Top Apps for Traveling Like a Local

Posted by Jenni Barnett on Friday, August 27th, 2021 at 12:28pm.

Lately, it feels like more and more visitors to Middle Tennessee are falling in love with this gorgeous region and deciding to join one of our communities. If you’re headed our way, especially if you are already planning to move here soon, we recommend downloading the following top travel apps! For traveling like a local, nothing beats these Tennessee-centered treasures.

If you already live here but are going to be traveling out of the area, skip to Part Two. We have also rounded up the best all-around travel apps that will help you blend in with the locals wherever you roam. Part Three includes helpful apps for traveling in general.


Part One: Apps for Visiting Middle Tennessee

My TN

Android | iOS

If you’re interested in exploring some of the State of Tennessee’s programs and services, My TN is ideal. Access Jobs4TN, driver services (including live wait times), resources for Tennessee’s parents and guardians of young children, and the state museum’s website. Additional services will be added as the state continues to build this app.


Tennessee Aquarium

Android | iOS

Tennessee’s Aquarium offers this free app to help you plan your visit, share highlights from your day on social media, and stay current with the aquarium even after your trip. Explore the aquatic connections between the Appalachian Cove Forest and the Gulf of Mexico, meet over 10,000 animals, and observe their naturalistic habitats.


Grand Ole Opry

Android | iOS

Whether you plan to visit the Opry or not, this app is a delightful way to connect to the content, upcoming shows, and yes, tickets if you like!

Listen to the Grand Ole Opry live directly from the app.


The House - Food & Drink Deals

Android | iOS

The House offers Tennessee residents and visitors a way to find specials, live events, and discounts happening throughout the region. Get the 411 for free and follow the recommendations around TN cities.


Hattie B’s Hot Chicken

Android | iOS

Though one of the newer local hot chicken chains, Hattie B’s has inarguably helped propel Nashville’s hot chicken recipe beyond its original home. Famous for offering a slightly gentler introduction to this fiery cuisine alongside outstanding sides, we recommend Hattie B’s if you’re dipping your toes into the hotter side for the first time.

Use the app to order ahead, order takeout, or have your meal delivered wherever you are. Hattie B’s is open at their 7 locations 7 days a week at 11 a.m. 


Tennessee Smokies Visitor’s Guide

Android | iOS

The Tennessee Smokies Visitor’s Guide will help you navigate around the Smokies like a local. Find the best restaurants, shopping centers, service centers, daily deals, and fun activities for the whole family. Use the search feature or browse by your location. You can choose to either head out right away or set up alerts for later.


StyleBlueprint: City Guide

Only Available on iOS

The StyleBlueprint City Guide app was created by the StyleBlueprint digital magazine. Find the best local restaurants, shopping experiences, and services throughout the region, then browse events and news just for Nashville! 


Part Two: Apps for Exploring Elsewhere

Meetup

Android | iOS

Meetup is a longstanding staple for those who want to connect with new friends anywhere they go. Today, more than 50 million members have created a massive network that can help you explore careers, explore your hobbies, find local events where you’re visiting, and ask for recommendations of all types.

Meetups relies on your GPS and network locations to ensure you view content that’s specific to your location throughout your travels.


KAYAK

Android | iOS

KAYAK is a travel-centered search engine that sorts through hundreds of travel websites to find you the best deals anywhere. Find flights, hotels, car rentals, spots to visit once you’ve arrived, and keep all your travel details organized right in the app. 

Set your budget, destination, length of stay, then relax—KAYAK will make sure you have the best trip yet. Take notes along the way, and KAYAK will keep them for you. Want to share them with friends and family? You can! KAYAK can be your travel app that does it all.


TripIt

Android | iOS
 

TripIt is a travel itinerary organization app. After you book your flight, stay, transportation, or restaurant reservation, forward it to plans@tripit.com and it will be added to your master itinerary. Stay organized, and your travel stress will vanish!

TripIt is a digital wallet alternative, allowing you to add any PDFs, digital passport QR, vaccine QR, photos, and boarding passes in-app. Get current updates about each portion of your journey, check safety scores and walkability, plan road trips, and more. 


TripAdvisor

Android | iOS

TripAdvisor is a great resource to rate and view ratings for hotels, restaurants, bars, breakfast spots, public parks, and other sites of interest throughout the country. Think of it like a travel guide that is chock-a-block with detailed accounts of experiences and impressions of travelers just like you. 

No internet? No worries. Use the Offline City Guide to stay informed when you’re out of range.


Rome2Rio

Android | iOS

Not all of us who love to travel are prepared to plan each stage of our journey. That’s where Rome2Rio comes in. Enter your destination, and the app will create route options instantly alongside booking information, fun things to do, and great places to eat. Whether you use R2R to plan your trip, or just keep it as a backup in case something goes awry, there’s just no reason to travel without it.


Guides by Lonely Planet

Android | iOS

Guides is a travel guidebook that can help you navigate and find hidden gems within 8,000+ cities! Featuring offline maps, detailed filtering options, transportation info, must-see locations, and neighborhood vibe guides, Lonely Planet has earned its reputation as the go-to guidebook app for anywhere in the USA. 


Part Three: Helpful Apps for All Travelers

A Good Compass App

Android | iOS

It seems that the modern traveler often overlooks the highly sensitive compass that their phone possesses. Some phone owners go so far as to delete their preinstalled compass app! However, compass apps make a great companion to downloaded digital maps. If you want to blend in with locals, wandering around with a huge map and a befuddled expression isn’t the best look.

Instead, keep your bearings with your compass. A quick glance down will let you know whether you’re headed in the right direction. Even wandering slightly off-course won’t throw you off for long; a quick landmark check and compass-based reorientation is all you’ll need to find your way.

No, a compass app won’t tell you precisely where you are, but whether you’re hiking deep in a national forest or finding your way to a rooftop bar, your compass won’t lose connection or lead you into a construction zone!


A Digital Wallet

Android | iOS

Instead of traveling through your destinations with a folder crammed with papers, keep your boarding pass, rewards accounts, concert tickets, credit cards, debit cards, discount vouchers, museum passes, and more, in your digital wallet. 

Once you’ve done so, you can display and use your digital wallet nearly anywhere. While some independent businesses, like food trucks and farmer's markets, may not accept digital payment options, most travelers today don’t need to use physical payment methods very often.


WhatsApp

Android | iOS

WhatsApp is a widely used, end-to-end encrypted communication app that works over Wi-Fi or mobile data. Rather than relying on your phone’s built-in SMS, which is limited to people with whom you’re already connected, WhatsApp allows you to connect with its users, who form a network that surrounds the globe. 

Place phone calls, send messages, attach photos or videos, and send links to apps or websites, all without using your phone’s SMS plan. However, WhatsApp won’t communicate with other messaging platforms, so if your friends aren’t also on WhatsApp, you won’t be able to message them there.


If you’re coming to visit us here in Middle Tennessee, please let us know if we can be of any assistance. We are the region’s premier resource for all things real estate, and we do love chatting about neighborhoods with newcomers!

Are you a local who’s heading out on a trip or three this year? Leave us a comment below and let us know where you’ve been, where you dream of going, and where you’d recommend as a prime getaway for others.

Thank you for visiting Parks! We look forward to hearing from you.

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