Tube Map

Frankly, the London Underground (or the Tube, as it’s known to all and sundry) is pretty much unavoidable if you want to get around London swiftly, easily and cost-efficiently. This app, however, makes the whole deal even easier as it enables you to plan your route and avoid any disruptions, headaches or hiccups on all the different lines across the network. Obviously, as it’s an app you can download it works offline, so can prove a big help to get around somewhere unfamiliar should you usually rely on the likes of Google Maps but suddenly find yourself without Wi-Fi.

Santander Cycles

Ah yes, Boris bikes. So nicknamed after the Mayor of London that introduced them to the city a few years back, they’re the cheap, public transport-suppled, red bicycles you’ll see here, there and everywhere all over town that are available to use via different docking stations. Downloading this app is nothing short of essential if you fancy using one to get about for the day, as it makes the whole job of getting hold of one easier – not least as it points out where the nearest one’s located to you.

The Montcalm App

Don’t overlook hotel apps as merely publicising one place of stay and attempting to persuade you to go there. For instance, if you’re looking to really spoil yourself on a short-break in the capital and so in the market for a luxury hotel, this London hotel booking app doesn’t just enable you to check out one property (plus view imagery of amenities and consider the latest deals and offers) but all those in the Montcalm family, as well as book rooms, look up attractions in their local area and check-in and check-out. Yes, really.

Great Little Place

If discovering as much of ‘hidden London’ as possible is your thing on a visit to the city, then this offering could be just the thing for you. Why? Because every suggestion it makes for attractions – from, say, charming cafés to charismatic little cocktail bars – are recommended by London locals themselves. Presented as ‘hidden gems’ you can swipe through them, rejecting those that don’t do it for you or saving those that hit the spot.

Wriggle

This app’s ideal for those who fancy the idea of being food savvy, making them aware, as it does, of last-minute deals on eating options available that day. Its focus is primarily on independent food sources in the capital so it may well appeal to the more sustainability-minded traveller and, to that end, it’ll point out what’s going food-wise of that nature around them.

Opentable

Finally, following a long day of sightseeing in London, it’s time for dinner. This app’ll ensure you don’t have to wait in long queues, let alone search high and low for a quality place with good food that also has a free table. It gives you reviews and pics of restaurants that may take your fancy dependent on where you’re located and what cuisine you fancy. Bon appétit!

The post App-tastic: a range of apps no London visitor should be without! appeared first on The Montcalm.

Easy And Safe

If you are not aware of the right direction you may get lost and find yourself somewhere which is unsafe for you or your kids. So using these applications are highly important if you want to stay safe and enjoy your holiday without any problems. No matter what issues you are facing during the trip these apps will have the right solution for you. Almost all these applications are available free of cost in the market so you can be assured that you will not have to spend any money for them.

The Transport System

While talking about apps the first one that crosses the mind is Citymapper. This one application has been the first choice of travellers for a long time because of the offline maps and it’s easy to use interface.  London’s transport can sometimes be a  little confusing for the foreigners who are travelling for the first time. This product aims at simplifying the entire public transport network so that tourists can choose the cheapest and fastest means of transport without facing a lot of trouble.

Now The Bikes

All you have to do is provide your location and the software will make all the calculations and will provide you with all the information about the time, cost and the routes that you can take for reaching your destination. Here you can pick anything from a bus, cab, or tube as you will get multiple transportation options along with the travel disruptions that may create issues for you. Not just this sometimes rain safe options are also offered by this software. Another common app among the travellers is the Boris Bikes which has all information regarding the docking stations where you can hire cycles and keep them after the end of your tour.

Availability OF Cycles

Another benefit of using Boris Bikes which has been rebranded as the Santander Cycles is the fact that it will not only provide you with the locations of the stations but will also display the availability of the cycles so that you do not waste your time by visiting the stations where there are no cycles for hire. You can also find empty bays for ditching your cycles after you finish your tour.

Some Other Things To Do

In case you have visited London plenty of times and are tired of seeing the same places and museums you must download the National Trust app. This particular software is meant for all those travellers who are looking for the hidden gems of London. It consists of a list of all the historic as well, as beautiful places of the entire country. You will find all the current events and a  list of almost 400 locations as well as properties through this software. But there are other applications in the market too which can help you to find cool events where you can hang out with the entire family or with your friends. Comedy clubs, theatres, musicals, museum openings, and even supper clubs can be found on the applications like YPlan. You can use the various filters to search for events by the type, price and even location of the venue.

Saving Some Money

What makes YPlan so special is the fact that it is not only a software for maps and event listing but is also a great platform for booking tickets as here you will get alerts for flash sales. This way you can save a lot of money on tickets and enjoy the shows with your family. Toptable which is now owned by OpenTable, is the best restaurant-reservation service provider that allows the users to book tables online in any of the restaurants in London. You can use price, rating as well as distance filters while looking for restaurants. It gives the users access to hundreds of local as well as the top restaurants of this city.

Book The Tables

You can use the map provided by the app and look for the venue that is closest to your location. Once you find the right venue you need to select it and choose from the wide range of sittings that are offered by the place. It is available on both iPhone as well as Android devices so you can download it irrespective of the phone you use.

The Beautiful London Cafes

In case you need a break from all the sightseeing and the exotic cuisines you can go for a cup of coffee with your loved ones in any of the reputed cafes of London. London’s Best Coffee app will bring the list of all the top roasteries and the independent cafes that are present in this city. Not only this, you will even get all the details about the machineries that are used in these places, prices, offers and tasting events. So if your family is planning on visiting London such unique apps are a must for you.

Now The Cabs

The list of apps will not be complete without the taxi app which is present in the phone of almost every Londoner. The tube is not always the fastest transport available on the streets of London. So if you need to go somewhere urgently you must have one of the popular taxi apps on your phone. It will not only make it easier for you to travel but will also save a lot of your money. The black London cabs may be a convenient option but they are extremely costly so taxi apps like Uber offer a low cost and convenient alternative to these black cabs.

The post Few Travel And Hotel Apps To Use On Your 2017 London Trip! appeared first on The Montcalm.

Preload an Oyster card ahead of your trip

The Oyster card is the credit-card-like, tap-in-tap-out payment option that practically everybody uses on London public transport (Underground and Overground trains, buses and river buses) because it’s fast and efficient *and* saves you money over buying physical travel tickets. To reduce hassle then, pre-purchase one for just ahead of leaving home for London, making sure you top it up with some credit.

Hire a ‘Boris bike’ 30 minutes at a time 

Alternatively, you can get about by taking to the streets on two wheels. Officially named Santander Cycles (but nicknamed ‘Boris bikes’ after former London Mayor Boris Johnson, whom introduced the scheme), you can use one for half-hour bursts at a time, so long as you return it in that timeframe then wait and use another one for just half-an-hour… and so on.

Book your hotel before arriving

One thing you shouldn’t do is trying to wing it when it comes to accommodation. London’s a big city full of a multitude of hotels; unfortunately, though, it’s also full of people staying at them all. You don’t want to be stranded as soon as you arrive in the Big Smoke without a bed for the night. But, with the digital revolution evolving as we speak, it’s easier than ever before to seek out, choose and book hotel rooms via smartphone applications – in which case, the London hotel booking app is very much your friend.

Buy a London Pass for access to 60-plus attractions

The London Pass scheme isn’t cheap, but it’s the enormous number of attractions – which would ordinarily set you back a wad of cash – it enables you to enter for no additional cost that makes it such an appealing investment.

Buy a UK power adaptor

British electricity works a little differently compared to some countries (especially the United States), so you’ll require a UK-centric power adaptor. Whatever you do, don’t rely on getting one at the airport; you’ll pay over the odds for it. Instead, buy one at a local shop (or ‘corner shop’) once you’ve arrived in the city.

Don’t forget the walking tours are free

Tourist-wise, if there’s one thing London’s renowned for, it’s the walking tours. They’re rather marvellous, led as they are by genuinely informed, often charismatic guides. Run in conjunction with the Hop-on, Hop-off bus tours (which are also well worth giving a go), these tours are free. Yes, that’s right; you can walk about the place and find out why exactly where you’ve paused is of import and resonance to the Royal family, the city’s sordid, criminal past, the Harry Potter and James Bond universes, ghosts and ghouls, the Black Death or Jack the Ripper, the Victorian serial killer whose reputation still resounds down through the decades.

Celebrity spotting

Finally, just like NYC and LA, London is brimming with celebrities; both the revered and famous-for-five-minute types. If you want to catch sight of one – seriously, it’s not actually that difficult – head to fashionable, trendy areas like Soho, Chelsea, Mayfair, Camden and Primrose Hill where a good number live and hang out. And, of course, keep an eye out!

The post Bite-size city guide: what and what not to do in London appeared first on The Montcalm.

Some of the most useful apps

In a way, mobile apps that serve to help you during your travel can be likened to liberal friends, who are there to assist you in every step of your way, during your journey in the city. Let’s take a look at some of the apps that can be most benefiting to your trip in the town of London. The London Hotel Booking App is perhaps one of the useful apps you can find use if you haven’t found an excellent accommodation for a good price. It compares dozens of hotels in the area of your choice so that you can pick out the one that’s most suitable for you.

Other apps we recommend include Google Maps, Uber, and City Mapper. Each of them allows you to conveniently trek across the city without having to use a map or ask people for directions helplessly. Of course, on some occasions, you might need to ask someone for a slight direction. But you’d already be a lot closer to where you need to get to.

The power of Mobile Apps

The great little place App gives you the ability to uncover hidden gems so that you can do more than just see the obvious attractions in the city. Without some guidance, doing that is a bit more challenging; you’d have to spend time researching online before your outings. This app helps your quirky adventures in inner London easier so that you can experience a sense of discovery during your journeys across the city.

The post Must Use Travel Apps in London appeared first on The Montcalm.

While it is generally sensible to make your reservations in advance the fact is there a number of great last minute deals available, where hotels offer the best rates to ensure maximum occupancy at all times. With the coming of the smart-phone and the existence of millions of apps getting a good hotel deal is no longer as challenging. Using apps like the London Hotel Booking App guarantees users the best deals available at a hotel.

 A few basic tricks that can help you score the best hotel deals around are:

Look out for last-minute deals: If you are open to changing your travel dates and are flexible with travelling later or even earlier you could get the best deal by making your hotel reservations at the last moment. Most hotel managers are keen to fill their rooms when the occupancy rates are low and would be willing to reduce room prices.

Always enquire for lower rates: While it may seem not too effective, the fact is ask and you shall get!  Before signing on the dotted line enquire if the hotel has any special offers for guests. They come in a variety of ways ranging from frequent flier to corporate, senior citizens to hotel membership. There are special rates available for these schemes and if you are lucky you might end up finding one just perfect for you. Most hotels also have a ‘fallback rate” which they use for guests who are not too pleased with rate quoted.

Check online: If you want the latest hotel offers in any part of the world, you need to do your homework and check online for the daily deals on offer at the destination you plan to travel to. Another option is to scour hotel websites as most of them offer special promotional rates for guests who book exclusively at the hotel website. While there are a number of independent hotel booking sites they generally charge a booking fee. Instead it is best to either download the hotel app of the hotel you plan to stay at or book directly at their website.

Call the hotel directly: Do not always expect to get the best deals using the 1-800 central reservation system. That is because the agents that man the 1-800 numbers are not aware of the latest special offers, apart from not being updated in real time with room availability. Also most of them are not permitted to negotiate. In contrast hotel agents are fully briefed aware of specials and room availability, along with having the authority to negotiate. As result they offer a better possibility of striking a good deal. Another downside with using a 1-800 number is that some hotels only allot a certain number of rooms to the central reservation number. You may be informed that there is no vacancy when actually there are rooms available because of low occupancy.

Do not be rigid with your travel time: It is a well known fact that hotel prices fluctuate at various parts of the year and even the time of week. For example if you stay at a hotel that mainly caters to business travellers you will invariably find some of the best deals on the weekend. Travelling to London or Europe in the summer will result in higher hotel prices as that is the peak tourist season. Unless you are on a business trip that cannot be postponed you could try to be more flexible with your travel dates. This will benefit you in getting some of the lowest prices and deals.

Try for a package deal: One of the best ways to save money when travelling is to consider opting for a combo or package deal (both airfare and hotels). There are several such package deals on offer at all parts of the year and if you opt for them you could save a considerable amount of money in the process. It may not offer as many accommodation options but it could be a fabulous deal if you are flexible.

Enquire about the total cost: There are times when an eager traveller might think he has found the best deal, but then at the time of payment realises it was not as sweet as he previously thought. The reason is you need to only consider the base rate but also take into account taxes among a host of other expenses and hidden charges that will inflate your bill. Just getting a lower base rate does not guarantee savings as the additional charges need to be taken into account as well.

Check your monthly credit card statements: Many credit card holders are not aware that along with the junk that accompanies their monthly statements, there are occasionally vouchers and discount coupons that offer discounts and special deals to hotels, restaurants and other select locations. You could use that reserve code at the hotel or place the credit card company has partnered with.

Join a loyalty program: If you intend to travel more than once to the same city either for business or pleasure, then one of the best ways to get the best rates at a hotel chain is by signing up for their loyalty program. Each time you travel and stay at any of their hotels or visit any of their affiliate partners you would accrue membership points. These could be redeemed later for considerable discounts both at the hotel or even select partner sites.

The post Want The Best Last Minute Hotel Deal appeared first on The Montcalm.

London City is the cultural and the fashionable hub. It is a great place for you to visit and you have the popular food stations where you can sit and eat at ease. The negative aspect is that staying at London is highly expensive. You cannot manage your stay rightly in the limited budget. This is the reason you have to make the most of all the discount options and make life easy going in this part of the world. You can check with the mobile application and with this you know the famous places to visit and how you can stay in London in the least of expense.

In case you know the places well and you are careful there are good places in London where you can eat at the least cost ever. Still you have the list of cheap things to do in London. The place is visitable and you can hold on to some extra budget to make a stay within the city limits. However, once you check the mobile application you can know about the secret of London exquisite stay in the least of budget ever. There are options and way which are sure to help you have an economic London way of Living.

There are some typical cost factors which you can well manage with the help of the mobile application. Some of the hotels in London are highly expensive. You cannot manage to stay at these hotels in case you have limited budget. You are expected to pay an amount of 20-40 GBP per night for a room in London. You can avail for the dormitories and these you can avail for a price of 10 GBP. These are provisions available at the city outskirts. The private rooms in London are once again extremely expensive and you have to pay high for the accommodation.

The mobile application will tell you about the budget hotel prices. The hotels in London standing at the centre of the city are all the more expensive. They are at the core destination and this is the reason you cannot plan to have a stay at the hotels in the city centre till you are able to grab a deal. The hotels here will charge you an amount of 100 GBP per night. On the other hand if you have plans to stay in the city outskirts you can well manage an accommodation at an amount of 40 GBP per night. However, you can make the most of the London Hotel Booking App to look for the best rooms in this part of the world.

The travellers look for the average food cost in London. You find dishes of all sorts in this capital city. Foods of all price ranges are available at the place. Some of the cheaper options that you get here are English and Asian cuisines and these you get just at the price of 10 GBP and this is especially for the multi-course meal and this is rightly supported by the drinks of your choice.

In London you get the best foods like fish and chips in the same price option. If you opt for table service restaurant you are expected to pay an extra for the reason. For this you have to pay 19 GBP and this is for a meal and a drink. You will get all details once you check with the mobile application. If you choose to have cooks and groceries, then you are made to pay an amount of 40-52 GBP per week. Foods are not so expensive in London if you are able to buy them from the right outlet.

These days you have mobile applications to tell you about everything. This is also the application to tell you about the reduced transportation cost. For an easy and economic London travel you can avail for the bus or the underground transport provision. The provision is best known as the Tube. This is the cheapest mode of transportation in London. The fares of the Tube will start with an amount of 2.30 GBP, or 4.80 GBP. However, the amount can be reduced once you make use of the Oyster Card. You can even make the best use of the cards and the tickets when travelling in the London buses.

The mobile application will also tell you about the places where you can hire the bikes and for this you have to look for the new docking stations. The stations are centred round the capital city area. However, the London streets are not easy places to navigate on bike. However, you can get to the option when traffic is not so dense on the London road. Open streets will give you an inviting call to roam about on the streets on bikes and cycles and enjoy all the major city attractions.

Sunday is the best day of the week when the London travellers can visit the famous markets in London. To know more you can make the most of the mobile application and this will tell you the details of places like the Camden Market, the Flower Market, the Portobello Market and the rest. You have millions of options to explore in London. You can be at the markets and nurture the options for the best buying experience in this part of the world.

The post How to Get Central London Insights with Mobile App appeared first on The Montcalm.

The hospitality industry in particular has benefited immensely with the introduction of online hotel reservation apps like the Montcalm Hotel booking app, which makes it easy for guests and travellers to select accommodation of their choice at the click of a few buttons.

Whether you are looking for a London Hotel Booking App or any other hotel booking app there are plenty of options to choose from.  While having a mobile responsive website is an absolute necessity, it certainly does pay for hotels to invest in the development of individual hotel apps that are an effective way to increase brand visibility online and offer a more customer centric experience for guests and travellers. There are numerous benefits which can be derived from having a well designed hotel app, which every top hotel must ensure to have to stay competitive in the industry.  Some of the advantages of having an effective hotel booking app for a hotel are:

One of the biggest benefits of a well designed hotel app is that offers gusts the convenience to check in and out of a hotel by themselves. The guest no longer needs to spend time at the reception desk, especially after a long and tiresome flight. They can arrive and check themselves in which will activate the door controls of their selected room through the app. They can head directly to their room and let themselves in without having to wait for a concierge or hotel staff member to assist them. While minimising interaction with hotel staff may not seem to be too appealing, it does make a big difference with the younger generation who are more comfortable with self-service, instead of having hotel employees fawning over them.

Upon entering the room the mobile app can be designed to connect with any number of hotel services, which will offer guests a single hub that can be used as per their convenience. Some of the features which the app could incorporate could include room service, food ordering menu, TV and movie services etc. This will enable the guest to settle down in comfort and place their order while comfortably watching television or a movie. An added advantage is that it minimises the risk of getting an order wrong over the phone, which ensures higher levels of customer satisfaction.

There are several other innovative features that hotels are tapping into to make the customer experience more seamless and enjoyable. Some apps utilise geo-location functions which enable the hotel staff at any point of time to know where the customer is (with the customer’s prior permission). This makes it extremely convenient for example a customer to place an order for a drink through the app. Upon receiving the order the hotel staff will immediately know where it is to be served.

While individually, every one of these features may seem basic, that fact is when they are combined they offer a bespoke customer service of the highest levels. At a time when most people would be more comfortable with losing their wallet rather than their mobile phone, it only makes sense to cater to mobile using clientele. With the mobile phone having become an intensely personal medium of communication the more the interaction of a hotel through it, the more customers feel that they are getting the best personalised service. It definitely raises the bar of customer satisfaction to a whole new level!

What makes a hotel app indispensable?

There is fair bit of debate about whether a well developed mobile website is better than having to invest in a hotel app. After all with the latest developments through the use of multimedia, mobile websites have a lot to offer prospective clients! Is there really a need to develop a dedicated app for a hotel?

While having a top notch website works very effectively for certain business verticals, it does not apply for the hospitality industry. There are several features that an app can offer which are not possible to gain access to through a well developed mobile websites on a smart phone. One of the best examples is the geo-location feature. To provide the best personalised service for a customer while they are on the move through the hotel, it is only possible through the use of a hotel app.

Another advantage of using an app is that it can send notifications to customers. Whether the hotel wants to offer promotional discounts or the lowest rates on hotel rooms, or even make an announcement of some special event using an app is the most effective way to keep the customer updated. Through the use of notifications via apps customers are instantly made aware of the latest deals, events and offers, which make it more feasible for them to opt for any of these that might interest them.

It has also been seen that most customers tend to trust mobile apps more than mobile websites. In a study conducted it was seen that close to 85% of mobile users would choose to use apps over websites. Of course that means that greater effort needs to be made to make the app more functional, user friendly and secure to use. There is no better way to gain customer attention than by having an optimally designed hotel app.

The future belongs to mobile apps and they are more of a necessity than an option. Through the use of technology it has become possible to offer customers a far more customised and satisfying hotel experience, while also making it possible to increase hotel profitability in different areas.

The post Hotel apps are invaluable for last minute bookings appeared first on The Montcalm.

But is it worth downloading these apps onto your phone?  You might be incredibly confident using your smart phone and happy to download and delete apps on a regular basis but there are plenty of us who aren’t that sure about the validity and usefulness of luxury hotels apps and the like.  For that reason we have put together a handy guide, not only outlining why you should take the time to try out an app or two as you plan your next trip to London but to help guide you on the basic ways to use the apps.  Of course, each app will be slightly different but you shouldn’t find them so different as to be unusable without a manual!

Which app do I need?

This depends entirely on which of the many hotels in Central London you want to book.  Many of the best hotels have their own dedicated apps which will allow you to choose which hotel you want to book, review the facilities available and see gallery images of what the hotel itself looks like as well as completing your booking.  There are also generalised apps which are run by third parties and offer an overview of many hotels in the area.  You might find it worthwhile to download a few different ones and compare the prices and offers available; you can always delete any surplus apps once you have reached your final decision.  Whilst third party apps can be helpful, it is always better to check with a hotel directly too once you have a rough idea of prices as you never know what special offers they might be running which can only be accessed by booking direct with the hotel themselves.

How do I use it?

Many of the apps will operate in a similar fashion, in that once you have downloaded the app onto your phone, you can input the dates you wish to stay before being taken to a page which specifies the room types available and the cost to you.  You can select the one you want before confirming and sending payment.  The apps work much the same way as a normal webpage does; they have just been modified for easier use on a smaller screen.  You may have to set up an account in order to complete your booking and we would recommend doing this so that you can easily access your booking through the app once completed.  This will save you having to print out any confirmation emails you receive and when you arrive at your hotel you can just show them the booking on your phone.

Any other benefits?

Of course there has to be more to using an app than just being able to book with ease and this is certainly the case with the higher quality ones.  Not only can you discover what the hotel itself will look like and secure your room but you can also see what attractions and Points of Interest lie in the nearby vicinity which will prove useful for planning the remainder of your trip but you can also book additional elements either ahead of time or whilst you are already at the hotel.  This might include a spa treatment if your chosen hotel offers these, an afternoon tea package or even just having a newspaper delivered to your room in the morning.  If you were to find yourself lost or disorientated whilst out exploring you will also have the exact location of your hotel to hand which could then be passed directly onto a taxi driver or input into a map facility on your phone which would then allow you to follow a GPS determined route from your current location back to your accommodation.  Often hotels run reward programmes, the information for which will also be stored on your phone so you can watch your reward points accrue if you are a frequent traveller or use them towards the cost of your next hotel room with just a few simple clicks of a button.

Using an app to book your hotel can give you total peace of mind; gone are the days when you used to have to worry about printing out confirmations and remembering to bring them with you, they are stored on your phone and can easily be accessed with the swipe or click of a button.  You can see exactly what the hotel is offering and plan your trip accordingly and you can even book your hotel without having to go to the trouble of booting up your computer and accessing the internet; it’s all there at the end of your fingertips meaning that booking a hotel has really never been more straightforward.  And one of the truly great things about downloading an app onto your phone is that if, at the end of the day you decide that using an app to book your hotel really isn’t for you, then all you have to do is click and delete and the app is completely gone from your life!

The post How To Book A Hotel Using An App appeared first on The Montcalm.