The Best Travel Apps of 2015

Even though we’re now neck-deep in the age of information, we still love to travel for a taste of the unfamiliar and to see what lies beyond the horizon. Technology has virtually revolutionised the way we travel, with apps available to do just about everything from booking hotel rooms to chatting with other like-minded travellers. On that note, the following are six must-have free apps that have enhanced millions of people’s travel experiences in 2015.

TravelSmart
Android and iOS compatible
Free

This app uses GPS to provide you with a list of emergency service numbers sorted by destination. It also lists approved hospitals in 129 different countries that have been vetted by travel insurance companies. This will prove to be extremely useful if you happen to fall ill in a foreign country.

For example, if you were to fall ill with food poisoning, you can quickly look up the nearest hospital. After all, you don’t want to be scrambling for directions to the nearest hospital in a language that you don’t speak while your stomach is punishing you. Here is more information about a specific example of just how unpleasant this can be. Speaking of which, another handy feature included in the app is a translator dictionary with first aid terms and common medications in a number of languages.

Kayak
Android and iOS compatible
Free

This app can find you deals on flights, hotels, and car rentals. It can also track flights and send you price alerts, as well as filter flights for times and other preferences. It even has a feature that manages your travel itinerary. This app is a smart traveller’s Swiss Army knife for its usefulness.

TripIt
Android and iOS compatible
Free

This trip planner app is the ultimate in efficiency. It’s designed to organise your flights, hotels, rental cars, reservation information, and confirmation numbers into one easy to read and easily accessible trip itinerary. It even supplies you with weather updates and maps.

Google Maps
Android and iOS compatible
Free

You should have this app regardless of whether you’re traveling out of the country or not. It’s just that useful. It is also the most accurate and up-to-date of all the map apps currently on the market. It offers voice-guided navigation for drivers, walkers, cyclists, and bus riders. It provides 3D images, street views of every location along the way, and conventional map views.

With its added functionality, you can also find establishments for shopping, dining, entertainment and medical services and gain access to extra info including their hours of operation, reviews, and phone numbers. It even provides you up-to-the-minute traffic alerts so you can find the fastest route to your destination.

Google Translate
Android and iOS compatible
Free

Google Translate is an entire phrasebook in your pocket. You can type in either your language or a different language and have it translate the phrase for you. This app translates 58 languages over text and allows you to hear up to 23 different languages worth of audio translation. Perfect for asking for directions, finding out where you are on a foreign map, directing a taxi driver to a location, ordering at restaurants, or shopping for something specific.

Foodspotting
Android and iOS compatible
Free

This food finding app alerts you to where you can find your favourite dishes in almost any restaurant. Craving dumplings? This app will tell you where to find them. Google Maps shows you where the restaurants are, but Foodspotting tells you where exactly you can get your dumpling fix. It also includes drool-worthy photos and a feature where you can see what other Foodspotter members recommend. Seriously, check this app out.

Although some of the above have been around for quite a while, they still remain at the top of the pack when it comes to the best-rated travel apps that are available on the market. If you haven’t already got the above downloaded on your phone, it’s time to add them to your collection and travel smarter as a result.