Top 10 phone apps to have when moving to Wageningen!

By Mariana Silva

"I´m a 23-year-old Master student in Plant Sciences. I was ...

Phone apps (short version for applications) will make your planning and arrival to Wageningen easier and faster. Nowadays, there are plenty of them, which might make harder to find the ones that you will need the most. So, here is some help finding them 🙂

When moving and settling into a foreign country, it can be hard not knowing how the transports or the supermarkets work, and discouraging you from going out of the city or even of home.

When I moved to Wageningen, I found out a number of phones apps that made my life and adaptation way easier! Hence, I thought that by sharing them with you, I could help to make your settlement easier too ?

I gathered a top-10 list of those apps, from transportation to weather forecast, not forgetting the apps that help you to find that veggie dish you were craving for or help you translating keywords!

I believe they will also definitely improve your social life abroad, whether by leading you to go out to a club, finding the best restaurants in the city or simply by increasing your communicating skills.

Is also important to mention that although many of these apps have a Dutch-language interface, most are super easy to use or have a very straightforward online frame.

Transportation-related apps

  • 9292

Probably, this is the app you will need from the first moment that you land and the one you will use the most during your time abroad. 9292 is an application that allows you to plan your trip in real time. Another great advantage is the possibility of checking different transportation ways at the same, and so, combining information of departure and arrival hour of the train, bus or even tram.

  • Buinradar

Everyone knows how the weather at Holland can be slightly unpredictable and easily force you to change your weekend plans at the last minute. Hence, Buinradar is the app that can help you to avoid that! By using it, you can simply and in real time, see how the weather conditions will change and hence, at which hour is expected to stop to rain, for example. In addition, is also a big help when choosing your outfit in those random days and is not exclusive to The Netherlands! ?

  • OV-chip checker

You are now probably already aware of an OV-chip card is, but even if not, you can easily find their use on the official websites of the public transportation. Once you do it, you will realize how useful this app can be. It allows you to view your travel history easily and securely wherever you are. A great feature of this app is that it does not request or shares your personal login details to third parties to view your travel routes. So, this app is very secure and reliable. Adding, it also shows you the closest service points near you, where you can pop-up money, check your card balance or ask information. Very convenient!

Language and life-savior apps

  • CamScanner

CamScanner is the type of app perfect for all traveler students since it allows you to easily scan documents through your phone camera and send them by e-mail even when you are out of university or away from Wageningen. Basically, allows sending high-quality PDF files anywhere by simply using your phone.

  • Dutch-English Dictionary

It’s not easy to memorize all the Dutch words for your shopping list or when searching for information on the public transportations panels. Hence, make sure you have a Dutch-English dictionary on your phone ready to save you time and from buying the wrong products. Might be challenging to find a good and free Dutch-English dictionary app, however, different ones can be found online.

  • Babel

 If the dictionary is helpful but you are committed to practicing the Dutch knowledge you have been acquired, then it might not be enough. A diversity of phone apps to motivate you to practice Dutch are available, as Babel. However, others as Duolingo are also helpful. Is more about your personal taste!  Besides, you can also practice more than one language ?

 

  • Marktplaats

When moving, you might need to buy some used furniture, or perhaps selling your old bike when leaving. Luckily, nowadays you don’t need to go to a real market square hoping to find those items for a cheap price. Marktplaats has a convenient app version that lets you keep track of the best deals and of your transactions, while you’re on-the-go. It can also be used to compare prices of stuff you want to get rid of but you are not so sure about how much they are worth it!

Food-related apps

  • Thuisbezorgd 

If it is one of those days that you find yourself feeling hungry, but in no mood to cook, then this is the app you need. Via your GPS location or postcode, it will let you find a list of restaurants that deliver food directly at your house. You can make the order online and pay via iDEAL. I must tell you that is especially handy during exam weeks.

  • Happy Cow

Nowadays, can still be hard to find for plant-based or vegan options, either in Wageningen or when traveling abroad from there. Happy cow can help you in this by being your personal guide when looking for that healthy food. It can also be used as a website and makes your gastronomic search lot easier! Cool, right?

  • Appie

Besides the supermarkets offer over the town, doing grocery shopping at Albert Heijn is very handy, especially late in the evening. Appie is the official Albert Heijn app permits you to create shopping lists, view all the on-sale products and use the store locator tool. Managing a small budget isn’t even that hard like this!

Do you use any other App that is handy? Share them with us in the comments ?

 

 

By Mariana Silva

"I´m a 23-year-old Master student in Plant Sciences. I was born in Porto, the second biggest city of Portugal, yet I consider myself a citizen of the world. My eagerness to discover new cultures and the studies quality led me to come to Wageningen almost 2 years ago. Meanwhile, I hope that by sharing my stories and daily-life makes your “Wageningen experience” and time studying abroad easier and better." :)

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