We all know using your phone’s data plan abroad can rack up some huge cell phone bills which is why it is smart to avoid using data whenever possible. The smartest thing to do is to just use Wi-Fi when you can but sometimes you are on the go that is not always possible. So how do you use your smart phone’s travel apps without using data? Download apps that will work offline and use no data at all. Luckily, there are some really useful apps that don’t use a data plan and will work without using a single kilobyte of data.
Best Offline Travel Apps
World Lens– This app will instantly translate words from one language to another using your phones camera in real time. This app is a lot of fun to play with and is useful in certain situations.
For example, I used it to translate the back of box of medication I bought in Mexico. My Spanish is pretty good but not with technical medical jargon and this app allowed me to take the proper dosage at the right times. You can use it for signs, at museums, on maps, or at the grocery store to read labels. Each language package will run you $9.99 but I found this worth the cost.
Jibbigo– A voice translator app for your phone. This app will allow you to communicate with locals even if you don’t speak the language. You speak English into your phone and it will speak it back in the language you have chosen. This can be handy for countless situations when traveling. It is $4.99 but worth it in my opinion.
XE Currency- Basic currency convertor but useful especially if you are traveling in and out of many countries with different currencies. And if there is a difficult exchange rate to convert in your head this will make life a little easier.
It is free and simple. Check it out.
JiWire Wi-Fi Finder- This free app will locate the nearing Wi-Fi hotspot in over 650,000 locations in 144 countries. Not bad for when you have to get online. It will find free and paid Wi-Fi locations and you can filter your results to just show free hotspots. This is a great app and perfect for when you do need to get online.
Zagat- This app will give you the entire Zagat catalog to restaurants for $9.99. It is a one time fee but I feel it is worth it. The app has a very large database of places to eat and there is not reception required to use it which is great.
Our exclusive offline mode lets you browse restaurants while traveling by plane, subway, or anywhere without reception!
If you already use Zagat or are a fan then you will definitely want this on your phone.
Those are some of the apps I use when I travel. They are convenient for when you don’t want to use your data plan and have no access to Wi-Fi. That is something that is wonderful to not rely on when in another country. It almost makes your smart phone useful without reception again.
See How to Manage Your Smart Phone Data Abroad for when using your data plan is the only option.
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