Must-Have Travel Apps
As a travel aficionado and a budding business woman, I am learning to appreciate the amazing technological advantages of the 21st century through my beloved app store. As I prepare for my first overseas trip (whoot whoot!), I am learning more about what our smartphones and tablets can offer and, I must say, there’s some pretty cool stuff out there.
However, since I am on a “saving for my next vacation” budget, here are a few of my favorite FREE travel apps:
Google Translate: This app is the bomb. You can translate between 64 different languages, either by typing or speaking your phrase into the phone. The app will provide you with instantaneous results, either written or verbal. Might come in real handy if you’re ever trying to figure out how to say “Where’s the bathroom” in Japanese and your fingers aren’t working as fast as they should. Just sayin….
Skype: This is a great tool for international travel! Simply download the free app, add a few dollars to your Skype account, and call home using the (typically) generous free wi-fi that is offered abroad. Why pay those crazy international roaming fees when you have this as an option?
Trip Advisor: Oh how I love Trip Advisor, let me count the ways…. This website is just everything to me, and the app offers its content at your fingertips. You can obtain user reviews of hotels, resorts, organized tours, restaurants, flights….it’s all right here. For those who like to do their research, this app was made for you.
TripIt: This is the place where you can put all of the details together for your next trip, helping to remove the shuffling of papers and itineraries for the organized and semi-organized traveler. By sending your travel details to TripIt, you’ll have all of your confirmation numbers in one place. Nice!
Kayak: Shopping for a flight? Why not compare multiple airlines at your fingertips? Kayak also lets you look for hotels and rental cars, as well as tracking fares via push notifications.
In addition to these apps, many travel vendors have their own brand-specific applications that can be downloaded for free.
Do you have any travel apps that you rely on? I’m always open to suggestions! 🙂