iOS: Figuring out which order to visit museums, historical sites, and restaurants during each day of your vacation can get complicated. On top of not being familiar with a city, you have to take distance, hours, breaks, and more into account. Relay makes things a little easier with custom maps that lay out exactly where everything is so you can see the best order to go in.


Relay allows you to create multiple maps, so you can make one for each day of your trip or plan multiple trips at a time. To give this app a try, I planned a day of sightseeing around Rome. I added everything I wanted to see, not worrying about order. As shown in the above image, my list of sights (left) is in a different order than my map (center) because I reordered them once I saw where they were in relation to each other. This is the part of Relay that I found most helpful, you get to throw in what you want to see and it shows you where everything is, along with other helpful information like address, phone number, and website. Then you can easily reshuffle your stops so you go in an order that minimizes the distance you travel.

You also have a notes section for each stop on your list where you can add tips like how to bypass the long ticket line or certain dishes to try. Relay’s maps can be used both for planning before you leave and for reference during your actual trip. I made a different map for each day of my trip, so I can quickly and clearly see each day where I’ve been, where I’m going, and how far I have between stops (knowing your next stop is just ten minutes further can be a good motivator for tired feet). Rather than fumbling with a guidebook or printed map, I can just pull up Relay to stay organized. Relay also allows you to make a map and share it with a friend, which comes in handy when traveling with a group or giving travel recommendations.


Relay Maps

Relay ($1.99) | iTunes App Store