Tiffany B. Brown

a mish-mosh of stuff

3 almost free Android apps you absolutely must take on your next trip

Hrm. It appears I was wrong about a WorldMate application for Android. I managed to find an unused download page (by typing “android site:www.worldmate.com” in Google) that listed Android as an option. I assumed — and y’all know how the rest of that goes — that meant there was a WorldMate for Android available now. The HTC device (running S60) pictured on the homepage added to my confusion. Nope. No, WorldMate Android app. My bad on that. The post has been updated below.

Yes, I stole the title from Chris Elliott’s post on iPhone applications for travelers.

I’m (currently) an Android girl, so I wondered whether it was possible to find similar applications for my G1. I couldn’t find perfect matches for Elliot’s list, but here’s what I came up with.

Where

  • What: Where is a series of GPS widgets that you can use to find points of interest, find the cheapest gas, check the weather, or find an area brewery
  • Sort of like: Aroundme and Cheap Gas! for the iPhone
  • Cost: FREE, but ad-supported.

WorldMate

  • There is no WorldMate for Android. What: As Elliott explains, WorldMate offers a bunch of features, including a currency converter, flight updates, integration with Google maps, and an online travel planner with the ability to consolidate your itinerary.
  • Sort of like: Um, WorldMate for iPhone.
  • Cost: Most features are FREE. Some require a $39.99 subscription.

WeatherBug

  • What: Location-aware weather reports for 8,000 U.S. cities. Displays the current temperature in the Android status bar.
  • Sort of like: He didn’t mention a weather app, but I am including one anyway.
  • Cost: FREE, but ad-supported. Don’t like ads? Try The Weather Channel’s application.

BistroMath

  • What: Determine who owes what and how much to tip — in case you’re not down with using the built-in calculator.
  • Sort of like: CheckPlease!
  • Cost: FREE

Unfortunately, a FREE flight tracker isn’t yet available for Android. But if you really need one, FlightStats costs $5.99.

Do you use a travel-related Android application? Tell us in the comments.

  • tommyinnyc
    kayak for android has a flight status / tracker
  • LucasD
    There is no WorldMate App for Android. It'd be nice if there was.
  • You're right Lucas. I'm not sure where I got that from. That's ... odd. I must have got this mixed up with another application. But I don't remember which one. Thanks for calling me out on this. I will update the post.
  • Ok. I figured out the source of the mixup. Updated the post accordingly.
  • RPM
    I love the BistroMath app, I use it regularly. Do you like WeatherBug over The Weather Channel?
  • Yes and no. I like that WeatherBug auto-detects your location and displays the current temperature in the notifications bar. With TWC, I have to fire up the app. But I like the fact that The Weather Channel doesn't use ads. It's a toss-up. Really depends on what you're looking for.
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