Travel Apps to Help You Jet Around the World
How did we ever travel before the Internet and smartphones came along? Apps have become essential travel-planning tools, but it’s hard to figure out which ones are the best choices. We found some great apps designed to help you with everything from hotel reservations to currency exchange to flight tracking.
Making Plans
Stay.com – This collaborative travel app works online and offline incorporating city maps, attractions, the latest hotel and restaurant info, and expert recommendations. It allows you to plan a tailored travel guide with your friends or family so everyone gets to see what interests them. If you log in via Facebook you can see places your friends have visited, and add your own personal places as well.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (Free)
or Android (Free)
TripIt – Let’s get it all together. TripIt will organize all of your reservations into one convenient master travel itinerary that includes maps, directions, and weather. The days of printing out numerous reservations and confirmations are gone. TripIt allows you to consolidate all of your travel plans in one easy location.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (Free)
or Android (Free)
or BlackBerry (Free)
or Windows Phone (Free)
FlightTrack Pro – How about real-time, worldwide airline tracking at your fingertips? With FlightTrack Pro, you can keep track of departure times, gate numbers, and delays at the same time as the airlines themselves. They even update you on cancellations and help you find an alternate flight. This app can even import your itinerary from TripIt!
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch ($9.99)
or Android ($4.99)
or you can click here to find the device and price that’s right for you.
Clipix – Your trip is booked, and now you have to wait until that magic day of departure. In anticipation, you browse the web looking for that bag you saw in the store. What if you could save a photo or barcode of that bag and find it on your customized clipboard? What if the app would alert you when the price drops? Well that’s what Clipix does. You can also share your clipboards with friends if you want to.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (Free)
or Android (Free)
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In a Pinch
XE Currency – Bargain-shopping abroad can be tricky if you’re trying to convert currency on the fly. This little gem does just that. We’ve yet to find a currency not included, and all of the exchange rates are always up to date.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (Free)
or Android (Free)
or BlackBerry (Free)
or Windows Phone (Free)
INTERPRETRAVEL – Most folks know about Google Translate or BabelFish but how great would it be to have a live translator available to you in over twenty languages through your smartphone? With INTERPRETRAVEL you can connect within seconds to a live interpreter and he or she will translate for you. This app is perfect for communicating with a cabbie, ordering food, or any other situation you might encounter in your travels.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (2.99 + time)
or Android (2.99 + time)
HotelTonight – No reservation? No problem. Here is an app that allows travelers to make same-day hotel reservations at significantly more competitive rates than on popular travel sites. This powerful app has a growing base of locations and now includes user reviews of the hotels. This app is perfect for last-minute hotel reservations!
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (Free)
or Android (Free)
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Having Fun
Instagram – This immensely popular photo app lets you take pictures, apply colored filters, tag locations, and instantly share your travel memories with others. If you aren’t one of Instagram’s 100M+ users, you need to try this app.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (Free)
or Android (Free)
SeeMail – So you have all these great travel photos. Then you start getting questions from friends about those stunning moments you’ve captured. What if you could record your story and pair it with the photo for a unique audio/visual experience every time? Head over to their website for instructions on using it with Instagram and to their Facebook page to witness SeeMail in action.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (Free)
Coming soon for Android
CityMaps 2Go – This compact app saves maps offline as vector images providing quick, seamless loading. It also includes millions of local venues sorted by category and distance. Want more? Purchase “Wiki Plus” to save Wikipedia links for each selected venue. For more specific tours, check out their individual city guide or walking tour apps from $0.99-$1.99 each.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch ($1.99)
or Android (free)
Foodspotting – While there are plenty of ways to find, review, and check into local eateries, how do you search for specific dishes and see just how they stack up across venues? Enter Foodspotting – a photo-sharing-meets-restaurant-review app. Find the best Pad Thai in town or share photos from the hidden venues you know and love.
Get it for:
iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch (free)
or Android (free)
or Blackberry (free)
or Windows Phone (free)
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How will you use mobile apps to plan your next getaway? Any favorites we’ve left out? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page, or join the conversation every week on Twitter during the Jetset Extra Travel Talk.
