Traveling is primarily a fun activity but it can quickly descend into chaos and stress if you don't watch where you are going or leave too many things to chance. With a little bit of planning, however, everything can fall into place beautifully for you.
Luckily, with the kind of apps available in the market you don't have to suffer badly planned or worse executed trips anymore. Here are some of the best apps to aid you with your travel, and help you plan and execute one memorable trip after another. The best thing about apps is that they make planning fun. With an eye on the budget, all the apps we have chosen for you (all barring one) are free. So you don't really have any excuse for not packing well or arranging for a cab to greet you when you land at your destination the next time you're away!
TripAdvisor-free
Download TripAdvisor for
For more downloads, go to Tripadvisor download page.
So where do you want to go in 2014?
Most of us have a travel wish list of sorts. What does yours look like? "Kiss a stranger on the balcony of hotel Du Cap in south of France?" Great! But won't you have to zero in on a location, find the perfect place to put up at, and find the best restaurant in the vicinity for a perfect date?
Wouldn't you want to read reviews of those who have gone there before you so that you can learn from their experiences?
TripAdvisor does all that and more. This has got to be the most popular travel app. It's got a lovely and user-friendly interface that makes navigation a breeze along with loads of photos so that you know what to expect.
If a trip is on the cards for you, this should be your first stop.
WorldMate-free
Download WorldMate for
How about if somebody itemized all your travel documents, receipts, confirmation emails and bills into one clean and intuitive itinerary so that you simply did not have to bother about locating ten different things on your phone or in your handbag?
A one-stop app, WorldMate helps you "plan, book, and manage every aspect of your trips".
It alerts you about flight times, gate changes, helps you book hotel rooms (after finding the best ones for yourself), rent cars, access your past trip information, and share all of this with your friends/family members. By streamlining the booking process, this app lets you focus on the experience of travel, rather than get sidetracked in tracking a multitude of things. A must-have for frequent travelers.
Packing Pro-$2.99
Download Packing Pro for
An app that helps you create lists and master lists so that you've made sure you've packed everything you could possibly need on your trip.
If you're not own an iOS device, there are similar apps available for other operating systems, too. In fact, any basic list-making app will do, except where packing list apps score is that they have in-built categories to help you cover as much ground as possible when packing. Toiletries, check. Meds, check. Warm socks, check. Ankle cream, check. Eye lens solution, check. Sports bra, check.
Packing Pro helps you pack for your family as well with its vast and impressive built-in support and suggestions. (They have really thought of everything!) You can also back up your data to the cloud and share it with friends.
Photosynth-free
Download Photosynth for
Taking pictures and sharing them with friends seems to be the primary reason for people to go on trips these days.
If great pictures are what you are after, you cannot go wrong with Photosynth. In fact, you can scarcely do better than it. This panorama app captures your world in 3D, lets you take wraparound photos, and gives you a ton of options to create droolworthy pictures that would make for excellent memories. You can even take full-length pictures of tall structures like the Big Ben right in front of you, something impossible otherwise from a short distance.
Once you have landed
We have so far spoken of the apps that help you plan your travel and execute it. Here are some apps that may prove very useful to you when you've just landed at your destination.
Perfect World Clock-free
Download Perfect World Clock for
Might sound very basic, but hey, you will agree that you need at least one app that works reliably to bring to you the time around the world in a clean interface, especially if you're on an intercontinental trip. If you've already got a similar app that came pre-installed with your phone/tablet OS, you don't need this. But if you haven't, download this without a second thought.
Hailo. The Taxi Magnet-free
Download Halio for
Instead of going searching for a cab, how about it found you? This "taxi magnet" might just be the thing for you if you dislike the idea of finding a cab in an alien place. A tap on your phone will alert the nearest licensed cabs of your requirements and will a vehicle suited to your needs will be promptly dispatched. They will locate you via the GPS of your phone and all you will have to do is waltz into the cab without having to shout or wave your arms vigorously as the sleet comes pouring down.
Sounds almost magical, doesn't it?
There's a con, however. (Uh-oh)
This service is only for those who are traveling in the eastern coast of North America, particularly in New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, Toronto and Montreal.
So don't forget to give Hailo a shout if you're in the region next!
AroundMe-free
Download AroundMe for
An app that helps you find the nearest café, movie theater, bank, toilet, or gas station when you're in a new place and know next to nothing about it. AroundMe is like a localized and customized mini-search engine that works using your GPS. Quite useful in a pinch.
Bonus tip:
Don't forget to download and install your bank's ATM hunting app if you're going to be traveling in your own country. While there are many third party ATM finding apps on the market, there's always a case of them getting your location wrong and hence producing unhelpful suggestions. Since this is a delicate matter, we recommend you rely on your own bank first and foremost and find beforehand the relevant (and functional) ATMs located in the places you're planning to visit.
Kirsti Callen has been working as a writer for LeraBlog for a long time. She loves to travel different places and likes to share her experiences with people to give them an idea about the best destinations and deals. She recommends buying flight tickets from Flight Network to get the best deals.
How come you never discuss travel apps for returning home? I have one app I can t leave home without. It’s called Simply Declare which keeps a running total for what I have bought, in foreign currency exchanged to my USD, making sure I don’t stress the customs forms upon returning home. It even allows me to hop from country to country. Email yourself a list and breeze through the border security, yahoo…