Here are a few of my favorite travel apps to help with the travel experience. Leave me a comment and let me know your favorite apps too. I’m always looking for new finds!
PLAN
Evernote helps keep all your ideas, notes, documents, URL’s and more all in one place. Free iOS, Android
Pack Point generates a customized list of items you should pack. Free iOS, Android
Hipmunk compares the top travel sites to find the best hotel and flight deals. Free iOS, Android
World Mate helps you plan your trip. Free iOS, Android
TripIt syncs your flight confirmations, hotel reservations and more in your calendar. Simply send your travel confirmation emails to [email protected] and TripIt automatically creates a detailed daily itinerary for every trip. Free iOS, Android, WP
Drop Box saves files from your computer in an online account for later access anywhere in the world. Free iOS, Android, WP
MAP IT
Maps With Me is my go-to map companion. One key feature is the ability to download maps for offline viewing. Free iOS, Android, WP Pro $4.99
Google Maps is a popular app for navigation. I like the alternate routes for walking, biking, and public transportation. Free iOS, Android, WP
City Mapper is the ultimate transit app for travel to London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Washington DC, Madrid, Boston, Barcelona, SF Bay Area, Chicago, Milan, Rome. It is an amazing app due to the extensive information the app shares with you. Free iOS, Android
City Maps 2Go helps you plan the perfect trip with detailed offline maps, in-depth travel content, popular places, and insider tips. $2.99 iOS, Android
RIDE
Uber is one of the hottest companies in the world. When you open the app in your location and order a car, the app will estimate the arrival time and send a text saying your driver is on the way. A small photo with the driver’s name and phone number pop up on the app, while a car icon on the map shows you in real-time the car’s location. Uber bills your credit card at the end of the ride. You can rate the driver at the end of the ride. If you sign up using my invite link here, Uber will credit your account for $30 off your first ride. You can also download and sign up from the Uber iPhone or Android app, and just enter this invite code on the sign up screen: ${code} Free iOS, Android
Curb operates like Uber except a taxi company sends a driver. If Uber is not available, Curb is the next best option. Free iOS, Android
HopStop provides subway, bus, train, taxi, walking and biking directions in 600 plus cities. Free iOS
Waze will alert traffic incidents in real-time. Free iOS, Android, WP
Best Parking helps you find the cheapest and most convenient parking facilities in cities and airports throughout North America. Free iOS, Android, WP
Bikemap can help you to discover new routes to plan your next mountain bike or cycling trip. Free iOS, Android, WP
CarRental is the app I use to compare car rental prices. I think it is the best site for comparison shopping. Free iOS
Zipcar is ideal for short rentals. Check to see if your company has a corporate account with Zipcar for discounts. Free iOS, Android
FLY
Flight View allows you to track the real-time flight status and tracking map of any commercial flight worldwide. You can opt for push notifications for flight departure and arrival information as well as cancellations, gate changes, delays, and diversions. 99 cents iOS
Skyscanner flight search will help you find cheap flights and airline tickets to your favorite travel destinations. Free iOS, Android, WP
Gate Guru shows information about terminals and amenities in over 100 airports. Free iOS, Android, WP
InFlight Reader is one of my favorite finds. You can download magazines on your device to enjoy for 24 hours. Free iOS, Android, Kindle
Seat Guru is the ultimate source for airplane seating advice, in-flight amenity information, and airline recommendations by passengers. Free iOS, Android
Mobile Passport gives you the opportunity to deliver your passport information and customs declaration before being inspected by an officer to speed up processing at customs. Free iOS
SLEEP
Airbnb is a popular online community marketplace that connects people looking to rent their homes with people who are looking for accommodations. Free iOS, Android
Hostelworld brings you online bookings at thousands of hostels worldwide. Free iOS, Android
Hotel Tonight is a last-minute hotel deal app. It is available in select cities. Free iOS, Android
Trip Advisor is a travel website providing reviews of travel-related content. I use Trip Advisor to compare hotels. I also like the city guides. Free iOS, Android
White Noise works like a charm when I’m traveling and have to get to sleep in a noisy location. Free iOS, Android
EAT
Foursquare is my favorite Food app. I can read top recommendations for places near my location. Free iOS, Android
Yelp allows you to search for businesses near you and read reviews. Free iOS, Android, Kindle, WP
Find Me Gluten Free is great for finding restaurants that offer gluten-free food. I prefer this app since there are more listings than some of the other apps. Free iOS, Android
Happy Cow is a useful app for locating vegetarian dining options. I think it is the best one available for vegan dining recommendations. Free iOS, Android, WP
Tipulator is a simple tip calculator. Enter your meal total, select the percent you would like to leave for a tip, and hit the calculate button. Free iOS, Android
Foodspotting is a visual guide to good food and where to find it. Free iOS, Android
GUIDES
EveryTrail enables travelers to track, share and search for nearby walking, running, biking trails. Free iOS, Android
Luxe City Guides are available for select destinations. iOS
Findery is a new app I am enjoying. The app lets you take photos and notes from specific locations and tag them on a map anywhere in the world for other people to see and discover. Free iOS, Android
City Papers features an extensive collection of english-language newspapers from around the world. Keep up on world news, places you’ve lived and the hometowns of friends and family. 99 cents iOS
History Here is an interactive guide to thousands of historic locations across the United States. Free iOS, Android
GuidePal is a curated guide by locals featuring tourist information for worldwide destinations in a beautiful and interactive user interface. Free iOS, Android, WP
Visit Europe is a must-have app for planning a European vacation. Free iOS
Heritage maps over 1800 heritage locations across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. 99 cents iOS.
Triposo allows you to download country or city guides to your device for use offline. Free iOS, Android
Rick Steves Audio Europe is a collection of Rick Steve’s radio interviews, audio tours, self-guided walking tours of Europe. Free iOS, Android
Minube is an e-library that stocks user-generated mini-guides. Free iOS, Android
Ritz-Carlton’s Presidential Tips is a great guide for insider tips. Free iOS, Android
CHAT
Skype allows you to make free voice and video calls to other people who also use Skype. I prefer Skype to some of the other platforms. Free iOS, Android, WP
SnapChat is a text, photo and video messaging app that you use to send messages that will disappear one to ten seconds after your friend receives them. Free iOS, Android
Wi-Fi Finder is simply the best app for finding free or paid public Wi-Fi hotspots online or offline. Free iOS, Android
Onavo helps you control the amount of data you consume on your device by shrinking it. It is primarily used to save data when you surfs the Web, read emails, and use a map. Free iOS, Android
Viber lets you send free messages as well as make free calls to other Viber users, on any device and network, in any country! Free iOS, Android, WP
WhatsApp Messenger is a mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. Free iOS, Android, WP
WEATHER
Yahoo Weather is my favorite weather app. I love the stunning photography provided by Flickr. Free iOS, Android
Weather Live is another great weather app. $1.99 iOS
Ski and Snow Report brings you current snow condition reports at more than 2,000 ski resorts around the globe. The app also features first-hand ski reports from users. Free iOS, Android
KIDS
Stack the States is an awarding win app. Kids will learn state capitals, shapes, geographic locations, flags and more. $1.99 iOS, Android, Windows Phone, WP
Stack the Countries is a game focuses on basic country information such as capitals, landmarks, major cities, continents, border countries, languages, flags and more. $1.99 iOS, Android, Windows Phone, WP
Disney World is the official app for Walt Disney World. I use this app to make my fast pass selections. Free iOS, Android
CAMP
Woodall’s R.V. and Camping Co-Pilot will give you a complete review of potential campsites. Free iOS
HELP
Travel Safe helps you make emergency calls and texts anywhere in the world. 99 cents iOS, Android
Where to Wee helps you quickly find nearby restrooms. Free iOS
World Clock is known for its accuracy to show current local times for cities around the world. I use this app on my trips. Free iOS, Android, WP
Commander Compass Lite is a handy device to save where you parked your car. Free iOS
Survival Guide uses the US Military Survival Manual. Survival Guide’s 19 chapters of tips and techniques teach basic fire principles, how to deal with dangerous animals, how to survive all kinds of harsh environments, and much more. Free iOS, Android
SAS Survival Guide is the definitive guide to surviving any situation, anywhere in the world. iOS, Android, WP
m Passport provides access to the best local doctors, hospitals, and resources anywhere in the world. Free iOS, Android
JetLag helps restore your biological rhythm and adapt to the destination timezone more quickly. $2.99 iOS
Smart Traveler provides official country information, travel alerts, travel warnings, maps, U.S. embassy locations, and more.
Free iOS, Android
!Emergency! will dial the emergency services of your travel location. 99 cents iOS
Prey lets users track and locate a lost or stolen device. Free iOS, Android, WP
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
Metro is a comprehensive guide to worldwide public transportation. Free iOS, Android
Rail Europe is a handy tool for navigating Rail Europe. Free iOS, Android
Rail Planner is a great app I could not do without when traveling in Europe. Free iOS, Android
Paris Pastry Guide profiles over 370 of the best pastry, chocolate, candy and hot chocolate shops in Paris. Pastry chef, author, and blogger David Lebovitz created the app. Check out davidlebovitz.com for great articles about Paris and delicious recipes. $3.99 iOS
HerdTracker is an online site for a safari adventure. Free
XE Currency shows live exchange rates and allows users to calculate prices. Free iOS, Android, WP
LANGUAGE
iTranslate can translate words, phrases, and text in over 80 languages. Free iOS, Android
Word Lens will translate printed words using the built-in video camera on your device. Free iOS, Android
iTranslate Voice 2 is the best translation app. Using iTranslate Voice couldn’t be easier: Select the desired languages, tap the accompanying flag icon, speak into the microphone, and within seconds the translated text appears on-screen as well as spoken aloud. It is important to note you’ll still need an active Wi-Fi or cellular connection for the translation process. $4.99 iOS
Duolingo is my favorite language learning app. Free iOS, Android
Trip Lingo is handy app for travelers visiting foreign countries to help them learn useful words and phrases. Free iOS, Android
World Nomads is a helpful free app that contain a conversational language lesson with a local, plus over 230 basic phrases to help keep you traveling safely. Free iOS
MEMORIES
Flickr is making a comeback. The service introduced a new app for the iPad in addition to smartphones. You can instantly share images with Flickr groups, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. Enhance your photos by using built-in filters, editing features, and geotagging. Flickr is the best way to share high-resolution photos. Instagram has limitations for sharing. I think Flickr is the best photo sharing and storage site for the value. Free iOS, Android
Touchnote allows you to create a tailor-made postcard online. The service will mail your design as a physical postcard. Free iOS, Android
Stellar is one of my favorite new apps. Stellar is a creative app to design beautiful multi-page stories using photos, videos and text. Free iOS
FUN
Movie Pass gives you access to Unlimited Movies in Theaters Nationwide for a monthly fee. The device saves you money if you see movies often. I enjoy seeing movies on the big screen and an optional activity for long layovers. Monthly Fee iOS, Android
The Entertainer provides worldwide travel coupons. iOS, Android, WP
What are some of your favorite travel apps?