Need to order food in? You’re not just relegated to the expensive hotel menu. There are many apps available for iOS and Android that make it simple for you to order a meal regardless of where you are — even if you’re using alternative lodging or staying in a company apartment.

Eat24. One of the oldest and easiest to use apps, Eat24 boasts thousands of locations over the nation in over 1,500 cities — it has easily the largest selection out of any apps. You simply enter in your location and start your order; the menus are all available online and you can even add in special instructions for each item. Eat24 also includes restaurant ratings and reviews, so you can find a good place in an unfamiliar area.

Grubhub. Grubhub is only rolled out in a few dozen cities, but it’s one of the fastest ways to get a meal in those major metropolitan areas. Grubhub is cheaper than Eat24, boasting “free online orders” — though there still is a slight increase in restaurant fees and you usually should tip the driver. Grubhub offers some unique features, such as the ability to see trending dishes, find coupons and track your order in real-time.

Seamless. Operating very similarly to Grubhub, Seamless is usually available in major metropolitan areas where Grubhub doesn’t exist — so as long as you have both Grubhub and Seamless, you’ll usually be covered in most places that you go. Seamless also has a selection of restaurants in more suburban areas, so it’s more likely to be available if you’re staying at a place that is a little more off the beaten path.

Foodpanda. Specifically designed for fast pizza, burgers and sushi, Foodpanda has nearly national coverage. The catch is that they actually work with businesses that already offer online ordering by integrating with their existing systems, and that means that the service itself doesn’t have any of the nifty and neat features that the other three options do. But it still boasts that it is the “fastest” food delivery app out there — and that might very well be true if you’re in the mood for any of the three types of food it covers.

Most of these apps also work on a computer, if you’d rather fill out your order on your laptop. But don’t forget to always be cautious when you enter a credit card number into a new website! Many of these apps will also accept cash, if you’re a little more cautious about giving out your information.

Posted in: corporate travel, travel tips