10 must-have apps for your next trip

08/12/2014

Packing your bag is no longer enough for your trip: download these apps and get your smartphone travel-ready!

A map, a good pair of shoes, a big backpack and maybe a compass: this used to be all that you needed for any backpack travel. Times have changed since then, and now apparently the only thing we can’t leave behind is our smartphone: smartphones really changed the idea of travel itself!

So, for the flashpacker that is inside each one of us, here are the apps that everybody should install on their phones before setting sails.

CURRENCY

It is a basic but stylish app, ideal to keep track of currencies exchange rates. The converter has more than 160 currencies and it shows a cool real-time graphic depiction of international exchange rates. Only a few functions, then, but all you need to avoid exchange frauds!

WORLDLENS

When travelling abroad, it is common to find signs that you find hard to understand: just ignoring them might not always be a good idea! Worldlens comes to the rescue! It is a simple but ingenious app. Just take a picture of any unintelligible sign, and the app will translate it on the fly!

POSTAGRAM

If the vintage charm of postcards is not lost on you, and you don’t mind being the most hipster among your friends, Postagram is a cool way to send memories of your travel to those who are as hipster as you, or those old family members who still don’t totally grasp “that internet thing”. With Postagram, you can pick any picture on your phone and send it as a real postcard to a friend’s house, at very reasonable prices.

FOREVER MAP

We all know how useful a map can be in a town you do not know. But to use a map on your smartphone you might have to pay the scary roaming data costs. Luckily, here comes ForeverMap: an app you can use to download maps of your destination before leaving. Once you reach your destination, just turn off data roaming and enjoy your map! Google Maps has this feature too - you can download maps that will be stored on your device, but only for 30 days!

TALK TRANSLATE

We have seen that Worldlens can help you when it comes to translating signs… but what happens when you need to actually talk to somebody? Don’t panic, that is what Talk Translate is for: this app has vocal recognition and translation for 28 languages! A pocket translator that you will certainly use a lot!

GOOGLE GOGGLES

Take a picture with your phone and ask Google Goggles to help you identify what you are seeing. Goggles will immediately search its database for similar pictures and useful info on the object you just captured. The app also reads QR codes and barcodes on many items.

WAZE

Can a GPS navigator be social? If it is Waze, it can! Waze is a great app that adds a system of messaging and warnings to the usual GPS functionalities: users can exchange messages in real time about traffic or accidents on the road. You will have first-hand updates on traffic jams, queues, roadwork or any other traffic issue on your route… including speed traps! The more social you are, the more info you share, the more functions you will unlock!

PHOTOSYNTH

Some places are just so amazing that a simple picture just won’t cut it… how about a 360° photo, then? To serve justice to spectacular views such as the Red Square in Moscow, or the Dolomites, or the Grand Canyon, you can take a panorama shot up to 360° around you: this is what Photosynth does! Create spectacular pictures and share them with your friends on the fly…the let the likes and the envy flow!

EXPENSIFY

A must-have app for business travellers, Expensify is also very useful when it comes to everyday travel or backpacking. Expensify helps you calculate your expenses and the mileage of your trips, creating a detailed report of your costs. In times of recession, keeping your expenses under control also when traveling could be very useful!

PACK POINT

Do you panic every time you have to pack? You just can’t fit everything you need in a cabin-size bag? You bring hiking shoes to the beach, and fins to your mountain trips? Pack Point was made for you! It will help you to sort out your bag... and your mind. A well-made bag is the first step towards a happy holiday!

This is all for our top 10, if you know any other travel app you would like to see mentioned let us know in the comments… if on the other hand you still prefer the old school map and compass, our respect to you!

P.s. Don’t forget that, when traveling, you can also use HostelsClub.com on your mobile!

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