5 apps that can make your road trip smoother

Gariahat Road, Kolkata

Are you one of those people who believe that the only way your phone can serve you on a road trip is through navigation apps? Think again.

Yes, navigation apps have become something of a necessity on road trips nowadays. But what about other kind of emergencies that can pop up unexpectedly along the way?

Here's a look at 5 apps which can prove useful to have on your phone during road trips.

These newly-launched government apps will help you recharge their Fastag cards, easy top-ups, enroll for Fastag, among others.

Many toll-collecting points have a Fastag card reader to enable Electronic Toll Collection (ETC); with this recharge, you will be able to seamlessly carry on with your journey without having to stand in a long queue to do an over-the-counter transaction.

In case your car breaks down or if your tyre is punctured, you don't have to call toll-free helpline numbers and wait for them to first answer your call and then assist you.

The StrandD app is free which will help you in events of accidents, car breakdowns, fuel emergency on stranded roads, car lock-out, punctured tyres and other services.

Apart from StrandD, the Car Allianz App also offers the same services. However, Car Allianz is a paid app.

The state-owned fuel retailers -- Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation -- have their own apps which will help you check fuel prices. Fuel prices have been changing daily since June 16.

Apart from this, these apps will help you locate nearby petrol pumps as well.

Haptik is a personal assistance app which can help you plan your travel, set reminders, find a place to stay for you, book you a cab and even web check-in for you.

This app can prove useful while traveling in case you want to grab a bite en route and are unable to find places to eat on the mainstream apps. All you have to do is send a message and their bot will reply with accurate locations.

Google Maps has now become more than just an app. It is a way of travel. It is the most popular navigation app in the world and for good reason. The app assists you in finding the fastest route, give you a real-time traffic check and even locate nearby petrol pumps, ATMs and now toilets for you. The locations and the routes to destinations keep updating.