Facebook Travel Applications Guide

As a diehard facebook user, I’ve been monitoring the new travel applications that have sprouted up since Facebook opened up their platform to other developers. I think I’ve given the developers a fair amount of time to release their travel applications, so here is a list of the new Facebook travel applications.

The Ultimate Facebook Travel Applications Guide

Here are the best, worst, and most promising travel applications available on the premier social networking site: Facebook.

The Best Travel Applications

Hostels - This hostel application by HostelBook.com is amazing. It is the first booking type of application, and it is very impressive. It allows people to search and find hostels, rate them, and add them as favorites. Then, you can book the hostel with No Booking Fee. Soon, they will have a wall for each hostel, so you can post your own reviews and comments, or ask your own questions. So this is probably the best travel application available right now.

Where I’ve Been - The “Where I’ve Been” travel application (pictured above) shows where you’ve been, where you are, and where you want to go on a world map. It is by far the most popular travel application on Facebook right now, by having over 1.2 million users using it. Since it was the original and most popular travel app, it is automatically one of the best.

**Update** the Where I’ve Been Facebook Application has been acquired by TripAdvisor (for $3 million!). Just thought it’s an news development that would be of interest. (news story here)

Been There Done That - This application lets users have a list of places that they’ve been, and places or things that they have “done.” Although I don’t like the phrase “I did Germany,” because it sounds pretty touristy, I still think this app is pretty sweet. It’s a cleaner application that won’t take up so much space on your profile, which is nice for us modest people.

Okay Travel Applications

Travel Diary - The travel diary lets users upload photos, meet other travelers, and keep a travel diary for their friends to read. Sounds great, right? Well, the only drawback is that in order for friends to read your travel diary, they must also have the application. So a better alternative may just be starting your own “outside” travel blog and importing your posts through notes. Then just add photos to your regular facebook photos section. It has a good idea, but comes up short.

Video Travel Guides - Geobeats.com offers a facebook application that displays its video travel guides. I love Geobeats, but there doesn’t really seem to be a point to put it in your Facebook profile. It is a good marketing move for the company, but as a user, I would not want to show travel guides to random friends visiting my facebook profile.

Trips - This Sidestep.com application lets you plan upcoming trips with your friends. It has basically all that you need and would expect it to have. The only problem is that it doesn’t really work well. It is still pretty buggy. But in a few months when the application works flawlessly, it will be one of the best applications on Facebook, and it will be on my profile for sure.

Worst Travel Applications

Duplicate Apps- Since Where I’ve been became so popular, there are tons of clones that are basically the exact same. Whether they just released later or actually copy catted the “where I’ve been” application, I don’t know. But I do know that they are not easy to use or generally good facebook apps. These bad applications include EF Global Print(map), Visited Countries, TravBuddy Countries Visited, and more.

So there are a few of the best, decent, and worst Facebook Travel Apps. I will be updating the list periodically as applications are tweaked and added. Meanwhile, add me on Facebook! Just contact me.

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