Top 1o Travel Apps

No.10 Packing (+TO DO!) 

Coordinating what you need to bring for both short and extended trips is often an exhaustive exercise in memory and attention. Luckily, this Packing app helps take some of the preparation stress off travelers by allowing users to create packing lists and check items off as they're packed. Not exactly sure what needs to be on the list in the first place? Well, Packing allows you to also view recreated sample packing lists or templates built for a variety of common trip types. Lists from previous trips can be saved for future reference should travelers want to equip themselves in a similar fashion. From a practical standpoint, the application can be just as helpful for reminding users what not to forget when returning as it is for pre-trip organization. 

No.9 Hipmunk

Booking flights on the fly is one of the most frustrating and costly experiences a traveler can face. Go for the cheapest flight you can find and you’ll probably end up in Atlanta for 36 hours waiting for your connecting fight. Here to change all that is the Hipmunk app, which although searches flights based on costs, also filters them based on variables like “Agony” (the amount of stops you’ll have to make in order to get to your final destination).

No.8 XE Currency

Unless your name is Thomas Crown and you're prepared for international travel at a moment's notice, chances are you'll need to exchange some money in order to get by. XE Currency is a useful tool for converting money from all over the world, helping users to better understand just how much cash they should expect to receive in the event of an exchange (before fees). Since it makes use of the iPhone's internet connection, exchange rates throughout the app are also updated as new information becomes available, insuring your exchange calculations stay up to date with the changes in the international currency markets.

No.7 Pano

Going on vacation often means taking more than a few snap shots of your adventures to share with others at a later date. Of course, regular snap shots will always remain a standard, but panoramic shots can sometimes be the best solution for capturing especially beautiful landscapes. Along those lines, Pano is an amazingly easy-to-use app that allows even novice photographers to shoot panoramas with up to 16 photos using the iPhone's onboard camera. Simply point the camera at the desired panorama scene, and follow the app's handy semitransparent guide to help line up each shot perfectly. From there, the software's advanced alignment, blending and color-matching algorithms do the rest of the work to create seamless images which can then be stored directly to your iPhone's photo roll.

No.6 Flight Tracker

There is nothing more frustrating than making an hours-long commute to your airport only to find out your flight has been delayed for half a day or cancelled altogether. Well, the Flight Tracker app aims to make this a thing of the past. Now, you can track flights with amazing maps, and receive real-time info on departure info, delays and gate assignments.

No.5 HotelPal

While we'd always recommend securing a hotel at your destination before you travel, it's understandable that sometimes sorting those details out once you arrive just can't done. Created with these scenarios in mind, HotelPal uses the iPhone's GPS functionality to show all the hotels around you. Going further, it also allows users to view rates after inputting their desired length of stay, see pictures of the hotel in question and view a compatible list of the hotel amenities. In other words, it's a great way to avoid endless drives searching for vacancy signs.

No.4 OMaps

Though the iPhone's built-in maps application is unquestionably useful for understanding where you are, it often requires 3G connections to function properly. So, if you happen to be out of the country and roaming, the cost of this 3G access can become overwhelming quite quickly. Luckily, oMaps allows iPhone owners to download maps to destinations ahead of time, then browse through them on the phone without the use of 3G or a connection to the internet. Based off the OpenStreetMap service, otherwise referred to as the Wikipedia of map pages, this service may not be as detailed as Google, but overall should be more than suitable, especially in heavily populated areas.

For instance, it still provides point-of-interest info related to restaurants, ATMs and mass transit stations. Also, since your phone's GPS functionality does not require a data connection to work, users can still press the GPS button to view where they are located on downloaded maps. Considering the savings this application offers, along with the possibility to still provide quite a bit of guidance in areas where there is no cell phone signal, it's an iPhone user's best bet for avoiding being completely lost in a foreign place.

No.3 Foodspotting

Perfect for travelers in search of the best restaurants, this app is powered bu users' own reviews and pics, making it a foodie's best friend. For each city, users can browse the app's selections alphabetically, by category, rank, and even neighborhood location. Naturally, you can also search for nearby restaurants on the list based on your current GPS location. 

No.2 Airbnb

The company that has revolutionized the way people book their vacation accommodations now has an app to match. With a couple of taps on your phone, you can find available residences, book them, communicate with the property’s owner, score crazy-cheap time-sensitive deals, and much more. Plus, you can access your online profile so that you can upload freshly taken pics in real-time.

No.1 Google Translate

Spanning over 50 languages, Google Translate allows you to translate text between 57 languages, receive translation by speaking into the phone for 15 languages, display translations so that they are easier to read, and much more. This is the definition of a game-changer.