Maps, Snacks, and Driving Feedback: Zipcar’s 10 Essential Travel Apps
Waze: If you’re behind the wheel (in a Zipcar or not), Waze is your wise and wizardly copilot. It uses data from both road sensors and other active Waze users to take traffic and construction into account when finding you the best route—or just a nearby gas station.
Photo courtesy of Chuyu/iStock/Thinkstock
State Farm Driver Feedback: With auto insights that would make Knight Rider jealous, the State Farm Driver Feedback app evaluates your driving to give you a score and tips at the end of your trip. With single trip and aggregated data, you’ll have a clearer picture of where you excel (or just accelerate).
Photo courtesy of Loiren/iStock/Thinkstock
Tire Check: Sometimes when you get to a Zipcar and do the walk-around, you can’t be sure if a tire has enough air. Tire Check uses your phone's camera to measure the air in a tire and inform you if you’re good to go.
Photo courtesy of Supergenijalac/iStock/Thinkstock
Embark: Embark’s beautiful, easy-to-use transit app can help you make the most of your local mass trans options, charting your custom routes with ease. With up-to-date warnings about service delays, it’s equally ideal for a daily commuter or an out-of-towner. (Is that an Android in your pocket? Google Mapsprovides easy walking and transit directions, including bus lines.)
Photo courtesy of Steve Mann/iStock/Thinkstock
BMW ParkingAssistant: Tickets bite, especially when they’re easily avoidable. BMW ParkingAssistant feels your pain. When you're out on the town, just tell it your parking situation and it'll monitor your location in relation to your car. You’ll get a handy heads up when it’s time to double back to pay the meter, sparing you that dreaded fine. (Wanna keep tabs from your Android? Try Parking Time.)
Photo courtesy of Larry Hales/iStock/Thinkstock
TicketZen: Even with your best apps and intentions, parking tickets do happen. When they do, turn to TicketZen, which makes paying for ‘em quick and easy. The app is available on the iPhone for several major cities (but only Boston on Android) for now, but could be headed your way soon enough.
Photo courtesy of Dolgachov/iStock/Thinkstock
Zipcar: If you're a Zipster and have an Android or an iPhone, the Zipcar app should be your #1 go-to. It lets you create, manage, and even extend reservations on the spot. Bonus: Over the course of this year, we’re rolling out gobs of new tools and features, so you can say you knew us back when.
Urbanspoon: If you’re like us, you get hungry along the way. Urbanspoon’s got your back. It finds great places to eat on your route, saves spots you’d like to sample in the future, and is even starting to tackle reservations, like <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.opentable.com/mobile target=" href="http://www.opentable.com/mobile target=" _blank"rel="nofollow">OpenTable. Bonus: Their "slot machine" feature can reveal some tasty surprises.
Photo courtesy of Britta Kokemor/iStock/Thinkstock
Dark Sky: Just because the postman treks in all weather doesn’t mean you want to. Dark Sky is your new fair-weather friend, using your location in addition to weather data from multiple sources to predict the most accurate weather forecasts—keeping you (and your Zipcar!) dry and snug as a VW bug. (Shielding an Android from the storm? Give Rain Alarm a spin.)
Photo courtesy of Prudencio Alvarez/iStock/Thinkstock
HotelTonight: Want to stop over for a night along the road? Whether it’s a planned visit or a spontaneous break, HotelTonight will hook you up with discounts at recommended hotels nearby. From Basic to Luxe, score a last-minute deal and enjoy the stay.
Photo courtesy of HotelTonight
Waze: If you’re behind the wheel (in a Zipcar or not), Waze is your wise and wizardly copilot. It uses data from both road sensors and other active Waze users to take traffic and construction into account when finding you the best route—or just a nearby gas station.
Photo courtesy of Chuyu/iStock/Thinkstock
State Farm Driver Feedback: With auto insights that would make Knight Rider jealous, the State Farm Driver Feedback app evaluates your driving to give you a score and tips at the end of your trip. With single trip and aggregated data, you’ll have a clearer picture of where you excel (or just accelerate).
Photo courtesy of Loiren/iStock/Thinkstock
Tire Check: Sometimes when you get to a Zipcar and do the walk-around, you can’t be sure if a tire has enough air. Tire Check uses your phone's camera to measure the air in a tire and inform you if you’re good to go.
Photo courtesy of Supergenijalac/iStock/Thinkstock
Embark: Embark’s beautiful, easy-to-use transit app can help you make the most of your local mass trans options, charting your custom routes with ease. With up-to-date warnings about service delays, it’s equally ideal for a daily commuter or an out-of-towner. (Is that an Android in your pocket? Google Mapsprovides easy walking and transit directions, including bus lines.)
Photo courtesy of Steve Mann/iStock/Thinkstock
BMW ParkingAssistant: Tickets bite, especially when they’re easily avoidable. BMW ParkingAssistant feels your pain. When you're out on the town, just tell it your parking situation and it'll monitor your location in relation to your car. You’ll get a handy heads up when it’s time to double back to pay the meter, sparing you that dreaded fine. (Wanna keep tabs from your Android? Try Parking Time.)
Photo courtesy of Larry Hales/iStock/Thinkstock
TicketZen: Even with your best apps and intentions, parking tickets do happen. When they do, turn to TicketZen, which makes paying for ‘em quick and easy. The app is available on the iPhone for several major cities (but only Boston on Android) for now, but could be headed your way soon enough.
Photo courtesy of Dolgachov/iStock/Thinkstock
Zipcar: If you're a Zipster and have an Android or an iPhone, the Zipcar app should be your #1 go-to. It lets you create, manage, and even extend reservations on the spot. Bonus: Over the course of this year, we’re rolling out gobs of new tools and features, so you can say you knew us back when.
Urbanspoon: If you’re like us, you get hungry along the way. Urbanspoon’s got your back. It finds great places to eat on your route, saves spots you’d like to sample in the future, and is even starting to tackle reservations, like <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.opentable.com/mobile target=" href="http://www.opentable.com/mobile target=" _blank"rel="nofollow">OpenTable. Bonus: Their "slot machine" feature can reveal some tasty surprises.
Photo courtesy of Britta Kokemor/iStock/Thinkstock
Dark Sky: Just because the postman treks in all weather doesn’t mean you want to. Dark Sky is your new fair-weather friend, using your location in addition to weather data from multiple sources to predict the most accurate weather forecasts—keeping you (and your Zipcar!) dry and snug as a VW bug. (Shielding an Android from the storm? Give Rain Alarm a spin.)
Photo courtesy of Prudencio Alvarez/iStock/Thinkstock
HotelTonight: Want to stop over for a night along the road? Whether it’s a planned visit or a spontaneous break, HotelTonight will hook you up with discounts at recommended hotels nearby. From Basic to Luxe, score a last-minute deal and enjoy the stay.
Photo courtesy of HotelTonight
