PackPoint
(Free. iOS and Android) - this app helps you create a packing list, it helps by
asking questions about your trip - it figures in weather, children, purpose of
your trip and then it suggests what you pack but you can customize it, then
when you're ready to pack just check the items off your list.
Sleep Sounds HQ
($1.99. iOS only) 600+ sounds that include city sounds, crickets, white noise,
clothes dryer, babbling brook, fan blowing, and much more so that you can find
something that hotel room feel a bit more like home to help you fall asleep or
meditate before a big meeting.
Google Maps
(Free. iOS, Android, Windows) this app has gotten better and better; quicker
navigation, brighter / cleaner display, reviews of businesses, hours of
operation, maps of indoor spaces for certain venues: stadiums, malls, museums,
etc. It has photos of locations, alerts you to tolls, offers different routes,
and can give pedestrian / bicycle routes for some cities. It sometimes makes
mistakes, on my recent trip I went to an ice cream place that was no longer in
business. I sent them an edit request so it doesn't happen to someone else.
Hotel Tonight
(Free. iOS and Android) Perhaps you need a hotel room tonight because an
emergency or a mistake or just because you are being spontaneous, this app will
get you a room tonight at the best possible price. You can actually book up to
7 days in advance so it can be one of many companies you use to get a good
price, they often have coupons / deals. With a price guarantee and 24/7 service
users have given the app high marks.
City Maps 2Go Offline Maps (Free, $4.99. iOS and Android) One of the issues with
foreign travel is expensive or nonexistent data, with this app you can download
maps of the cities you plan to visit and it will incorporate your GPS to help
you get around. It can still help you find the bars, monuments, restaurants with
out needing to connect to Wi-Fi or cellular data. Only a few maps are available
on the free version, so you may have to pony up for the map you need with the
premium app.
iStone
(Free. iOS only) An app for those without language skills it gives 300 common
phrases in 12 languages giving native pronunciation and does not need a data
connection.
Postagram
(Free. iOS and Android) Do you like to send a postcard or letter from where
your traveling? This app will let you use your own pictures and text to create
a postcard to send. They print and mail it for you, and in many instances it is
cheaper than buying a postcard and mailing it the old fashion way. I have
personally used this app several times and once you import your contacts it is
a fast easy way to send something personal from your travels.
Minube
(Free. iOS, Android, and Windows) Get the scoop from people who know, there
are 24,000 destinations in about 200 countries (and counting). More than
100,000 mini-guides from travelers for free or at a small cost. With tips like
"quickest way to hike from Barcelona to Madrid" or "how to cross
the hills without killing yourself". This social travel app allows you to
make friends and ask questions.
Airports by TravelNerd
(Free. iOS only) real-time flight tracking app that provides
you information on the airport, including gate information, detailed floor
maps, Wi-Fi availability and hours for shops and restaurants. There is a ride
sharing feature where you can find others headed to the same destination and
you can share a taxi.
XE Currency App
(Free. iOS and Android) gives you current exchange rates, allows you to view
multiple currencies at once, gives historic exchange information, downloads
information for use when there is no data connection available.
Waze (Free.
iOS and Android) a social GPS app provides live traffic updates on jams, police
traps, accidents and other hazards. Saves money by comparing the prices of the
gas stations along your routes or around you, they've even partnered with a few
gas stations to provide discounts through digital coupons on the app. Works for
100 different countries.
Expedia
(Free. iOS, Android, Windows, Web) their website provides some of the best
prices for flights and hotels but the app has some unique deals and discounts,
along with a flight tracker it has helpful hotel reviews that you can sort to
see if a bad review truly reflects their service or if it was just a bad
day.
Hipmunk
(Free. iOS, Android, Web) a lot like other flight and hotel aggregation apps
except it includes non-traditional lodging options like Airbnb and Homeaway. It
will show you prices from all of the popular booking sites but you can't
actually book a flight or room with it.
Kayak
(Free. iOS, Android, Windows, Amazon, Web) another car rental, flight, and
hotel aggregation app that scours all the popular sources but it will allow you
to book and pre-pay for your travel arrangements. It also has flight tracking,
videos, price alerts, and much more. This is one of the most popular travel
apps out there, I've used it several times. It has a very easy-to-use design.
Orbitz
(Free. iOS, Android, Amazon, Web) car rental, flights, and lodging; They are
one of the first travel websites and apps, but they have also kept up with all
the upstarts. They have a lowest price guarantee and are known for excellent
customer service. For a lot of travelers they are a go to app.
Skyscanner
(Free. iOS, Android, Windows, Amazon, Blackberry, Web) a great search
for cheap flights. You can choose dates and your home airport and it will
tell you the cheapest flights to anywhere in the world. You can easily adjust
your search with an easy-to-use interactive graph to find the cheapest time to
travel. SkyScanner partners with a site called ebookers.com for the actual
sale.
GateGuru
(Free. iOS and Android) reviews of the bars and restaurants in airports; tips
and tricks to getting around or making your time at the airport more bearable;
hours of the business and services at each airport; along with maps of airports
to get you to your gate fast.
Flight Track
(Free. iOS and Android) real time updates of all your flights, even while you
are in the air. It will color code the flight based on how far behind it may be
delayed so you can decide on a quick bite, another drink, or a whole meal. You
can also share your flights with others so they know if you've arrived or if
your flight is delayed.
Google Translate
(Free. iOS and Android) one of the best apps out there, it has a camera feature
where you can take a picture and it will show it to you in any of 36 different
languages. Overall it supports translation of 90 languages you can use camera,
handwriting, keyboard, or voice. The voice mode has automatic language
detection that can be switched to conversation so you can have words translated
in a natural phrasing. You can save your translations for future use.
Maps.me
(Free. iOS, Android, and Blackberry) downloadable detailed maps for every
country in the world. It allows you to create routes and navigate public
transportation. Claiming to have saved over $50 million dollars in roaming data
charges for users it has been featured in many tech publications and was one
"Google Play Store's 2014 Apps of the Year"
Uber (Free.
iOS, Android, Windows) - if you want to get a ride and you're more tech
inclined Uber provides a ride at a rate that is usually less expensive than a
taxi or car service. You can see the rating of your driver and get an estimated
time of arrival at your destination. The app handles all of the money with a
credit or debit card, both driver and passenger get rated.A third of UBer drivers
are taxis, limos, car services and they increase prices based on demand so
there are times that they are not the cheapest option. In Asia, Uber provides a
more expensive limo / luxury car experience not ride sharing but many travelers
are willing to pay extra for a dependable / safe ride overseas.
Lyft (Free.
iOS and Android) Like Uber it provides a ride and in much the same way but many
find Lyft to be less expensive. They have a million dollar liability insurance
policy on each driver and require them to pass a rigorous background check
(similar to Uber). The app allows multiple passengers to split the fare.
TravelSafe Pro
($1.49, Android only) for traveling abroad this app has emergency contact
numbers, embassy information, and quick dial widget for your emergency contact.
Local emergency contact numbers.
Codegent
(Free - $5.99. iOS and Android) Learn any of 25 languages or select any of the
600 hundred words or phrases spoken by native speakers. It downloads all the
necessary data to your phone so you don't have to incur roaming charges.
Includes tips for travelers and stores your frequently used phrases. Certain
languages and phrases are free while others charge between $4 and $5.99.
Best Parking
(Free. Android only) this highly rated app provides you with the price and
availability of parking garages, meters, and where street parking is available.
It will also inform you of parking regulations for street parking which can be
dicey in large cities like New York or Chicago.
SpotHero
(Free. iOS only) another parking app this one incorporates some other features:
reserve a spot, pay for a spot including most major companies that handle
street parking, show available spots in certain parking lots / garages, gives
you discount rates and coupons for using the app to pay. After a recent trip
where I had problems parking in downtown St. Louis, I'm downloading this one.
Honorable Mentions:
Air France
(Free. iOS only) the stand-out feature about this app is that it has a music
player. You can get unique tracks from the clouds by holding your phone up and
some of the music is available only in that city (it varies from destination to
destination). They also provide perks like airfare discounts and special event
tickets.
Fly Delta
(Free. iPad) explore destinations, read their Sky magazine, reserve your seat,
track your flight, watch in-flight entertainment, but the real attraction is
their "Glass Bottom Plane" feature that allows you to see the view
over different cities.
Flying
(Free. iOS only) share your flying travels with your friends, see all your
travels on a map, rack up miles, create a virtual scrapbook of your travels and
earn badges. It bills itself as Facebook for travelers.
Photosynth
(Free. iOS and Windows) If you love panoramic photos this is the app for you.
Take a bunch of pictures and load them into the app and voila it will stitch
together a panoramic picture. Vertical, horizontal, or 360 degrees it will
create a large high resolution jpeg file from your photos. See other amazing
photos that people have created and shared.
