UPON landing in sunny London, the flight attendant says: you can now switch on your mobile device. While you wait aimlessly for the plane to taxi to the gate, spend the time wisely and download the following apps.
No one wants to stay at Heathrow Airport for the length of their Visa, so to help you find the quickest and most efficient way to get from the terminal to the town, download Citymapper. It is the ultimate transport app, making this large complicated urban city simple and usable. It will get you from A to B via various modes of transport; train, bus, bike, feet. There is real time info on all modes of transport, so those dreaded planned engineering works will not seem so annoying. It also offers rain safe travel routes, so in theory you could never experience a London winter.
This app will help you look like a local in no time. Nothing screams ‘tourist’ or ‘foreigner’ more than getting out of a train carriage and looking in every direction for the sign pointing to the ‘Jubilee Line’ only to realise it’s at the other end of the platform. This app takes the guess work out of which carriage to board to arrive adjacent to your platform exit, or to find the quickest route or shortest transfer to get on another line. This insider knowledge is very handy when travelling with luggage. There’s nothing worse than trying to get through peak hour crowds with a massive suitcase. Seriously, it’s the worst. All the main features of this app work offline, so you can access the information underground.
3. YPlan
There is so much going on in the UK all the time. Though advanced bookings are sometimes necessary (Glastonbury I’m looking at you), spontaneous nights out can be just as fun and eventful. YPlan offers a curated shortlist of the best events every night. A team of entertainment experts are there to make your night, a night to remember. You can make bookings in just two taps. No need to carry a printer around, this app is 100% mobile. Ashton Kutcher, not an Aussie expat, says: “YPlan – a curated list of cool events that you can book in seconds. It’s the mobile answer to the ‘what am I doing tonight?’ question.”
4. Hailo
Forget whistling, raising an arm, or showing some leg to get the attention of a cab. There’ll be no more waiting on the phone listening to a robot tell you every 30 seconds your call is in queue. This app allows you to see where the black cabs are in your area, and with two taps it can booked. It’s so simple, and you can automatically pay with your credit or debit card.
5. UK Tax Calculator for PAYE Salary
Obviously not the most fun app in the world, it is in fact really helpful in terms of budgeting, and managing your financial situation. This app does not require you to hold accounting degree to understand. Simply enter your salary (£1,000,000) and the calculator works out your net income (£540,687) and how little tax you’ll be paying (£459,312). You can change the income breakdown between yearly, monthly and weekly.
And don’t forget to install the Australian Times web app on your iPhone for FREE.
