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Solid planning can make a trip and almost everyone would do it if it was a little easier. A number of iPhone apps do make trip planning easier and more convenient. So what are the best travel apps for iPhone?
Google Trips
Leading the pack these days is Google Trips. The lazy traveler’s dream, Google Trips puts everything in one place so you don’t have to bounce from site to site booking hotels, tours, and car rentals. A daily itinerary organizer and location-based activity suggestions complete with reviews are sweet bonuses. The apps even provide information without internet so you can map out day-to-day plans during your flight.
Kayak Mobile App
Kayak’s mobile app is a great example of an app that does the heavy lifting for the user. Searching for flights and hotels on the app is easy enough, but the price alert feature is what makes it into the highest ranks of user-friendly apps. By providing basic flight and hotel criteria (dates and destinations) you will receive regular updates on price changes so that you can pull the trigger at the right time. Kayak works because it’s all about making things smooth for the user. Expect other apps to follow this highly experience-focused lead.
By Benjamin DadFrom a communication standpoint, Whatsapp is an absolute must. A simple texting app, it is the definitive favorite alternative to standard SMS messaging. That girl you met at the bar isn’t going to use iMessage so you better be well versed in the ways of Whatsapp. In addition, wi-fi calling means you don’t have to worry about expensive international calls. If the wi-fi signal is strong, the call quality is excellent. Be sure to add a profile picture as well.
Flightstats
The best app for business travelers might be Flightstats, a service that allows travelers to check in on flights statuses around the world. For a business person hopping from city to city, knowledge of delays is critical. And if you know the weather is taking a turn for the worse in a certain region, you can check your plane’s flight path to see if it might be affected.
Although it’s not a travel app by design, Instagram has the power to spark a trip across the globe with a single photo. But it’s the “explore” page that is at the front of the mobile app personalization movement. Say you start following an Indonesia travel page. Soon enough, your explore section will be full of Bali sunsets and surfers carving up perfect swells. Soon enough, your regular feed will have ads for hotels and hostels. All you have to do is buy a ticket.
Guides
For a more in-depth look at common large city tourist destinations, Guides by Lonely Planet is a good pick. Although it covers only 38 cities, the coverage is comprehensive, offering roughly 1,000 points of interest for each covered city.
As if this wasn’t easy enough already, all of the mentioned apps are free. So no more excuses. Get out there!