It seems like the holidays just passed, but let’s be honest with ourselves. As we sit here at our 9-to-5’s, we’re already planning our spring proceedings. With limited holiday days available, our vacation time needs to be best spent.
To help you do this, we’ve rounded up the top 5 travel apps for those looking for a spring getaway.
TripIt
Available for: Android, iPad, iPhone, Windows, Blackberry
Ideal for: Those bad at organising or those traveling with a lot of documents
TripIt, known to be your very own personal travel assistant, is one of those all-in-one apps ideal for any frequent traveller. It pretty much organises all your holiday-related information for you. It’s a nightmare trying to keep track of your flight details, hotel bookings, car hire references, etc. Using TripIt, you can forward any conformation numbers to the app which will create a detailed itinerary holding useful information. You can even sync it to your phone’s calendar which will notify you for any missed appointments.
HotelClub
Available for: iPhone and iPad
Ideal for: Frequent leisure and business travellers who are looking for bargains and variety
Finding a place to stay can be tiresome, annoying, and time consuming. Thanks to recent technology, though, all it takes is three clicks and you’re set. You’ll not only find more variety, but the whole process is altogether quicker and easier. The HotelClub app does a good job in proving that simplicity and ease of use is still the key to user-friendliness. The app includes thousands of hotels you can filter through from all over the world. No matter what your budget is, you’ll always find a place to stay. You can also link your app with the HotelClub member’s reward scheme to save you money off future bookings.
EveryTrail
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android
Ideal for: First visits and last-minute decisions to places you haven’t been before
You may be new to a destination and completely lost. It can be really useful to know what’s going on around your hotel. Perhaps you’re (still) trying to shed the winter weight and looking for a good jogging route near your hotel? Or maybe a walking tour showing you the city’s historical attraction? Whatever the case is, EveryTrail will give you guides and trails created by travellers just like you. If you find a hidden gem, you can make your own guide and include pictures you snap right from your phone.
Google Translate
Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android
Ideal for: Those travelling to a foreign country and don’t know the language
Your travels can lead you anywhere; even Indonesia. If that is the case, then the widely-used Google Translate can help you. The app lets you type or speak phrases from over 15 languages and translates them into over 50 languages you can choose from. You won’t have to guess what you’re ordering off an Indonesian menu ever again. I do recommend using Word Lens (iPhone only) for text, though—all you do is point your iPhone camera to what you want translated and it takes care of the rest.
Oanda Currency Converter
Available for: iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, Windows
Ideal for: Those travelling abroad or outside of an economic union
The golden question that pops into our heads just before we’re about to board the flight: what about money?! Should I withdraw cash here or there? Should I use a cash machine or just pay by card? These questions can be difficult to answer unless you’re into exchange rates and keep up with them on a daily basis. Unfortunately, our bank statements couldn’t care less about how much we know. The Oanda Currency Converter app is here for people just like us. It lets you see exchange rate changes for over 190 countries every day. Use it to figure out how much a meal will cost in both local and foreign currencies. It’s really the ideal resource for frequent travellers; invaluable to say the least.
Image By: Skyriser / Lix
