10 apps to have on your phone before visiting North Wales
Published on 15 Apr 2022 by Amy GreenwoodThere’s no denying that modern technology is making our travels so much easier! We can use our phones for everything and there’s an app for every situation that could arise. And while I’m sure many of us feel a nostalgic fondness for the ‘good old days’ of paper maps and Lonely Planet guidebooks, it is wonderful to have so much information at our fingertips.
Today we’re sharing some of the best mobile apps for North Wales that we recommend downloading for your holiday. These apps are going to help you with everyday situations like paying for your parking, navigating the roads, speaking Welsh to locals, using the trains and finding the best place for lunch.
We’ve also included some North Wales apps to help you get more from your holiday, whether that’s interactive guides along the Welsh Coastal Path, a simplified mobile app for your hike up Snowdon or an app to find the best hike near you.
There are also some apps to use in Wales for both adults and children to learn from the local landscape. We’ve included a plant identifier and a bird identifying app. Kids love to take photos of the beautiful plants and animals they spot during a hike and identifying them via app is a fun, educational and interactive way to keep them motivated during a long walk!
And let’s not forget an app to help you edit all those photos you’ve been taking so they’re worthy of being printed out or shared on social media for the world to see!
Parking app
This might not be one of the most exciting apps for North Wales but it’s necessary if you’ll be using public car parks.
It’s good news that you no longer need a purse full of pound coins to pay for your parking and many car parks allow you to pay via an app. The main app you’ll need is PayByPhone and I highly recommend downloading it and setting it up before you arrive. Some car parks will have limited internet connection so downloading the app, then adding your car details and banking details can be a slow process, especially when you’re standing in the carpark and you’re itching to get your boots on and explore!
Once you’re all set up with the app then it’s a quick, easy and efficient way to pay for your parking!
AllTrails Hiking app
AllTrails is a brilliant app to help you navigate the hundreds of walking or mountain biking trails around North Wales without the need for a bulky paper map. You can use the app at home to research and plan your routes. You’ll find lots of information about each walk as well as photos, reviews and tips for other walkers. You can download the maps for offline navigation too which can give you the confidence to explore while knowing you won’t get lost!
The app is also brilliant for spontaneous walks as you can search for ‘trails nearby’. Filter your results by ‘Top Trails’, ‘Family Friendly Trails’, ‘Best Views’, ‘Dog Friendly Trails’, ‘Best Waterfall Walks’ and many more.
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor may seem like an obvious addition but it’s still the best app to help you decide where to eat.
Pull out the app when you’re feeling peckish and TripAdvisor can suggest the best restaurants nearby. You can filter your results by distance to find the best restaurant as close as possible and read hundreds of reviews from your fellow travellers.
Just don’t forget to leave a review of your own to help future visitors decide where to have their lunch!
Google Maps
We all have Google Maps on our phones but not many of us use it to its full potential.
Did you know you can create a personalised map and plot all the places you’d like to visit into the map?
It works well when you’re planning and researching your holiday as it helps you to see where all the attractions are in relation to one another. You can then plan your daily itineraries easily when you can see where everything is and which places you can group together.
Start creating your ‘North Wales Map’ now and plot all the recommendations you get into the map.
Snowdon Walks App
The Snowdon Walks app is a simple, GPS enabled app following the six most popular routes to the summit of Snowdon. You don’t need an internet connection or phone signal for the app to track your progress and show exactly where you are on the map.
There are lots of features within the app to ensure you have a fun and safe hike up and down Snowdon!
TfW
Transport for Wales, or TfW, is a handy app to have downloaded if you plan to use Wales’ trains. You can plan your journey and buy tickets online via the app and use contactless eTickets too. You’ll also find live travel updates so you’ll know about any delays or which platform your train is leaving from.
Bird and plant identifying apps
PictureThis is my favourite plant identification app and it will help you name all the beautiful flowers, trees and shrubs you’ll undoubtedly spot during your walks.
Take a photo of the plant you’d like to identify and upload it to the app and you’ll get lots of information about it. You can then add it to ‘My Garden’ where you can save all the plants you like to recreate the Welsh scene at home.
If you prefer to look up at the sky rather than down at the ground then you’ll want a bird identifying app such as iBird UK.
These apps are wonderful educational tools for children to help them engage with the beautiful plants and wildlife around us in an interactive format they love.
Wales Coast Path App
The Wales Coast Path App is a brilliant way to navigate the Welsh Coastal Path, whether you’re researching a route at home or following an itinerary in real life!
The app uses cutting edge technology to help you get the most out of your walk and some elements of the app work exclusively with the information boards dotted along the route. The app is filled with interesting and surprising facts about the area too, with lots of information about the history and nature in North Wales.
If you’re walking with children the app is a great way to keep them engaged as they can take responsibility and be your navigator. There are also some kid’s activities and games to keep them entertained come rain or shine.
Google Translate
Welsh is the first language for many people in North Wales and you’ll hear it spoken in pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops. Don’t worry, everyone speaks English too but it’s always appreciated when a visitor makes the effort to speak a little Welsh.
An easy way to learn a few Welsh phrases and perfect the correct pronunciation is by using the Google Translate app. Type in the phrase you’d like to say in English and click the sound button to hear how it should be said in Welsh.
If you’d like to learn more Welsh then try the Duolingo app. It’s the most popular language learning app and you can get a free 14 day trial so you can use it for free during your holiday!
Photo editing with Lightroom
You will have undoubtedly taken hundreds of photos during your holiday in North Wales so why not help them shine with some simple tweaks in Lightroom.
Lightroom is a great all-round photo editing app suitable for beginners and experts alike. The simple interface makes it beginner friendly while the array of features will keep an expert editor satisfied.
If you’re totally new to editing photos then I suggest beginning by straightening up horizons, cropping the image to focus on your object, lightening it up a little u
There’s no denying that modern technology is making our travels so much easier! We can use our phones for everything and there’s an app for every situation that could arise. And while I’m sure many of us feel a nostalgic fondness for the ‘good old days’ of paper maps and Lonely Planet guidebooks, it is wonderful to have so much information at our fingertips.
Today we’re sharing some of the best mobile apps for North Wales that we recommend downloading for your holiday. These apps are going to help you with everyday situations like paying for your parking, navigating the roads, speaking Welsh to locals, using the trains and finding the best place for lunch.
We’ve also included some North Wales apps to help you get more from your holiday, whether that’s interactive guides along the Welsh Coastal Path, a simplified mobile app for your hike up Snowdon or an app to find the best hike near you.
There are also some apps to use in Wales for both adults and children to learn from the local landscape. We’ve included a plant identifier and a bird identifying app. Kids love to take photos of the beautiful plants and animals they spot during a hike and identifying them via app is a fun, educational and interactive way to keep them motivated during a long walk!
And let’s not forget an app to help you edit all those photos you’ve been taking so they’re worthy of being printed out or shared on social media for the world to see!
