In order to find the most comfortable, fastest or cheapest way to a destination, one needs either a good knowledge of the traffic routes or a suitable aid. The variety of transport options is huge - and often you don't even know the options. Mobility apps are supposed to shed light on this, but the apps themselves are often confusing or simply not up to date. We present four apps that are suitable from our point of view for navigating to your destination and explain what you should look out for with a mobility app.
The regions Many apps cannot be used everywhere; most of them only in small regions or in a few large cities. In order to find the right means of transport or a charging station for your electric car in smaller cities or in the country, you have to find the right app for the region. Some apps also offer services abroad, for example in the USA or Europe, which is particularly cheap and attractive for travelers.
Route function
Almost every good mobility app has a route planning function. Mostly indispensable in the urban jungle, in particular, some apps offer the option of including local public transport in route planning. In addition to public transport, car sharing services, bike rentals or taxis are often used as means of transport
displayed, which gives the user a variety of options to get to his destination. However, only a few apps manage to cover all forms of mobility. In the route functions, it makes sense to search for the right criteria: Some apps do well to determine the cheapest price and the fastest connection.
Charging stations for electric cars Within the large selection of apps, there are actually only a few that also provide an overview of the charging stations for electric or hybrid cars. The best solution here is an app that allows both the control of the charging process and the reservation and payment via the app.
Transportation
Public transport connections in the city are often difficult to find: If you are in a hurry, you often don't have the time to study network maps or to buy a ticket before leaving the bus or train. Mobility apps are particularly cheap here: Many apps offer a booking and payment system for public transport and suggest the best connections to the desired destination. In advance, however, you should make sure that the public transport of the desired city is supported, because only a few apps offer information for public transport throughout Germany.
Car sharing services
In addition to public transport or bike rental, car sharing is a cheap alternative to get to the desired location. Caution is advised here, however, because some apps only display certain car sharing services and some providers do not offer a free-floating system, so that the cars have to be brought back to the pick-up station after use. In addition to the major car sharing services, some apps also display private car sharing offers where the cars can be rented by private individuals. This is often a cheaper alternative than renting from large providers, especially for longer rental periods.
Taxi services In some situations, there is no other option than calling a taxi. Many apps not only offer an overview of the available taxis in the area and the approximate fare, but also offer a booking system to order the taxi directly and pay for it via the app.
Bike Rental
Who does not know it: It's rush hour in the middle of the city center and the streets are completely clogged. Car sharing services are now out of the question and public transport is also completely overloaded. If there is only a short distance to cover now, you can do something for your health and also for the environment: use your bike. Many mobility apps have recognized this and have included a large number of bike rental services in their overview. In this way, you can check directly whether a rental bike is available at the respective station and, if necessary, you can also reserve or book it.
Our recommendations in the video overview:
Cover picture: Mobility apps in the everyday test - Image source: hurca.com @ fotolia.com
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