes. The app was recently launched in New York City and coming to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and other cities this summer. It costs $50 and only requires you have an outlet nearby (though wet hair is also recommended). More on Glamsquad here. media: 24219163
quicklist: 4title: UBER url: text: People tend to love Uber or hate Uber, but there's no denying its convenience.
Billed as a "private driver in more than 100 cities and 30 countries" there's no reservations and no cash transaction necessary -- the app keeps a Paypal account or credit card on hand and will include a tip.It's a better -- if pricier -- alternative to hailing a cab in the heat or rain, and the car typically shows up within minutes of being summoned. Good news for families visiting the Big Apple: the company recently launched UberFamily, which, for a surcharge, guarantees a car seat for your tot. media: 24219067
quicklist: 5title:FITNESS url: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gymsurfing/id817962021text: Available in a handful of cities -- San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Miami and Toronto included -- Gymsurfing is an app designed to help travelers escape the hotel gym and buy day passes to nearby local gyms with amenities and classes.
It's a perfect fit for fitness buffs loathe to workout in the hotel gym that's often relegated to a dark corner of the property's basement. media: 24219292
quicklist: 6title:FOOD TRUCKSurl: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roaming-hunger-food-truck/id423850578?mt=8text: Let it be known that food truck apps have not yet been perfected, especially on a nationwide level.
In some cases, you're better off following your favorite food truck on Twitter to see where it's going to be that day. But that requires knowing which food truck you want to dine from and if you're a tourist in a new city, you likely don;t have that kind of local knowledge. But for food truck fanatics on the road, it's worth it to download Roaming Hunger, a food truck locator app servicing 35 cities nationwide. media: 24219227
