10 iPhone Apps for London Visitors

Visiting central London can be akin to planning a military exercise - parking spaces, tube closures, choosing a show or a restaurant - whether you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Londoner or a first-time tourist, information is always your friend!

Here are 10 iPhone apps to make your life a little easier. All are free unless stated otherwise, click on the name of the App to open it in iTunes.

Tube Map



Don’t be lost before your London journey has even begun with this scrollable tube map and route planner. App includes updates on line delays and will find the nearest tube station to where you are. No network connection is required to use the map – handy when you’re 100ft underground!

Park-up London

If you’re bold enough to drive into central London, this nifty parking guide will give you the ‘battleground’ advantage. App comes with details of over 10,000 parking places, including car parks, street parking, disabled and motorcycle bays. Hours and costs are visible for each location, as are the rates of vehicle crime. £2.99

London Journey Planner

Plan your best route around town with this London journey planner. View maps of your location and destination, browse suggested routes and get updates on the various TFL (Transport for London) services, including Tube, Rail, DLR, Bus, Coach and River. 59p

London Cycle



Get on your Boris Bike with this feature-packed app that will help you make the most of the London cycle-hire scheme. Find cycle stations, safe directions and real time information about whether a station is full or empty. App comes with rental timer and alarm, giving you time to re-dock before those unpleasant extra charges apply.

London Shophound

Napoleon famously called the UK a nation of shopkeepers. With thousands of stores, from bric-a-brac to haute couture, London is the undisputed retail capital. This app gives you the insider info on more than 130 of the city’s best shops, including fashion, food and drink and books & music, illustrated with colour photos. Time to get bargain hunting! £1.19


Time Out London

Looking for a restaurant or a place to chill? This free listings guide has information on hundreds of bars, restaurants and events. Find out what’s going on in the city, and put a wealth of entertainment possibilities at your fingertips. Sponsored by Smirnoff, you must be 18 or older to use the app.

Toiluxe



Don’t be caught short London again, with this brilliant map of free luxury toilets. Why spend 30p at a railway station when there could be a free super-loo in the ground floor of the department store right across the street? Over 300 free super-loos have been catalogued for your convenience, with quick directions from your current location!

Street Museum

Get an old perspective on contemporary London, with an app that lets you look through the window of time. Select your destination and see the same location appear on your screen in an historic image from the Museum of London archives. Tap the info button for historical facts and delve a little deeper into the story of one of the world’s fastest changing cities.

London Walks



With over 60 walks to choose from, and an easy-to-follow audio guide, this app proves that using a little shoe leather is definitely the best way to discover the city. However, if you just feel like having a coffee instead, you can enjoy a virtual walk from the comfort of your own phone! £1.19

London Taxi

Based on the TFL Taxi Tariff and estimated traffic congestion, this handy app calculates the fare, time and route for your London taxi journeys. Calculate a taxi fare between any 2 points and see the distance of your trip. Preset London points include tube and train stations - particularly useful for making those late trains home! 59p

Guest post by Ben Piper of UK Tickets.
Please get in contact if you are interested in adding a guest post.

EU Caps Mobile Data Roaming Rates

Image by Leeks via Flickr

It's a common story: holidaymaker uses the internet on their mobile phone whilst abroad then discovers that they have been charged hundreds of pounds for downloading too much data. Every year it seems that hundreds of travelers are caught out and end up paying huge amounts for what they thought was included in their regular bill. Whilst unlimited* data plans are now the norm most providers charge extra for using mobile internet overseas.

One British student studying abroad in Spain ran up a bill of €9,000 for just one month of data roaming while a German tourist reported being charged €46,000 for downloading a TV programme while holidaying in France. Last year, one Irish holidaymaker ran up a bill of €200 when using his iPhone as a satnav in France. Irishtimes.com

The EU has now stepped in and reportedly 'capped' roaming charges. The truth is slightly more complicated, usage will be limited to €50 after which the customer's connection will be cut off. The connection can be reinstated and higher or lower limits can also be chosen. £40 is still quite a lot to be spending on top of a standard monthly subscription. The maximum charge per mb is also being reduced from €1 to 80 cent.

Hopefully reductions in mobile roaming costs will continue to fall over the forthcoming years. Since 2005 costs have already fallen by 73% as internet use on mobile phones become more widespread. This is great news for consumers who are now used to having internet access at all times via smart phones.

Having an internet enabled phone abroad can be a real help particularly a if it's a smart phone with Applications. Being able to look up car hire information and see your location on Google Maps plus having applications such as the Lonely Planet guide makes things much more straight-forward. It's nice to know that you won't be shocked by an excessive bill on your return home.

Top 5 Free Mobile Travel Apps

These day I wouldn't dream of traveling without my mobile phone although I rarely use it to make calls. Built in GPS means that I almost never get lost (unless I stray out of reach of a decent signal) and my collection of Travel apps keep me amused and informed.

An internet enabled mobile phone is also a great guide book and reference tool. Wondering when that Cathedral was built? Looking for a cheap place to eat? Need to work out a currency conversion? Google has all the answers and more.

Below are 5 of the best mobile Apps for travelers all of which are free to download and use. Some of these Apps are available on other platforms, if not there are likely to be alternatives. If you have anything else to add please do so in the comments.

1. Flightview [iPhone] [Blackberry] [Web]

Flightview lets you keep up to date with flight schedules, weather conditions and the status of your flight. Enter your Airport code (LDN, JFK e.t.c) and your flight number for real time information.
"Receive alerts concerning flight status changes, flight delays, flight cancellations and gate assignment changes, whether your app is open or closed. Use the Notes feature to add car hire and hotel reservation numbers, and other important trip information."




2. Google Maps App [web] [mobile]

The most used feature of my phone when I travel, Google Maps lets you see where you are when combined with the built in GPS which most Smart Phones now have. You can find directions and follow your progress on the map in real time. Use the search feature to locate cash points, coffee shops and train stations. You can also read customer reviews of restaurants and hotels to help you make up your mind.

3. Wi-Fi Finder [Web] [iPhone]

Its pretty obvious what this one does but why? Well roaming data rates can be extortionate so using Wifi can save you a lot of money on your return. Also if you happen own a iPod or non 3G iPad then you are reliant on a Wifi connection to get online. If you can find a free Hotspot then it is a much better option than visiting a cyber cafe.

4. Urbanspoon [iPhone]

Urban spoon helps you to choose where to eat which is particularly useful when you find yourself in a new city with no local knowledge. The user interface is a pleasure to use, simply select a location, a type of cuisine and a price range then shake to see what is suggested. If you don't like what come up then just shake again until you get a satisfactory answer.





5. AccuWeather [iPhone]

Being away from home it can be difficult to keep up to date with the weather forecast. When you are traveling the chances are you will be outside a lot of the time and therefore will need to dress appropriately. The AcuuWeather app using you location and gives you a fairly reliable indication of the approaching weather conditions.