Exploring a foreign country, even one as friendly as Italy, can be daunting.
Exploring a foreign country, even one as friendly as Italy, can be daunting. There are language barriers, new customs, sights to see, and cities to explore (and get lost in!). Fortunately, there are plenty of expert Italian guides you can use, and not all of them are human.
To make sure you get the most of your Italian vacation, here’s Avventure Bellissime’s guide to the very best travel apps to use when visiting Italy.
Google Maps
We’ll start with an easy one. Google Maps is perhaps the best tool you can have to hand, and you can access it right from your smartphone. When exploring piazzas and boulevards in Rome, or navigating the Venetian canals and waterways, Google Maps can help you find restaurants, bars, and tourist information centres easily. Forget unwieldy paper maps and getting confused by directions from locals; Google Maps is a very reliable guide. If you need to save on data, you can download and use Google Maps offline too.
Platform: iOS/Android
StreetArt Roma
When visiting Italy, experiencing the country’s art and culture will be top of your list. A great app to let you see beyond the traditional art on offer in Rome, Italy’s storied capital city, is StreetArt Roma. Go beyond the Colosseum, the Vatican, and the Roman Forum, and explore the burgeoning street art scene. With descriptions and information about 100 pieces of art dotted around the city, you’ll be able to experience a different side of Italian culture.
Platform: iOS/Android
Learn Italian – 50 Languages
We’ve touched on the potential language barrier problems, but fortunately there’s an app to help here. Learn Italian provides you with a number of key Italian words and phrases so nothing gets lost in translation. This free app is aimed squarely at tourists rather than those looking to learn Italian properly. So, instead of grammar lessons, there are plenty of short-sentences that are easy to learn (and you’ll actually use!).
Platform: iOS/Android
ProntoTreno
Trains are a great way to get around Italy, and ProntoTreno is a great app to help you do so. Designed to simplify booking and managing train tickets, this travel app lets you check the status of your booked trains and track and plan your journeys. This helpful little app takes the guesswork out of traveling by train when visiting Italy.
Platform: iOS/Android
ZonzoFox
Having a pocket guide to a city is useful, having a pocket guide to an entire country is essential. When visiting a new place, it’s often difficult to know what to see and do. ZonzoFox is an excellent app that shows you what sights are worth seeing in the area you’re visiting. This app lets you create tailor-made itineraries, and it curates suggestions from locals meaning you can see a side to Italy that many tourists never experience.
Platform: iOS/Android
So, not exactly a travel app, but this one’s useful all the same. WhatsApp is free to use, and as long as you use Wifi, or have unlimited data, you can call and message friends and family all over the world at no cost. That means you can easily stay in touch when exploring Italy and you don’t have to worry about the cost of international calls. This is a wonderful tool and one that you really shouldn’t leave home without.
Platform: iOS/Android
From calling friends and family, to finding the best street art in Rome, there truly is an app for everything. Make sure your phone’s charged, then head out and explore Italy, safe in the knowledge that you’ve everything you need to make the most of your vacation in your pocket.
If you would like to discuss an Italian vacation package, please get in touch with Avventure Bellissime. We’d be delighted to help.
