Amazing Apps: Holiday Travel Helpers

No need to make travel stressful this holiday season! Radek Mista, FastToll founder, travel expert and frequent traveler recommends these five apps to simplify holiday travel. Plan ahead this season and download these top 5 essential smartphone apps to make holiday travel a breeze:

1.       FastToll: FastToll, a new toll tracking mobile app, allows drivers to drive through Illinois Tollway open-road tolls without having to stop and dig for change to pay the fare. FastToll was created for travelers who do not have an IPASS account and for drivers that are visiting Illinois. FastToll keeps track of all toll plazas that drivers pass through and within seven days drivers are able to pay their tolls through the app. FastToll is available for free in the App Store and Google Play.

2.       App in the Air: This flight-tracking app is everyone’s new personal travel assistant. App in the Air posts real time updates, shares airport tips and in-airport maps to find a bathroom or place to lounge in between flights. The app is also available offline and sends updates via text messaging. App in the Air is available for free in the App Store and Google Play.

3.       Gas Buddy: Gas Buddy helps users find the cheapest gas station in their area. Prices are frequently updated by user reports so the app is always up to date. Since the price information is updated by users, Gas Buddy rewards its users for updating gas station prices by entering them into raffles to win prizes like free gas. Gas Buddy is available for free in the App Store and Google Play.

4.       Rome2Rio: Rome2Rio is a global travel planner that provides multiple ways to get from point A to point B whether by bus, train, plane, car or boat. For each possible way of traveling, the app shows estimated travel times and pricing for users to easily compare their options. Rome2Rio also works offline allowing the user to look up past searches. Rome2Rio is available for free in the App Store and Google Play.

5.       Turo: The “Air BnB of car rentals,” Turo is a unique car rental app that allows users to rent a car directly from its owner instead of a rental agency. Once a car is found in their area of travel, users can select it on the app, pay for it, and then arrange a place to meet the owner. Keys are exchanged and the car is theirs for the duration of the rental period. Turo is available for free in the App store and Google Play.