Timeshares first rose to prominence within the travel industy because they claimed to offer a lower-cost vacation solution. But in the digital age, there are all sorts of options available to cost-conscious travelers hoping to travel somewhere exotic – without breaking the bank.
Whether your next travel plans include a timeshare membership, a cross-country road trip to a childhood favorite, or a flight somewhere brand new, there’s easy-to-find software ready to help.
Here are five travel apps worth considering for your next vacation:
Goby
You’ve touched down in your vacation destination, moved into your lodging – now what? For anyone looking for something to do in a fresh locale, Goby offers a free, easy-to-use way to find the coolest happenings around the U.S. Just enter your location information, drill down based on category (like “Entertainment & Nightlife” or “Adventure & Extreme”), and Goby will give you the contact information for fun events in your area.
WiFi Finder
It’s quite annoying to touch down in a new location and scramble to find WiFi. With WiFi Finder, you’ll never have to worry about getting access to free hotspots. The app, from JiWire, allows you to scan your location for network access points – meaning you never have to be without a signal again.
BringFido
Traveling is almost always more fun with friends and family – and that includes man’s best friend! With BringFido’s free app – which lets users accommodate their furry traveling companion by finding pet-friendly hotels and restaurants, dog parks, or fun walking trails– it’s never been easier to make a vacation pet-friendly.
TripCase
For years, traveling meant lugging along a pile of boarding passes, maps, itineraries, receipts, and tickets. And while it may not clear away your mound of papers entirely, the free app from TripCase is a powerful itinerary tool, allowing you to schedule, view, and share multiple legs of a trip at once. Even better, the app will notify you of flight delays and other trip updates, easily add places to your travel log, give you weather updates.
GasBuddy
GasBuddy’s site promises to help you “save money, save time.” Just how does it do this? The app allows you to search for the cheapest gas in your area. And on a long road trip, saving a few cents with every tank can make a real difference. Even better, GasBuddy incentivizes you to save (and help others do the same) by turning finding deals into a game: With the app, you can earn points (and karma) by reporting low gas prices and competing challenges (like uploading four diesel prices in a day’s time).
To read more about these apps and learn about even more travel opportunities, check out the lists of great travel apps at U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.
Have any more questions about responsible vacation planning? Need more information about the timeshare industry? We’d love to hear from you.
Led by Attorney Michael D. Finn with 50 years of experience, the Finn Law Group is a consumer protection firm specializing in timeshare law. Our lawyers understand vacation ownership as well as the many pitfalls of the secondary market of timeshare resales. If you feel you have been victimized by a timeshare company, contact our offices for a free consultation. Know your rights as a consumer and don’t hesitate to drop us a line with any questions or concerns.