Best iPhone and iPad Apps for Travel

The mobile device market has changed the face of computing over the past five years.  Users who wish to stay updated on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, check reservations or make online transactions, or just keep up with the news no longer have to lug around a large unruly laptop.  The mobile devices of today are more powerful than the laptops of just a few years back, and their size introduces a mobility that introduces whole new dimensions to computing that were not even conceived of ten years ago.  Apple’s iOS platform devices, the iPhone and the iPad, have lead the charge in creating great mobile computing experiences for users through their intuitive designs and innovative applications.  The business or leisure traveler of today can take advantage of computing and connectivity in whole new ways with Apple’s mobile platform.  Here are a few of the more useful apps available for tech savvy travelers.


Google Maps

While there are rumors that Apple is replacing the Google Maps app with their own map functionality, this is still one of the best uses for your mobile device if you need to figure out how to get somewhere in an unfamiliar place.  Coupled with the iPhone’s built in GPS functionality this is as close to a killer app that any mobile device can get.  Google has been at this a while, and with features such as street view and traffic updates, this is the must have app for any traveler.

Tripit

Tripit is a great travelers app for organizing all of your travel plans.  Tripit can keep track of your flight plans, including any delays or changes, your hotel reservations and rental car information.  On top of this, it can also help you organize your busy itinerary for those busy business trips.



FlightAware

FlightAware is a great app for keeping up with your air travel reservations.  FlightAware will push notifications to your phone in the case of flight cancellations, boarding gate changes, or last minute delays.



Google Translate

Gone are the days of the pocket foreign language phrase book.  With Google Translate, you can type your desired English phrase into the app and it will return a roughly equivalent translation in the native tongue of whatever country you are visiting.  Conversely, if you type in a foreign language phrase, it will return to you the English equivalent.  While the app does not work perfectly due to idiosyncrasies between different languages, it does at least as good of a job as your parents’ old Russian-English phrase book.


Instagram

With its easy to use interface, and Photoshop like features, Instagram is a must have application for all traveling shutterbugs.  Instagram allows you to edit your pictures taken with your mobile device on the go right on your phone or iPad.  You can also add some interesting affects to make your pictures more interesting or provide a more artsy edge or fun atmosphere to your travel photos.  Instagram integrates seamlessly into your social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, and comes at no cost to you.

Yelp

Looking for a great restaurant that features excellent local cuisine at a reasonable price?  Are you having car trouble and need to find a reliable mechanic quick?  Yelp is a premium user review service that allows users to share their reviews of restaurants, mechanics, hotels and any other retail business that other Yelp users would find helpful.





WeatherBug

There is nothing worse than having your plans for a family outing at the zoo ruined by thunderstorms.  With WeatherBug, you can check your five day weather forecast directly from your mobile device at any time and adjust your plans as needed.

The post is authorized by Jason Phillips. He has contributed hundreds of quality articles to blogs and sites. In his leisure time he loves to listen the music and read novels.