I always research a new location before I venture there and the first thing I do is to determine transportation. Am I driving, flying or taking a train? I haven’t taken a boat ride, yet, but that will also become a consideration! Is it a fun adventure, a professional trip or a family emergency? What type of weather and therefore clothes should I pack? Am I traveling alone, with a group or meeting people there? Once those questions are answered, I can download the apps I need. Here are 20 essential apps for your trip to D.C.
- Eat Okra – ALWAYS my number one app that I use to discover new restaurants
- DC Metro and Bus – D.C. has EXCELLENT public transportation
- Citymapper – “Lost” prevention
- Uber – transportation to the suburbs
- Lyft – transportation to the suburbs
- Uber Eats – for food delivery
- National Gallery of Art – locate art and hear audio guides
- Washington DC Travel Guide – city and safety tips
- Airbnb – to book an experience
- Loungebuddy – to get a day pass for airport lounges
- George Washington Mt Vernon – technically not in DC but to discover more about Mt Vernon
- National Museum of African American History & Culture – great stories and objects search feature
- American Museum of Natural History Visitor Guide – useful map and search features
- Washington DC Monuments and Tour – fully guided location-based tour
- Open Table – to make restaurant reservations
- Resy – to make restaurant reservations
- National Park Service – I wanted to be prepared to visit as many sites as possible
- Washington DC Travel Guide – insider information
- Smithsonian Mobile – guides and Virtual Reality opportunities
- DC Civil Rights Tour – Information on the history of Civil Rights in D.C.
I don’t always use every app I download because I can’t always visit the places I plan to visit. I also build in a day into my travel itinerary to simply get lost. I get totally and completely lost and I always have some type of wonderful adventure and discover something unique.
I didn’t use Lyft on my D.C. adventure because Uber was cheaper (ALWAYS compare the prices!!) I didn’t use Loungebuddy because I had direct flights or short (as in running to my next gate) layovers. I didn’t use the Mt Vernon app because we had an excellent tour guide and I wanted to wander the property and form my own opinions.
I use Eat Okra to find restaurants before I visit a city and it always comes through. The app I used regularly was the DC Metro and Bus app. It was accurate, gave me all of the information I needed, and was a great tool to get around the city. I love a city with great public transportation and D.C. has that. I did have to Uber to my best friend’s house because she lives in the suburbs, but I discovered I could take the metro to the stop nearest her house and she picked me up from there. See, the D.C. Metro is fantastic!
These are MY 20 essential apps for your trip to D.C. What are your “must have” travel apps for D.C. or any cities? Let me know if I missed any, I’m always open to gather new tools!!