I’ve traveled to 11 different countries across 5 continents and 2 hemispheres. These trips are full of happy memories, experiences that I retell over dinner with friends, and a stack of photos that tell these stories.
When it was clear that I had the travel bug, one of my friends bought me a scratch card-style world map that let me scratch off all the countries I had visited. Having a visual representation of my travels gave me a broader perspective of where I had been and how much of the world I'd yet to explore.
This is part of a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn't live without. Read them all here.
The map has been great, but at the same time, it is very limited. I can look at it, but at the end of the day, it’s just a 2D map that has some scratched-off countries. I was excited, therefore, when I came across the Been app, an interactive tool to not only track visited countries but to be able to record additional information about those travels and visualize them in a range of engaging ways.
After downloading the app, I cracked on with entering all the details of my various trips. I was excited to think again about those holidays and recall those particularly special moments. The Been app has a simple interface that lets you enter all your trips in a few easy steps. Doing this is as simple as navigating through a list of countries and selecting each one, or using the search feature for faster access to those places.
With each visit, you can add travel dates, modes of transport, and even comments. The last of these is perfect for recording favorite places, restaurants, and memories to make sure you won’t forget them. I also like to remember specific people that I met on those travels, so putting their names and details in the comments section is ideal.
With all my previous visits entered, it was time to use the Visualize feature. At the very basic level, this gives the same functionality as my good old-fashioned scratch map but also offers additional options, including a globe and a timeline of trips. Being able to view these in various ways has helped to enhance my enjoyment of not only my travels but also being able to appreciate the overall sense of where I’ve been and when.
The Visualize section includes a range of premium features that can be collectively unlocked for a single purchase of £1.99 ($2.99 lifetime in the US), a next-to-nothing investment for what you get. These include visualizing trips by flags, map pins, and chronology. Each of these visual outputs can be shared with friends as videos, which further increases their enjoyment. Visiting places is fun, but sharing those memories with others makes it even more special.
One of my favorite features is the Achievements section. I’m competitive to the core, so any app that has a rewards-based feature really hooks me in. Maybe you’re the same. The achievements take the form of awards, with each award having a set number of points. Hence, the more achievements, the more points, and if you’re competing against friends, then it really ups the ante.
The achievements include going to both hemispheres, traveling to five countries by train, visiting all the Nordic countries, and even ticking off all seven continents. I’m yet to complete many of these awards, but just reading through the ones I’ve not yet achieved excites me to visit more places and see different parts of the world. Been lets me do this within the Explore section of the app. Broken down into continents, every single country is listed in alphabetical order. It is also possible to search for specific countries.
Clicking on a country brings up a small selection of information, including the capital city, the flag, and even its domain extension. Planning trips also requires knowledge of the country’s currency, something that is also in the list of information. I would like there to be a little bit more information for each place, similar to what is in the Lonely Planet guides, but maybe it’ll be expanded with future releases.
Been has reignited my passion for travel. I’ve started thinking a lot more about where I might go and when. If you’re looking for a way to record your trips or simply want to ignite a passion for the world, then Been is a great travel companion.
