travel divas

What's good:  Read it.  App it.  Buy it.

 

Travel nerd?  Me, too.  Give me an app that actually shows me what I'm flying over?*  I'm there.  Have reliable information on where to find a Shanghai street-food tour?**  Bring it.  I need this.

 

Join me here for ideas on what to add to your digital travel toolkit, notes from the field, and where to find really cool things that make travel better. 

 

*Delta Airlines Fly Delta app for iPad has a glass-bottom jet feature -- it's magical, all the way down to the shadow of your plane on the map. 

 

**Peek (iOS and www.peek.com) for customized recommendations of foodie experiences worldwide.  Book on the fly directly on the app, or plan ahead and book online.

 

 

 

 

This Month:  Apps for those who crave inside tips.

 

Like a Local.   With a philosophy that celebrates finding cool and hidden spots where locals like to hang out, this app celebrates what's unique and authentic in more than 40 cities worldwide. $2 per city guide; available on iOS or Android.

 

Timbre.   For lovers of live music, this app lists everything from open mic nights to church music (think English Choral Classics at the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London) to major bands, worldwide. Need tickets? They'll help you score those, too. Free on iOS or Android.

 

Find. Eat. Drink.   Star chefs and bartenders are your e-concierge for local food in the best out-of-the-way spots in the world. Free on iOS or Android. Also a website, at www.findeatdrink.com.

 

Maplets.   Need a mobile map of MOMA, or the Paris metro system? Here's your app. From maps of national parks and ski resorts to college campuses and rail systems, Maplets makes navigating the world clean and simple. $2.99 on iOS.

 

Stray Boots.   It's a cross between a walking tour and a scavenger hunt, and available in 16 cities. Here are find-it walks curated by locals -- like a three-hour New York Lower East Side adventure designed by the owners of The Meatball Shop, with emphasis on sweets, boutiques, museums, doughnuts and -- of course -- meatballs. $5 per tour; available on iOS and Android, and at www.strayboots.com.