Gone are the days where we have to carry tons of papers and documents when traveling. With the easy availability of smartphones, internet and apps, all you need to have with you is a few essential apps and you are good to go! Here are 10 of our favorite free travel apps for smartphones when traveling.
#1: XE Currency | iOS | Android
This app is really convenient when you need to know how much you are paying for stuff in your own currency. It is easy to use and there are many different currencies you can choose from. Since the exchange rate can be updated real-time, you can be sure you are paying what the app is telling you. However, I usually update the exchange rates first before heading to the airport incase I do not have internet connection at the destination.
#2: Uber | iOS | Android
Getting around in a new place can be a huge pain in the butt. To make things easier, you can use this app to get an Uber car to ferry you from one point to another and you don’t even need to be standing by the side of an unknown road trying to flag down a taxi. You can even pay using your credit card on the app itself, so even if you don’t have small change, it wouldn’t matter. You don’t even need to haggle the price or try to communicate with the driver on where you need to go.
#3: TripAdvisor | iOS | Android
This is one of the best travel review app that offers reviews of restaurants, hotels and places of interest, by other travelers. You can also view many photos of a place, uploaded by visitors, and since all these reviews are done by travelers, you can expect unbiased opinions to help you make your decision to visit a place or not.
#4: Google Translate | iOS | Android
Not sure what you are seeing in the menu? Google translate can help, just that it is a hassle to type the foreign words down. However, if you need to ask someone for something – for the toilet maybe, you can just type in your question in your native language, and it will get translated; use the “voice” function to get the app to speak the translation, and voila!
#5: Airbnb | iOS | Android
If you want to travel locally within your destination, this app is very useful to find those cheap quaint places to stay. You can browse through the huge database of bed and breakfast locations with photos included. If you have already made reservations using Airbnb website, this app will store all the important information as well as offers an in-app messaging system to contact your host should you need help in reaching your homestay.
#6: TripIt | iOS | Android
Organizing your trip can be quite a hassle, but with this app, you can plan it day to day so that you won’t miss out on what you really want to see or do. You can even key in important details such as hotel booking numbers, flight details, and your own guide on the places to visit. If you connect your email account to it, the app can even sync all the confirmation emails and important details into the app without you having to compile those yourself.
#7: Skype | iOS | Android
It would be a pain if you were to get back home from your travels to find that your phone bill has hit sky high. With Skype you can easily make phone calls at a lower rate; all you need is internet connection which you can get from your hotel or public Wi-Fi, or you can get one of those date-heavy mobile packages at your travel destination.
#8: Google Maps | iOS | Android
I know there are tons of map apps, but so far, Google Maps is one of the most complete, and you can even save offline maps incase you don’t have mobile internet connection. Compared to apps such as Waze, Google Maps would be better since you would be walking most of your trip. In fact, you can even get directions from one point to another using routes that includes public transportation such as buses.
#9: Tripomatic | iOS | Android
This app helps you plan what to do or see next in your travel. You can choose to launch it and plan ahead or even fire it up on the spot to check if there is anything nearby to head to, whether a cafe or a landmark. Since the app syncs with the Tripomatic.comwebsite, you can check out the sights on your desktop to plan your trip instead of doing it on a smaller screen.
#10: Yelp | iOS | Android
Yelp is actually more business-driven, however since businesses would want to promote their places, you can use this app to check out what’s around you. There are also reviews by travelers on this app on a particular place, and although there are other apps to use for places of interest, this app is usually used by the locals especially on eateries so you can dine where the locals usually go to. This app is also useful to find things like grocery stores as well as pharmacies and clinics should you encounter an emergency.