{"id":4744,"date":"2016-10-17T15:00:09","date_gmt":"2016-10-17T22:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/?p=4744"},"modified":"2023-01-11T15:54:22","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T23:54:22","slug":"road-take-apps-along-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/road-take-apps-along-ride\/","title":{"rendered":"On The Road Again? Take These Apps Along For The Ride!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Has there ever been a more valuable travel companion than your smartphone? Every time you jump in the car, you\u2019ve got all the key information you need right at your fingertips. Anyone who has ever needed emergency assistance, wrestled with a roadmap, been frustrated by an unexpected traffic backup, or nervously wondered about the location of the nearest service station as the gas needle dipped towards \u2018E\u2019 surely appreciates the handy amenities a smartphone now provides.<\/p>\n<p>The great thing is, many of the best apps you can download to help assure safe, serene travels are absolutely free! I\u2019m sharing four free, simple-to-use apps that I can\u2019t imagine leaving home without. At one time or another, they\u2019ve all helped me turn a bumpy road trip into smooth sailing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.google.android.apps.maps&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Maps<\/a> comes loaded on every Android device, or can be downloaded for <a href=\"https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/google-maps-navigation-transit\/id585027354?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iPhone<\/a>, which also includes Apple maps as well. The interface has the familiar look and feel of a traditional map, and offers turn-by-turn voice navigation. It uses real-time traffic information and lane assist so you\u2019ll be aware of any slowdowns along the way\u2014and know how to avoid them, if possible.<\/p>\n<p>If you prefer alternate forms of transportation\u2014or just want help getting around once you reach your destination\u2014Google Maps also provides information on walking routes or taking public transportation. Plus, if you\u2019re searching for a business, it lists hours and busy times, making it an invaluable resource for planning your day.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll get a slightly different experience using <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.waze&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Waze<\/a>. This is also a map-based navigation tool but its primary function is to find you the fastest possible driving route to your destination. It uses live traffic data to keep your route updated, and also has social network integration, which lets users share real time traffic information. If you\u2019re flat-out in a rush to get there, Waze can be a big help. It\u2019s available both for Android and iPhone.<\/p>\n<p>At some point along the way, you know you\u2019ll need to make a re-fueling stop. Now, you don\u2019t have to worry about spotting the next filling station. You can find it easily with <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=gbis.gbandroid&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gas Buddy<\/a>, which is also available for both Android and iPhone. This is the simplest, most efficient way to find the closest and least expensive gas in the area. It provides a full list of the stations nearest to you, along with their current pump prices. And if there\u2019s a particular station you prefer for collecting or redeeming fuel points, you\u2019ll be able to find one that\u2019s located nearby.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, what\u2019s a road trip without some classic car games? My family still loves to play the \u201cLicense Plate Game,\u201d and with the Android-only <a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=net.supware.st8pl8&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ST8PL8<\/a>, you\u2019ve got an actual scorekeeper for it! Whenever you spot a license plate, keep track of it by clicking on the picture on this fun app. It includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia\u2014see how many miles you rack up before you\u2019ve got them all!<\/p>\n<p>Now that you know you won\u2019t get lost or run out of gas, it\u2019s time to head out on the highway and enjoy a little adventure. Before you hit the road, just make sure that both your gas tank and your smartphone are fully loaded. Happy Trails!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Has there ever been a more valuable travel companion than your smartphone? Every time you jump in the car, you\u2019ve got all the key information you need right at your fingertips. Anyone who has ever needed emergency assistance, wrestled with a roadmap, been frustrated by an unexpected traffic backup, or nervously wondered about the location [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":4755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.13 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>On the Road Again? Take These Apps Along for the Ride!<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I\u2019m sharing four free, simple-to-use apps that I can\u2019t imagine leaving home without. At one time or another, they\u2019ve all helped me turn a bumpy road trip into smooth sailing.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/road-take-apps-along-ride\/\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Susan Thomas\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"On the Road Again? Take These Apps Along for the Ride!","description":"I\u2019m sharing four free, simple-to-use apps that I can\u2019t imagine leaving home without. At one time or another, they\u2019ve all helped me turn a bumpy road trip into smooth sailing.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/road-take-apps-along-ride\/","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Susan Thomas","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/road-take-apps-along-ride\/","url":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/road-take-apps-along-ride\/","name":"On the Road Again? Take These Apps Along for the Ride!","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2016-10-17T22:00:09+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-11T23:54:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bea0076e2c8f754131a2652cab7eef98"},"description":"I\u2019m sharing four free, simple-to-use apps that I can\u2019t imagine leaving home without. At one time or another, they\u2019ve all helped me turn a bumpy road trip into smooth sailing.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/road-take-apps-along-ride\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/road-take-apps-along-ride\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/road-take-apps-along-ride\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"On The Road Again? Take These Apps Along For The Ride!"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/","name":"Our Blog","description":"Consumer Cellular Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/bea0076e2c8f754131a2652cab7eef98","name":"Susan Thomas","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/97587a1993268816fb7e8b3468bfb3d7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/97587a1993268816fb7e8b3468bfb3d7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Susan Thomas"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.consumercellular.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/author\/susan\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4744"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4744"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7491,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4744\/revisions\/7491"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.consumercellular.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}