By Ty Malcolm
No traveling this weekend! I have to stay in town and work on a midterm presentation. Hoping to head to Paris in 2 weeks, then Berlin the weekend after! In the meantime... Here are some of the apps and websites I've found most useful while abroad:
Quando
This is the app that the Viennese love to hate! It's the dedicated app for Vienna's U-Bahn (subway) and Straßenbahn (tram) systems. (Google Maps won't cut it here in Vienna!) The tram system is where it is especially useful - while many people know the subway by heart, few take the time to remember the tram routes criss-crossing the city. Often, you can accomplish with one tram the same journey that might take 2 or 3 different subway transfers. It has all the timetables integrated, so you'll rarely spend time waiting on a train. My only complaint is that it's not the easiest app to use as a novice. If you like to walk, or if you know your destination, don't use it... but if you're going someplace new, it's worth a look to see if a tram will cut your commute in half.
Enough. No more trying to text someone with your new Austrian number. "Stop resisting!" and go download WhatsApp. It's better than iMessage, it's better than Facebook Messenger. Seriously, I'm dreading the thought of going back to the United States and someone texting me... YIKES. Drake uses WhatsApp when he's abroad, be like Drake. Your UK tings will appreciate it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep up with people back home and all that. But the reason I include Facebook on this list is because that's almost exclusively where we find out about cool trips, events, and groups around town. Search for events and groups of exchange students with the keywords "Erasmus" or "ESN" or "exchange" -- you will definitely find some cool things. To meet a more native (aka German-speaking) crowd, also try "gratis" (free) "Wien" (Vienna) "Musik" (Music) "Kunst" (Art) and "Ausstellung" (Exhibition). The word for party is luckily just "Party."
Leo
Thank you Frau Hume for showing us this app in high school German I...! I'm talking back in 2010, when Google Translate was awkward at best and at worst, just plain wrong. What I like most about Leo: 1) you translate individual words and phrases, so there is less chance for a bad translation and it isn't doing all the work for you and 2) it has endless examples of how words and phrases are used, which is really important if you're trying to learn the language seriously. Basic phrases and a speaker function are in there as well, so if you're a complete newcomer to German it's still useful to you.
ÖBB
The app (in English or German) is for the Austrian Federal Railway, and it can store your account information, find you a train, present your ticket, call the travel office, and of course, answer your FAQs. I've only had one minor incident with the ticketing system ("We're sorry, but you appear to be on TY'S PHONE currently. Please access your ticket on TY'S PHONE instead!") but a quick call to their travel office sorted it out. It's just nice to have everything on your phone instead of printing out pieces of paper, fumbling with passports and cards, etc. Also, I just like the interface.
Skyscanner
This website allows you to input dates and destinations to find the cheapest (or fastest!) flights to wherever you want to go. They have a huge list of the budget airlines that Europeans are so fond of, so I usually find the cheapest options through this site. They have apps for iPhone and Android as well. If you need some inspiration, simply input your current city and potential travel dates, and it can give you suggestions for destinations, ranked by price. Try out their Hostel/Hotel Search as well. You may be surprised with what you can find!