The Apps You Need

THE TRAVEL APPS YOU NEED FOR YOUR NEXT OVERSEAS TRIP

Technology has had a massive impact on the way we travel. Thirty years ago, travelling abroad was life-changing. But fast-forward three decades where everything’s supported by technology and it’s a completely different experience.

These days, your mobile phone is as important as your passport. But in a sea of available travel apps, how do you know which ones will really enhance your journey?

Here's our top ten:

Smart packing

Getting the packing right can be tricky. Packing Pro and PackPoint are two apps that help you to customise your packing list, depending on your activities, location and weather.

Building your itinerary

TripIt keeps all your travel information in one place. After loading your flight confirmation, you can build an itinerary by adding hotel bookings, restaurant reservations and activities, and sharing it with family and friends. Your confirmation slips are conveniently at hand and in one location.

Mapping your journey

Usually, there’s little need to look beyond Google Maps. But what do you do if you’re offline? Simply type ‘ok map’ into the search bar and you’ll get the option to save it for offline use.

Tracking your flight

Knowing that your flight is delayed helps you to plan your time in the airport, especially if you have young children, or a connecting flight. The FlightTrack alerts you to delays and even has terminal maps to help you navigate the airport.

Safety first

Travel Riskometer calculates your personal travel risk. The interactive app checks the safety of the country you’re traveling to while analysing your travel profile. The Travel Riskometer is powered by Chubb partner, Red24.

Accessing your documents

Do you know which number to call if your credit card gets lost or stolen? Can you remember the account number? Do you carry photocopies of all your important documents? Cloud technology means you can have access to all your scanned documents and passwords wherever you are in the world. Try 1Password to keep your login and bank details secure, and Dropbox to keep your all scanned documents safe.

Getting over jet lag

If you suffer from jet lag, you could spend more time recovering than exploring. The JetLag Genie helps you take the right steps before, during and after your flight, by customising a plan based on your flight, location and sleep patterns.

Converting currency

Getting the hang of the local currency can be tricky, especially when you’re jetlagged. There are lots of currency convertors on the market, including XE Currency, which is easy to use.

Jumping the language barrier

Some conversations can be held using gestures, like asking for the bill. But for some conversations this might not be the best method, especially if you’re trying to find the bathroom. Try Google Translate.

Sending a postcard

Finding postcards, buying stamps and finding a Post Office is becoming more and more difficult as the world adapts to the digital age. But what if you want to send a postcard to your grandmother who doesn’t have a computer? Stannp creates postcards using your own photos, prints them out and sends them for you.