Today is the Foursquare day! What is it and what are the alternatives for that service? – read in this article

Foursquare day: the essence of the app & best alternatives. Source: twitter.com

Foursquare is the most popular location-finding mobile technology. It effectively combines social network potential with GPS capabilities. Created 10 years ago, the brand has already registered more than 60 million users. This impressive number is caused by the unique gaming-like mode of the app adopted initially.

What is “Foursquare”?

The essence of the Foursquare experience was to “check in” at different cities, places, institutions, events, and sights. Users could get special badges for visiting a location. While some of them are common, the others are unique such as “NASA Explorer” badge or the “Last Degree” one for visiting the North Pole.

The essence of the Foursquare experience was to “check in” at different cities, places, institutions, events, and sights. Source: twitter.com

In 2014, though, the gaming component was transferred to the separate app called Swarm. The original service was fully dedicated to detailed information about a location. It is also known as a City Guide now. However, the apps are still intertwined. Foursquare shows the check-ins of users’ friends at any given place.

Even users who don’t travel often can become active members of the service community. They can receive a “mayor” status for constant checking in at the same place for more than 60 days in Swarm. Who can give better recommendations on the best local attractions than stable visitors and natives?

The locations list can be modified by users themselves. Those who often check in and add new objects to the global system receive a “Superuser” status. Depending on their Foursquare experience level, they can change the information about objects in their cities, country, or on the global map.

Becoming a Foursquare user is worthwhile since it gives you access to the greatest crowdsourced map and a vast net of feedback, travel tips, real-life stories, and comparisons. If you add Swarm to the equation, you’ll also remember and share the places to go in a fun way.

Foursquare alternatives

However, it is always good to have some alternatives. Here is the list of web services and apps that also have loads of information about a particular location. Choose one of them or use all to gather comprehensive information about the place you’re planning to visit.

This service helps to find every possible business type near the chosen destination. The range of places to visit includes dining facilities, medical institutions, home and delivery services, offices of various professionals such as accountants or lawyers, retail stores, gyms, travel agencies, beauty & spa salons, car rentals and services, night clubs and many more. You can also find out about public events happening near you. Every description is supported by users’ honest reviews and sometimes comparisons with similar businesses.

A great resource for travelers. Reviews of tourists help to find the best hotels and restaurants, as well as discover places to see at the chosen destination. The recommendations on sights include art exhibitions, natural wonders, museums, historic places, and entertainment. The service also facilitates price comparisons and the booking process.

It’s a trip organizer that’s able to make a detailed plan of your route even if you book through various services. It creates itineraries, tracks the travel detail changes, informs users about flight delays and departure gates etc. It also provides timely reminders of the due travel time and gives tips about international trips.

Similar to other Wiki-resources, this one is free and crowdfunded. Contributors post their reviews, advice, photos or videos of the destination place, as well as any relevant information. The latter includes useful phrases in local languages, lists of landmarks, existing customs and cultural peculiarities, local policies, etc. You can also find travel alerts on your destination such as news on natural cataclysms, civic unrest, or the opening of some new travel opportunities. The descriptions of travel options vary from European capitals to mountain hiking trails. Therefore, every tourist can find something that suits their taste.

Another trip planner. Users can search and book hotels and flights via their apps. It includes synchronization with existing calendars so that you can plan your business trips and meetings effectively. The app also gets real-time data about flight changes so that it can notify you beforehand. Travelers can manage their itineraries and schedules, as well as check in on more than 250 airlines worldwide.

The best service to book private apartments, rooms, and houses all over the world. It offers numerous guest reviews and scores.

It’s a free booking website for every travel detail including flights, hotels, cruises, and car rentals. There are also options for package booking so that you can organize your whole vacation as competently as travel agencies do. Almost all Expedia bookings can be canceled or changed without additional charges. Registered members also get 10% discounts on staying in selected hotels.

The most comprehensive and global resource for hotel booking. There are many options with free cancellation, special offers, and last-minute deals. All the hotel owners are rated by guests. Users can easily estimate the price-quality relationship and compare available offers.

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