Top 5 travel apps – don’t leave home without them.
By Urszula Mos*
Swimsuit and toiletries? Check. Itineraries, maps and reservations? Check. Neighbour got the cat? Sure does. Lithuanian up to scratch? It’s a long flight… The most indispensable travel item in this day and age is your mobile device. Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure the multitude of apps available at the end of your fingers exist so your time is maximised enjoying your surroundings and not reading outdated travel journeys. These apps cover any and all of your travel needs, so don’t forget your mobile!
Our top 5 apps for travel:
TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is nothing new to the travel industry. This greenly lit wise owl can help you find everything from hotels to restaurants, suggested itineraries or self guided tours, all of which come with photos, reviews & ratings so you know where the place to be is. The beauty of this app is that once you have it all downloaded, it works fully without any internet connection (which is hard to come by when you are travelling). In addition, the “Point Me There” option works as a compass to guide you to your destination – again, no internet. Nice.
Available on iPhone (free), iPad (free), Android (free) and Windows Phone (free)
Trover
Trover works by capturing the hidden gems of travel that one might miss on their journey. This stylish app uses photos from people around the user as an anchor to help anyone in the community share art, food, monuments, places, restaurants, cool locations to discover. The way the “Near By” section is set up means you are always going to be seeing things that are close to you – almost like taking a walk in a new city and discovering visual elements as you trek, a cool and incredible way to see things easily.
Available on iPhone (free), iPad (free), Android (free) and Windows Phone (free)
Looking for a decent Wi-Fi hotspot is essential if you want to keep your Facebook fans jealous with details of your latest sojourn without compromising on your budget. No need to charge through the city looking for a cafe and a pastry and coffee you don’t need – simply fire up this handy app and it will lead you to free wireless internet. Best of all, the offline mode means you can download maps before you go and with worldwide support, it should work anywhere.
Available on iPhone (free), iPad (free), Android (free) and Windows Phone (free)
Better Translator Pro
Want to strike up some banter with locals in the streets of Auckland? Get into a little Maori dialect? This is the best-rated translation app on Android, and for good reason. More than 50 languages are supported; while an impressive 11 languages work with the app’s voice recognition function. This also works with Google Maps and Bing, meaning it will translate wherever foreign language is needed.
Available on Android ($1.95)
If you are flying by air, you will want this app. Follow the path of thousands of international flights with updated and reliable flight times, terminal and gate numbers and terminal maps.
This app is the best in its class because it has a clean interface and will provide real-time flight itinerary updates at a glance – perfect when you are on the go.
Available on Android, BlackBerry and iPhone/iPad.($9.99)
*Urszula Mos is the Markting star behind AppsCore – an rising player in Android, Blackberry, and iPhone app developers in Australia. For clients looking for mobile apps – Appscore make their idea into a reality.
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