Best Apps To Help You Travel

FlightTrack

Follow the path of thousands of international flights on slick, zoomable maps, with detailed information on departure gates, delays and (heaven forbid) cancellations. Great for those anticipating the arrival of loved ones, or particularly nerdy train-spotters looking to up their game.

Entrain

There are plenty of theories floating about concerning the best methods for beating jetlag, but the pointy heads at The University of Michigan are better placed than most to give scientific counsel. Three cheers, then, for their quirky app, which takes your travel dates and destination and dispenses advice on how to adapt your circadian cycle in advance by optimizing lighting levels throughout your day.

Air Sharing

In the cut-throat world of business, time is money, making a seven-hour trans-Atlantic flight a lot of Wonga indeed. Thankfully, just because your laptop’s packed away doesn’t mean you can’t keep your eyes on the prize.

Skyscanner

This clean-looking solution does everything you’d ever need it to, aggregating fares from airlines and the big travel sites to bag you the best deal. For those really keeping an eye on the purse-strings, there’s also the option to pin your search to your start screen and keep an eye on price fluctuations.

Airbnb

The all-conquering database for user-provided accommodation extends its tentacles into your Smartphone, with an app that effectively serves as a pocket-sized version of the website.

AA Parking

There are stacks of apps out there that’ll show you a map of nearby car parks, but for UK residents none does so in as much detail as this market-leading marvel. As well as tracking down spaces in their vicinity, users can also see at a glance how much they’ll have to pay to stay per hour and, for some car parks, the exact number of spaces available.

Maplets

Google Maps and CityMapper do a fine job of orienting you down streets and toward landmarks, but even they have their blank spots. Which is where Maplets comes in? Essentially a gigantic database of specialized maps – some official, others created by users

Foodspotting

While apps that aggregate crowd-sourced restaurant reviews may be ten-a-penny, those that focus in on specific dishes are a far rarer species. Luckily, this one works a treat, responding to your every gastronomic whim with user-generated recommendations from your local area.

Google Translate

Another Google product, another market cornered. As far as general translation apps go, this is unbeatable: it boasts enough features to sate all but the most pedantic linguists, and a few bonuses too. Particularly intriguing is the Word Lens tool, whereby you point your camera at a foreign word, which is then translated in real time on your screen – great, unless you’re caught trying to decipher a ‘No Cameras’ sign.