Travel Apps for Your Mobile Phone

Mobile devices have changed the way we travel. There was a day in the not-so-distant past when suitcases were weighed down with travel books and cars were littered with print outs of directions and lists of restaurants and attractions. These days, everything we need to know about a new city is right on our smart phones.

Practical travel apps range from cheeky, like Sitorsquat, a location based app that helps you find the nearest restroom, to helpful, like Lingolook Flashcards and Google Translate that give you quick access to words and phrases in other languages. HiConverter does more than tell you currency rates, it converts foreign clothing and shoes sizes and includes a handy tip calculator.

If you’re traveling by car, apps like Gasbag help you identify the nearest gas stations, including prices so you can comparison shop. For long trips, Packing Pro provides a thorough checklist so you don’t forget to stop newspaper service or pack your prescriptions. Kayak, Yelp and Trip Advisor can help you find flights, restaurants, hotels and more and get recommendations from other travelers, which is invaluable when you’re traveling to a new place.

The Skype app can help you stay connected to loved ones anywhere in the world. Provided you’re connected using wireless internet, it’s free if you’re calling another Skype user, and only $0.02 a minute if you’re calling a land line.

BlackBook and Wallpaper magazines offer city guides to the world’s largest and most frequently traveled cities, providing a precise, informative insider’s checklist for the design conscious traveler. The apps are updated constantly so the information is always relevant and fresh.

These handy apps sure beat a five pound Lonely Planet guide book in your suitcase, and will certainly ward off the disappointment we’ve all felt when we sat in a mediocre restaurant in a foreign city just knowing there was a hidden gem right around the corner. All apps are available on iTunes.

More Apps And App Resources We Love:

FlightTrack
Metro Maps
Trip It
The Daily
The Weather Channel
http://www.phaidon.ca/travel/
http://www.appolicious.com/curated-apps/668-your-travel-buddy
http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-everything/traveling
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/15/travel/15hours.html