6 Great Apps for Travelling in London

This weekend I’ve been up in London for Britmums Live – a massive gathering of parent bloggers to exchange tips, gain inspiration and of course socialise, I don’t come into London all that often any more but when I do, I find myself reaching for my iPhone, in search of those same few apps that make my transition across the city that much slicker. So here are my faithful six favourite apps for travelling London. Do you have any favourite London travel apps deserving of a place on the list?

1. Travel Line SE : free app on iTunes & Android.This app I use even before I get to the capital. Give it a postcode, station or street address across London and beyond, including what modes of transport you’re happy to use, when you need to be there and the maximum time you’d like to walk for and it will give you a tailored route to your destination using the fastest way.
2. Tube Map: free app on iTunes & Android: A simple app that gives you an all important map of the London underground and you can also check on the current status of different lines for London tubes services. You can also plan your route across London giving you a choice between the fastest route and simplest route on the underground.
3. Tube Exits: £0.79 on iTunes. If you like looking like a local or are just in a hurry to get somewhere then this app gives you the low down on which carriage to get into on the tube so that you can make the fastest exit at your final destination and be first on the escalator out. I used it loads when I was working in London. Less these days as a more leisurely tourist though if you’re getting off at somewhere busy like Oxford Street then it is brilliant! There is no Android version but there is a seperate free app called London Tube Assistant which claim to do the same thing – worth a whirl maybe?
4. GoBaby: £1.49 on iTunes. If you’re travelling with young children in London this is a brilliant app. Made by a mum, it tells you all the step free London Underground stations as well as other useful info such as baby changing facilities, pharmacies, kiddy friendly location and more.
5. Appy Parking: free on iTunes & Android: Driving in London is stressful enough before you even get to trying to park your vehicle for less than the price of a small mortgage. Add into that all the bamboozling parking restrictions in London and you might as well give up (do – public transport is so much easier unless you really need to drive). This app takes away some of those parking complications by telling you where, how and when you can park across London. It also gives info on petrol stations, congestion zone areas, electric charging points and a lot more,  with a map to help find those places closest to you.
6. Cycle Hire London: £0.79 on iTunes If you are taking to two wheels with a ‘Boris Bike’ in London then this is the app for you. It tells you how many bikes are available near you so you don’t waste a trip as well as giving cycle friendly directions to your destination and alerting you when the cost of your hire is about to go up. There is a free app  – London Cycle Hire  – that does a similar thing but it’s not quite as slick or fast. Good if you’re only going to use it once though.