9. Useful City Travel Apps
As would be expected, many of the bigger cities have their own transport and travel apps, combining interactive maps, bus, tram and metro routes, together with payment methods. I did extensive research in preparing for my trip and this list is what I have found.
All or most of these city travel apps have been downloaded to a separate home screen on my phone, so that I know where to find them easily, as I will probably forget the names, given the multitude of different apps - this is something I would highly recommend. They are listed below in alphabetical order of the cities I planned to visit.
Amsterdam
For Amsterdam I had previously found the GVB app very useful and cost effective. This time I will opt for the 48-hour ticket, costing €15 which will easily meet all my travel needs from my arrival on Thursday evening until my departure on Saturday afternoon. It found it very simple to use last time and also very effective.
Berlin
In Berlin the BVG app is your one-stop-shop. I chose to buy the Berlin City TourCard, costing €20 on the BVG app, this was also a 48-hour ticket. On my arrival on Sunday evening, I am planning to just buy a single ticket to get me to my accommodation. I don't plan to activate the 48-hour ticket until mid-morning on Monday, and this will then see me right through till departure on Wednesday.
Bratislava
For Bratislava there is the IDS BK app. There are no 24-hour or 48-hour travel pass options, so single-journey tickets are recommended. The cost of single tickets seems to be expensive with prices starting at €3.60 and going up to €4.90, depending on the number of zones travelled. More research is obviously needed to see if there are any cheaper options.
Budapest
In Budapest there is the BudapestGO app, which has 24-hour travel passes for 2500 HUF or €6.50.
Kaunas
In Kaunas there is the Ziogas app with single tickets costing 70c.
Poland
In Poland one app covers all public transport options in nearly all major cities, it is called Jakdojade and offers one-day and weekend tickets. Prices differ depending on the ticket and the city, but range from €5 to €12. It is interesting that the Krakow tickets are more than double the cost of Warsaw! Bloody tourists!
Prague
For Prague there is the IDOS app, recommended to me by my host Pavel, when I could not find a suitable app myself.
Riga
In Riga, there is the Rigas satiksme app, which has very low ratings on Google reviews, so it remains to be seen how useful it will be. Here I will ask my host Laure's advice.
Vienna
For Vienna we will all download the WienMobil app which like the other apps mentioned provides directions, and online ticketing for all public transport options in the city. This is remarkable value as it offers 72 hours unlimited travel for €17.
Vilnius
Finally for Vilnius, confusingly there are two equivalent apps, one is called Trafi, but the minimum purchase order is €5 at a time so seems to be more applicable to local residents than tourists. The other is called m.Ticket which allows single tickets to be purchased, but is only available in Lithuanian ! I will ask for local advice before deciding.
Phew! Now wouldn't it be useful if the EU decided to develop one app for travelling in any city! I think that day is a while off yet!
In my next post, I provide a similar list of apps and website covering accommodation and tourist information.
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