Must Have Apps When Studying Abroad
Now that technology is at the center of our lives and society, it is an important asset to a study abroad student. There were some apps I was told to download ahead of time, but as I was living abroad, I found many more apps along the way that made my time abroad a little bit easier, so here they are:
Written by: Britton Grossman
Flix Bus: Each student is going to have a different experience when they go on excursions, but I use the Flix bus a lot. It is an easy way to travel around neighboring countries. This app allows you to conveniently buy a cheap ticket, track where your bus is, what time it'll be arriving, and which station it'll be arriving at. Flix buses also come to cities that may be smaller and don’t have an airport nearby or an airport that goes to certain cities. This app was a lifesaver when I was in Europe!
Omio: Omio was my saving grace in Europe. This app lets you look up cheap flights in Europe that would otherwise not be on the regular Ryanair website. This app gives you the best deals for trains, buses, and flights. You are able to pick the cheapest and fastest option to get from city to city. This app is probably the most important one to have on your phone before going abroad.
XE Currency: If you’re a math whizz, this one may not be for you, but to all the students who need a shortcut to translate currency, this is your app. Everything, and I mean everything, will be in the local currency, so save yourself the math and get this app!
Every country (at least in Europe) should have an app for their train or bus station. Before arriving at the station, you can buy a ticket on the app or see what times the trains will be arriving at the nearest station. For example, I went to Maastricht, Netherlands, so my train app was called NS. This app had a list of all the trains arriving at the Maastricht station, how much a standard ticket was, and the ability to pay for a ticket beforehand. I also went on a three day excursion to Berlin with my program group, so I downloaded the Berlin subway station app to be a little bit more prepared.
Get your Guide: This is a fun app that allows you to look at some excursion activities! I went to Dublin and London for my spring break, so my friends and I downloaded ‘Get your Guide’ to see what was available for us to do when we were there. We found a day trip that picked us up from Dublin and took us to Galway and Cliffs of Moher. This entire excursion had a tour guide, provided transportation, lunch, and dinner all for $40 on this app. This is a great way to find popular activities in new places while you are traveling with friends!
Trainline: Trainline is another app that is similar to Omio or your country's train app. This app gives you deals on trains around Europe. I was nervous about how I was going to get around on a budget. I was deciding between a Eurail Pass or just buying separate plane and train tickets. I found that it is cheaper to download these apps and find the best deal for where you want to go. I went to Prague from Berlin for $40 through this app! The ticket was on the app and you could just hop on and show the conductor your phone ticket. It was extremely easy and convenient. Get as many train and bus apps as you can!
Safeture: We all have concerns in the back of our mind about if we will be able to travel safely. Traveling is very important and exciting, but safety comes first! I was able to go on and click the SOS button, in case of an emergency. This made me feel comfortable traveling because I always had my phone on me, so if there was ever an emergency, I had this app on my phone ready to go. This app is required to be downloaded before leaving the US, so don’t worry about forgetting about this one!
Ryanair: The Ryanair app and I became very close during my time abroad. Trains and buses are a great way to travel from city to city in your host country or neighboring countries, but if you are trying to get from the top of the Netherlands to Greece, a 24 hour train ride isn’t the most convenient. Ryanair is a cheap but safe airline that travels almost everywhere in Europe. This app is a staple during your studies abroad. It was the only airline I used and the app was extremely easy to navigate, purchase tickets, and track your flights on!