Travel: 10 Best Travel Apps

To help make your life and holidays just that little bit easier...

JetLag Genie
One of the most annoying things that could affect your holiday mood is jet lag. There are numerous ways to beat it, but this clever little app can give you some help. Once your travel dates, destination and usual sleeping times are added, the app will give you a bespoke guide on when to sleep, seek dark or control jetlag by getting up a little earlier a few days before your trip. It doesn't seem to have a lot of reviews but it's worth using even just once, if you are going on a long haul trip.
iPhone (£1.99)

FlightTrack
This app is really useful if you are waiting for a loved one, or just want to check in on your own flight. It follows the path of international flights on maps, with all information about arrival, departure, delays, and cancellations.
iPhone (£2.99), iPad (£2.99), Android (£2.99) and Windows Phone (£3.99)

Tipulator

Something I always struggle with is knowing when, where and how much to tip (or not tip!) when traveling. In some countries, it is offensive to tip anything, while in others you need to tip more than usual (New York...). This app is a tip calculator which will help you determine how much to take off your bill, or the best way to split it with others.

iPhone (£0.69)

Skyscanner

Clean, efficient, quick and to the point, Skyscanner's brilliant apps are super handy for any traveller as it finds the best and cheapest flights across all bookers for you. Search for flights via their flights app, or for hotels with the brand new hotels app (pictured). In the flights app there's an option to pin your search to your start screen and keep an eye on price fluctuations, and in the hotel app you can 'heart' your favourite hotels to compare them.

Available on iPhone (free), iPad (free), Android (free) and Windows Phone (free)

Banksy Bristol Tour

I've thrown this one in the mix as I really like the niche nature of it. We need more apps like this! I haven't personally tried it yet but think it's a genius idea. The legendary street artist Banksy is from Bristol, and this geo tagged map is your guide through the city via his artwork. It even has informational notes and artistic interpretations for each piece. Pretty cool!

Available on iPhone (£1.99) and Android (£1.99)

iStone

iStone is yet another very useful app that could be your daily saviour and eliminate a lot of time wasting or awkwardness with the locals. Containing more than 300 phrases, it translates into 12 languages and even helps with native pronunciation. No Wi-Fi needed!

iPhone, iPad (Free) 

Forevermap

Forevermap enables you to download any international map before you get there, and you can then use it on aeroplane mode and without incurring any data or roaming charges! Winning!

Wi-Fi Finder

Does what it says on the tin - absolutely essential with such high roaming charges nowadays. You can also download the WiFi maps before you head out, meaning you can find an internet spot anywhere without incurring any costs.

iPhone (free), iPad (free) and Android (free)

TripAdvisor

Real and honest reviews by real people - that's what you want when searching for anything from restaurants and hotels, to shops, attractions and even tourist spots. A traveller's free guide book, great for finding recommended spots, but don't panic if you see a negative review here and there on even the best hotels and restaurants...there will always be someone a little too picky out there.

iPhone (free), iPad (free), Android (free) and Windows Phone (free)

Foodspotting

I'm personally not a big fan of all the other food apps which make life a little too complicated with too much choice, reviews, and text in them. When I'm abroad, I'm usually in the middle of nowhere in the city and starving, so need to find a good place to eat straight away without thinking too much about it. What makes this app great is how specific it is to YOU. You can search for whatever you want to eat, and then browse the pictures of meals in your rare to choose the best restaurants for a specific dish! The pics make it so much easier to choose.
iPhone (free), Android (free), Blackberry (free) and Windows Phone (free)

Viber

One of the best things out there for frequent travellers, this free app enables users to make free calls to one another with 3G or WiFi. Sometimes the signal or sound isn't that great, but it beats paying rip off prices for a quick chat with mum!
iPhone (free), iPad (free), Android (free), Desktop (free), Blackberry (free) and Windows Phone (free)


I hope some of the above will be of use to you, or even inspire you to take a trip abroad soon!