March 28, 2024

Road trip apps for cheapest gas, best stuff to see

Road trip apps for cheapest gas, best stuff to see

Don’t let high gas prices ruin your Spring Break road trip! Here are some of the best apps to download to entertain you and help you find the cheapest gas prices ahead!

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iExit

iExit is a super handy app. Instead of relying on billboards and those blue signs to see which services are up ahead, it lists restaurants and more by exit.

“We’ve seen a huge surge in usage downloads centered totally around gas prices over the last month,” said Evan Metrock, founder of iExit.

The app is smart enough to detect which interstate you’re on and the direction you’re headed so you can see restaurants, hotels and gas stations up ahead.

“Lots of apps will tell you the businesses are in a circle around you. We are one of a few that will tell you where places are on an interstate directly ahead of you grouped by exit,” said Metrock.

You can search for a specific chain you want to eat at and see how far it is so you never miss the food you crave. iExit also highlights the exits ahead with the cheapest gas prices.

“Most of the time about 95 percent of our prices are accurate at any given point even in this environment,” said Metrock.

RoadsideAmerica.com

If you’re interested in stopping at the World’s Largest Ball of Twine, this is the app for you. Roadside America is all about helping you find unique attractions along your route.

You can sort by theme, like Classic attractions or Haunted attractions and narrow by filters including “The Best, Worth a Detour or Worth a Stop.”

The website is free, but the $3 iPhone app lets you sort by distance and your route.

HearHere

For audio entertainment along the way, check out HearHere.

The App features 3-5 minute, professionally crafted audio stories based on your location.

“Over half of our 9,000 stories are about history, and then we also have stories about culture, natural wonders, local insights, music sports, special places of interest,” said Woody Sears, co-founder of the HearHere.

You might even hear some familiar voices. Kevin Costner is a co-founder of the app and a frequent contributor.

“You get a lot more joy out of your travel when you come back knowing about the places you went through come back feeling a little smarter, a little more connected to those places,” said Sears.

I recently tested out HearHere on my trip to Palm Springs and it was neat to listen to the history of the area while I was driving through it. You really feel like you’re doing something good for your brain and you’ll pick up little tidbits of information that you’ll inevitably end up sharing later as you recount your trip to friends and family.

HearHere is iPhone only right now with an Android version planned by the end of the year. It is subscription based, but they do offer a free trial, however, AAA members get the best deal both on a subscription and the free trial.

PodGuides

IHeartRadio recently added a new feature that helps you discover podcast episodes related to the places you’re traveling.

It’s called PodGuides and they’re available for various cities around the world.

For instance, there are eight episodes related to Las Vegas that deal with a variety of topics including the history of the area, family friendly attractions and more.