It’s time for a reality check: most of us are addicted to our smartphones. You can check the weather, buy your groceries, keep track of your banking, read a book, turn the lights on in your house, and so much more, all with your phone. Without even realizing it, smartphones enhance our lives and make them much easier, so why not use them to make our vacations a little easier too? We’ve compiled our list of our favorite apps to use that will make your vacation to Puerto Rico a little bit easier!
Airbnb
Looking to really live like a local during your trip? Try staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel! Airbnb is a super simple app that lets you browse through different homes or rooms that people are renting out. Airbnb is really an essential to have because not only are you more likely to save money, you can also find really cool places on Airbnb like a beach front property or an apartment in the colorful and historic city of Old San Juan.
Uber
Uber has finally arrived in Puerto Rico, and we sure are happy! If you’ve never used Uber then it’s time to bite the bullet and download the taxi-service app. If you plan on staying in one part of the island, like Old San Juan or Condado, skip renting a car and just call an Uber instead. More often than not a rental car isn’t necessary because you can walk to your destination, and if you can’t then Uber is the perfect solution that’ll save you some money!
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is great app to have wherever you go (even in your hometown!) in order to get the best information about the best places to visit. TripAdvisor tells you about the best tourist attractions, restaurants, and places to go in a certain place and provides reviews from real people who have been there before. Even better, if you don’t have a specific place you want to search TripAdvisor will provide you a list of places based on their reviews. This app is super useful to use in Puerto Rico because it gives travelers the chance to find places that they may not necessarily know even existed.
PackPoint
Sometimes packing for you trip can be harder than planning the actual trip. Luckily, PackPoint takes away that frustration and helps you become a packing pro! All you have to do is tell PackPoint where you’re going, what you plan on doing, and how long you’ll be there and then the app will generate a packing list just for you. This app is the perfect solution to that “I think I forgot something…” feeling.
Google Translate
Fun fact: Puerto Rico actually has two official languages, Spanish and English! In fact, you’ll be able to speak English in most of the places you visit but just in case you can’t it’s a good idea have the Google Translate App downloaded on your phone to help you out. It can translate while offline, instantly, and can even translate the words on pictures that you take! While it’s best not to rely on this app for full-blown conversations, it can definitely be helpful in translating simple things like that one word on the menu that you never learned in your high school Spanish class.
Sal
Foodies this app is for you! Sal is the perfect app to help you discover fun restaurants and events around you. Even better, it’s made specifically for Puerto Rico, so you know all the information will be totally accurate. Find places to eat based on the type of food you’re in the mood for, the ambiance you’re looking for, and so much more! Make your reservation, split the bill, and even leave a review all from Sal!
The Weather Channel
We’ve all experienced planning the perfect beach day, only to have it ruined by an ugly rainy day. With The Weather Channel app you can avoid that annoyance and keep track of the weather in real-time. With the unpredictable weather in Puerto Rico, you need a more reliable weather app than the standard one on most smartphones. With The Weather Channel app you can get real-time rain alerts, radar tracking, and reliable information.
Waze
On vacation you can escape just about everything… except traffic. And while there’s not much you can do when you get caught in that rush-hour traffic, Waze makes it a little easier. Waze is a community based traffic and navigation app. Basically, Waze tells you the best route to take in order to avoid that three hour traffic jam. It can also warn you against accidents, road hazards, and even police.
All of these apps are available on Apple App Store and Google Play.
