With two-thirds of Americans owning smartphones, smartphone are apps are a major part of our everyday lives. We use them for music, banking, and more, but apps are especially helpful for travellers. The ability to access maps, learn about great places to visit, and even get help with the local language is nearly invaluable for anyone not on their home turf, making travel that much more enjoyable.
As is to be expected, there are plenty of travel-related apps out there, but a few stand head and shoulders above the rest. They are...
Google Maps
The app that's almost made the traditional paper map obsolete, Google Maps is packed with all sorts of details, highlighting everything from convenience stores and post offices to restaurants and attractions. Google Maps not only tells you where things are located, but also the most efficient way to get there, whether you're travelling by car, public transportation, or on foot. (free)
If you’re looking for opinions about attractions, hotels, vacation rentals, and restaurants--or if you want to write your own--this app delivers these, as well as information on public transportation and walking directions. (free)
With this app, you can search and book flights, hotels, and cars as well as develop trip itineraries, check on baggage fees, and find phone numbers and websites for all major air carriers. (free)
The Priceline iPhone app allows you to select the area and quality of your desired hotel and name your own prices. There are also exclusive app-only discounts for airport rental cars. (free)
FlightBoard
A relatively simple app, FlightBoard allows users to access any airport’s Arrivals and Departures screen on a phone and receive alerts with real-time flight updates. ($3.99)
Google Translate
Forget those big bulky language books--Google Translate can translate phrases and words into 57 different languages utilizing voice recognition software. Here’s how it works: Type or speak the phrase and the translation appears on the screen on audio playback. (Note: Audio playback is available for most--but not all--languages). (free)
Anyone who has ever traveled overseas doesn’t have to be told the importance of knowing where the nearest bathroom is located. This ingenious app has a database with over 100,000 toilets around the world, each of which is rated for cleanliness. You can search by city, zip code, or geolocation. (free)
Nothing can ruin a vacation faster than bad weather. Who wants to be on a cruise during a tropical storm or on hike a trail in a monsoon? This app offers basic weather updates and specialty items like integrating your contact list and access to maps to check on weather at your upcoming destination. ($1.99)
For long-haul flights, this app is a great distraction. Lots of fun is the air-traffic-control strategy game, which allows you to coordinate flight patterns on a touch screen. ($0.99)
If you like cruising, you’ll enjoy this app, which features 12,000 itineraries on 20 cruise lines with items like detailed cabin photos, deck plans, and port locations. (free)
