Apps can be a real lifesaver when you are on the move.
No more missing the train or taking the wrong bus.
If you are a local, they may even help you discover new ways to move around in your city.
Visiting a city you don’t know? Your smartphone can make you feel at home.
Here are 9 apps that make your life easier when you’re one the move in Belgium and elsewhere in Europe
Public Transportation Apps
These are our top 2 public transportation apps.
We consider Moovit to be the Waze of public transportation. It has a large community of users sharing real-time data about public transportation.
The app shows you your best possible transit options. And even backs you up in case of an unexpected event by giving you alternative routes.
Super useful when transiting in multiple cities abroad.
NextRide is a belgian app.
It comes in handy if you are a TEC or a MIVB (nl)/STIB (fr) user.
Unlike other public transportation apps, it is the only one that is able to plan a route when walking distances go above two kilometers.
Bus schedules can be consulted even offline if downloaded beforehand.
A time saver if you are a heavy public transport user.
Private Ride Apps
Uber enables you to book a driver for a pre-defined itinerary.
The app will give you an estimate of the ride’s cost.
When waiting for your driver to come, you can see her position in real-time.
At the end of the ride, you’ll pay directly through the app, no need to have cash on you.
Note that UberPop has been banned in Belgium. Only UberX, UberBlack and UberVan are allowed.
A great way to get home after having a few drinks during a night out!
Apps for your Car
These 4 apps can make your car travel easier:
Waze is the world’s largest community-based and navigation app.
Drivers share real-time information on the app including traffic info, road info, gas info and so on.
This allows Waze to calculate the exact time your itinerary will take you.
It gives you alternative routes that are faster and it signals unexpected events on your way.
Your must-have tool for your daily commute.
Seety is a community-based app for parking.
The app gives you all the parking information (parking time, fare, maximum duration) to help you save time and money when looking for a parking spot.
Users can share parking officer’s location to help each other avoid parking tickets.
When an officer is spotted near your car or when your parking time is over, you’ll get alerted.
Seety is currently available in Belgium’s major cities.
A time and money saver for everything parking.
BePark is a mobile app that aims to maximize parking spaces.
The app enables you to find and rent unused private parking spots (e.g. parking in supermarket or hotels).
BePark solutions are very flexible.
You can rent a spot during the evenings only or for the full day depending on your needs.
Very useful for people who are looking for an affordable fixed spot on a monthly basis.
Parkpnp wants individuals and businesses to turn their unused parking spaces into extra revenues.
When using Parkpnp, you can rent a parking spot (garage, driveway and so on) by the hour, by month or only when it is vacant.
You can pay for your parking spot via the app.
A great way to increase you monthly revenues!
Route Planner
To plan you itinerary you can use these 2 apps:
Meet Maps.Me, an alternative to the well-known Google Maps.
This app works offline for all cities of the world. Just download the map beforehand and you’re good to go.
It’ll not only help you with your itinerary but will also show you the shops, cafés, hotels and other nice places to discover around you.
A very handy tool when traveling in unknown places.
A great companion when traveling abroad. A great companion when travelling abroad.
Google Maps is a leading app in the area of route planning.
Enter your destination. Choose your starting point. Add your stops. You’re good to go!
Google maps will automatically give you all the available routes and their estimated duration while also enabling you to choose the transport mode you prefer: car — bike — walk — public transport.
Cherry on the cake: It adapts your itinerary when changes are made to your route along the way.
A classic and a must when it comes to itinerary planning.
Conclusion
These are the apps we find most useful when commuting or traveling.
Did we miss out on some of your favorite ones when you’re on the go?
Please share them in the comment below, we’d love to hear about them.
