Travel Appy: A look at the 5 best travel apps to install before jetting off

Apps have taken over our lives. Need to edit a picture? There's an app for that. Need a recipe? There's an app for that. Need to put the baby to sleep? Don't worry; there's an app for that too. Our smartphones have been taken over by apps, and the number of apps on the market consistently keeps growing every year. Truthfully apps make life much more comfortable. We know exactly what app to go to if we need to do something on our smartphones and that what makes them so popular.

Travel apps can help take the stress out of organising and finding places to visit or stay, especially when you are already at the destination. Most of us rely on apps we use at home like Google maps while on holiday to navigate around new surroundings. Thanks to apps, never before visited countries and areas can begin to feel like a home away from home. Travel apps can also help you book flights and find accommodation easily without having to do much running around. The fact that apps are so helpful explains why there are so many of them. Here a look at the best apps for travelling that you need to download before you set off. 

Google translate

Exploring is a wonderful thing but can feel difficult and tedious when you don't speak the national language. Google translate is an impressive app which can help you communicate with locals. The app provides translations in more than 100 different languages and now, thanks to machine learning, is more conversational than ever. The app allows you to listen to translations out loud and translates dictation. It can even translate your own handwriting on the screen. As long as you have this app there is no need to try and learn the national language of the country you are visiting.

Citymapper

Citymapper, along with Google maps is one of the best apps to use when searching for local transport options or places of interest. The number of countries featured on the app is steadily growing as the popularity of the app increases. The app connects to a ridesharing service which offers users the quickest way to reach their desired destination. The app also lets you check subways and train times offline for selected cities which can be quite handy when roaming. Citymapper has an intelligent function which will alert you when to get off the bus. This is super handy, especially when you are travelling on local transport in a new country.

Packpoint

There's nothing more annoying than forgetting to pack important items because you forget to put them on your checklist. Packpoint can help. Packpoint gathers essential data such as your dates of travel and where you are travelling to and creates a customised checklist of things for you to pack. The app takes into consideration what the weather forecast will be like for your stay as well as any participating activities you might be scheduled to while on your holiday — for example, swimming or a fancy dinner. The app on your smartphone will then offer you a list of items that you should include in your bag not only for your activities but also including general items you will need, such as face cream and socks. The fluidity of the app allows you to remove items you think won't be necessary while giving you the option to share your checklist with your friends, making sure they don’t forget their sock either.

Mobile Passport

If you are travelling to the U.S., then the Mobile Passport app is an excellent app to use. The app will let you skip the regular customs line once you have reached your destination and is officially approved for use by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. All you will need to do to skip the ques is to download the app and add your passport credentials onto it by scanning your passport with your phone camera. Currently, the app is accepted at 24 airports in the U.S. with the potential expansion to more airports. Before travelling, it would be best to see if the app is approved by the state you are travelling to.

Skyscanner

If you are looking for flights, hotels or car rentals, Skyscanner is the go-to app. The app searches the web to give you the most affordable and best options available via its travel partners to provide you with the best deals. The app allows you to see the cheapest dates to fly, which is always great and gives you the option to get alerts if the prices change. If you can’t make your mind up about where exactly it is you want to go, you can explore its 'Top Deals' selection from the closest airport to you with a list of affordable destinations, making picking your next holiday simple and easy.