10 APPS YOU NEED IN LONDON
Whether you are a tourist travelling to London, or a student coming to study, or a professional relocating to work here, these are the essential apps you will need on your phone.
Getting around
1. Kabbee
Kabbee finds the nearest taxi companies around your location and allows you to compare them on price, promptness, etc before you book a cab. You can pay by credit card (there is an extra fee), cash or have an account with Kabbee that you can top-up free of charge using your credit card. I prefer the third option.
Use my referral code BMAPBQ to get a £10 voucher that you can use on account bookings over £10!
Download for Apple, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry
2. Uber
Kabbee requires you to select a destination location in order to get you quotes from various minicab companies, but sometimes all you need is a cab to pick you up and decide the destination later, i.e. like a black cab. At those times, I use Uber. The downside is you don't know how much you are going to pay for your journey until the journey is completed. The cost is charged to your credit card.
Use my referral code uberekin to get free Uber credits for your ride!
Download for Apple, Android, Windows Phone
3. City Mapper
London has a great public transport system but it's not always easy to map out your journey in the most efficient way. Buses are particularly hard to use as you need to find the right stop for the right bus going in the right direction. City Mapper saves all the trouble and enables you to travel in London without a car or a cab.
4. Tube Map
You need a tube map always available in your pocket. Relying on the Internet is not an option, especially if you are roaming. There are many free Tube apps and this one is just one of them. It works.
5. The Trainline
If you are going to travel out of London, I would recommend using trains. UK mainland has a pretty good train network so you could get pretty much anywhere using the train (and a cab ride to reach your destination). The Trainline app gives you live departure times. You can also buy tickets.
Download for Apple, Android, Windows Phone
6. Google Maps
If you don't have it already, just install it. Google maps works really well in London and is often a life saver. If you are only visiting London and don't have a UK mobile, watch out for roaming costs!
Every day
7. BBC Weather
You will need to check out the weather forecast more than once a day. Here, you have two options: You either Google " London weather" or you use the BBC Weather app.
8. Amazon
If you are not a tourist, you will need an Amazon account. You can buy pretty much anything from Amazon and if you register to the Amazon Prime programme, you get free next-day delivery on items that are marked "Prime".
Money (Stick it to the man!)
9. Transfer Wise
Transferring money abroad is a pain in the UK. Most banks don't allow international transfers online, and charge ridiculous amounts for transfers. Transfer Wise allows you to exchange GBP to (currently) 15 currencies within their network (very clever) and transfer the amount directly from their bank accounts abroad, avoiding the usual international bank transfer fees. I use them regularly and couldn't recommend them enough. Expect 3-4 working days for the transfer to be completed.
Register now with Transfer Wise and you can download the app from their web site.
10. We Swap
We Swap gives you a prepaid credit card, which you can load up with the currency of your choice (currently 5 currencies supported) by exchanging from GBP on their network (similar to Transfer Wise in that sense). You can then use your card abroad to withdraw money from ATM machines or anywhere that accepts MasterCard. I use We Swap when I travel to Euro Zone.
Register now with We Swap and you can download the app from their web site.