5 Holiday Apps to Have on Your Phone Before you Leave

Times are changing. It used to be that as long as you had your passport, travel money, swimming costume and hiking shoes you were set. These days there is one more thing you must definitely not leave home without: your smart phone.

The smart phone is not only your means of communication and keeping up with the latest tweets and Facebook follies, it gives you access to Applications that can make your holiday much easier and better. Carrying your smart phone can be a bit like carrying your travel agent in your pocket. And of course it allows you to check out travel tips online. Whatever information you need, a smart phone will allow you to search the web and view this page

There are Apps for just about everything you will ever need to know while travelling, but here are five you should definitely download to your phone before your holiday.

XE Currency

Currency conversion can be confusing, especially when you are being pressured by a local at a market to buy their product for a certain amount while you desperately try to convert the amount in your head to your own currency to en sure you are not being ripped off. This free App allows you to convert across dozens of currencies at the same time.

Airline Apps

Airline Apps take the headache out of flying. You will never have to stress about booking, checking in or remembering flight times again. Most airlines have Apps to book your tickets, check flight times, confirm tickets, check in and even download your boarding passes. You can carry all your boarding passes on your phone: no more panicked rifling through pockets and handbags to find them. Welcome to flying in the 21st century!

Tripit

This is your smart phone itinerary planner. You can forget about keeping brochures, lists and folders full of paperwork. With this App you simply feed in all your travel information ; things like confirmation emails for flights and accommodation, tours, hire cars and anything else you have planned. Then the robots behind the App do their thing and generate your itinerary for you. So you get more time to play.

Google Translate

If you are travelling to a country where a different language is spoken, then this is the perfect App for you. There are loads of different translation Apps but Google Translate is reputed to be the best. It interprets words and phrases in over 60 languages. You will see the word translated but will also hear the translation spoken out loud. The App uses voice recognition to translate speech as well.

Roamer

Roaming charges on your mobile phone are generally exorbitant. This App allows you to buy a foreign SIM card when you reach your destination, insert it into your phone and then authorise it with the App. The App works by linking your foreign Sim to your normal mobile number so you can receive calls at local rates.

So, don’t forget your smart phone!