For most, our smartphones are one of our biggest travel essentials, and gone are the days of carrying around a fold-out map and studying a guide book for months on end. Nowadays, our phones can help with anything from learning the local lingo to locating the best restaurants and keeping you up-to-date with the latest weather forecast. So, whatever it is you need help with on your travels we have listed this year’s most useful free travel apps to take advantage of this summer.
1. Google Translate
Free, iPhone, iPad and Android
Google Translate is your go-to app if you fancy trying out a new language or need help with a translation. This handy tool currently works with 81 languages, so you no longer have to feel lost in an unfamiliar country if you don’t know the local lingo.
All you have to do is type or speak a phrase which you wish to translate, and wallah the app will provide an audio translation. Plus, having recently launched a new feature named ‘Conversation Mode’ all you have to do is hold your mobile between two people having a conversation and it will translate the conversation live.
2. Yelp
Free, iPhone, iPad and Android
We often go on holiday and waste precious sunbathing hours trying to locate an ATM, supermarket, or restaurant. Well, you no longer have to with the help of yelp. This app is the fastest way to find the nearest anything, which is great if you need to locate somewhere quick, for instance, the closest pharmacy if you suddenly become unwell.
3. Cost Split
Free, iPhone, iPad and Android
This is ideal if you’re travelling in a large group and want to split any costs equally. We all know that sharing the cost between a large group can become complicated – especially when you’re travelling and need to split the bill at a restaurant or bar.
The Cost Split app will allow each person to log what they have spent and add any expenses thanks to its cloud sync feature. Lastly, a report will be produced showing who has paid what, who needs paying back, and how much they owe. But the best thing about this app has to be the currency and offline support, which means you can choose the suitable currency for the country you are in and if your internet is limited.
4. Google Maps
Free, iPhone, iPad and Android
This has to be one of the most useful travel necessities, particularly if you have no sense of direction. As your very own walking Sat Nav with its built in voice-guided GPS you’ll never get lost again. This app will tell you where you are and how to get from place to place in minutes. This is great if you’re in a new country and you’re trying to locate a particular tourist spot or bar.
5. OpenTable
Free, iPhone, iPad and Android
Do you ever wish you had booked into that restaurant that everyone is talking about? Well, thanks to OpenTable you can! This app is a great forward-planning tool when you’re on your travels and want to make dinner reservations.
All you have to do is search by name or location and OpenTable will do the rest. The app will search for times and dates the restaurant is available to book so you don’t have to. Once you have decided to book all you need to do is tap your chosen restaurant and you’ll be sent a reminder. Wow, that was easy!
6. Yahoo Weather
Free, iPhone, iPad and Android
The first thing most people do when they’re going on holiday is check the local weather forecast. So, if you want to keep a track on the weather while on holiday we suggest you download the Yahoo Weather app. This app provides 5 and 10 day forecasts as well as humidity levels, the temperature, visibility, and wind speed. But the best feature has to be the different backgrounds. That’s right, the background will adjust based on your location.
7. FlightAware
Free, iPhone, iPad and Android
Do you ever wish you could find out information on flight delays? Well, with the FlightAware app you can! This app shows you the whereabouts of any charter or private plane at any given time. Perfect for those aviation lovers, its state-of-the-art GPS system will show you where any aircraft is by simply inputting a flight number, tail number or route.
8. XE Currency
Free, iPhone, iPad and Android
This free app converts any currency, and with live rates you can find out the conversation rate in an instant, which is ideal if you’re going on a shopping spree as you’ll be able to work out if you’re getting a good deal. Trust us, this freebie is just as good as any other conversion app so don’t waste your money on another.
Whether you’re off to Greece or Spain, these are the best travel apps for 2015.
If you liked this article, then you may like ‘ Top 10 Travel Apps 2014’
All images of the featured apps courtesy of Google Play and Apple via The App Store.
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