Got travel plans this year? You probably do, and if you’re thinking of how to make your travel planning – and the trip itself – relatively painless, you are also probably thinking of tools (read: apps) that can help. The truth of the matter is that there is a glut of travel apps out there. Some of them are pretty good, while a lot are not really useful.
If you want travel apps that you will actually want to use, here are some essentials.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is supposed to be the “the most flexible and powerful flight search app in the world”. There are many travel apps that provide a similar service, but the claim might very well be true, with more than 670,000 flights from more than 600 airlines. That should pretty much cover what you need. Regular fliers will find this free app a constant tool, while not-so-regular fliers will still find it useful whenever they need to search for flights.
Expedia Hotels & Flights
Expedia is another well respected name in the travel industry. Expedia covers a lot of ground – from hotels to airfare to travel insurance. This app is free to download as well.
Airbnb
Airbnb has exploded in popularity, and rightly so. If you want comfortable accommodations without having to spend a lot on luxurious hotels, or if you want a personalized stay, Airbnb opens up a lot of doors. With their iOS app, you can check out your options whenever, wherever.
uPackingList
Do you really need an app to make a list of the things you need to jam into your suitcase for your trip? Maybe. Maybe not.
In case you do feel the need for an app, though, uPackingList will do the job for you. It even has a preloaded list of common items so that you simply have to select things. As it is free, you will see ads as you use it. There is, of course, the option of going for the premium version to get rid of the ads.
Word Lens
When you’re in a foreign country, you will likely get by with English and a phrase book. But what about signs in a foreign language? How do you translate them? Word Lens comes to the rescue. You simply have to take a photo of the sign using your iPhone’s camera. The app will then translate the words on the sign to your preferred language.
The app is for free, but you have to make in-app purchases to access various languages.
How about you, what travel apps have you used that actually give you value?
Image via Hello Travel
2 thoughts on “Travel Apps That Actually Give You Value”
Thank you for posting on these great apps, Noemi! My job at DISH requires a lot of air travel, so I am always on the lookout for apps that will make life in the air a little easier. I haven’t tried Skyscanner, or AirBnB yet; I will give them a shot next time I leave town. The one app that I would never leave town without is the DISH Remote Access app. I can use it to connect to my Hopper DVR to stream live TV or DVR recordings over the internet to my phone. That has come in really handy on those inevitable occasions where I run into a flight delay or layover.
A good currency converter is very useful. I use Currency by Oanda but there are others. The geek in me enjoys Flightrader24 for near time tracking of flights, it also has an augmented reality mode – point it at the sky and nearby flights are superimposed over your view.