Gone are the days when travel used to be a stomach-churning, three-month tour of Europe, India or Africa, battling disease, hostile natives and an absolute lack of signage. Nowadays, we can book a weekend break in seconds or get honeymoon ideas from travel blogs and glossies at the click of a mouse.

What has contributed to making travel easier is technology. Do you want to cut down on your journey time, ask for directions in Swedish or find a great Indian restaurant within walking distance? Don’t worry – there’s an app for all that, and more.

XE Currency

Free, slick and easy to use, XE Currency app allows you to calculate currencies on the go and access live exchange rates. Downloaded more than 20 million times, this app is available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows and Firefox OS.

Skyscanner

This is one of the most flexible and powerful flight search apps currently available. With Skyscanner app, you can compare millions of flights from over 1,000 airlines around the world in seconds. When you find the best price, you can book your flight direct with the airline or with a travel agent. You can also share your flight details with friends, family or colleagues. Available for all platforms in over 28 languages and over 61 currencies.

Word Lens

So you get lost in Athens, look around for signage, and realise that everything is all, well, Greek to you. With Word Lens app, you can instantly translate foreign text via your smartphone’s camera. Just point your phone camera at the signs, shoot and get an instant translation.

Google Maps

The most popular travel app around, Google Maps gives you directions, calculates route time, and provides live traffic information. You can also look for and share recommendations for shops, restaurants and places to visit.

Packing Pro

It always happens. On your way to the airport, you remember that you’ve forgotten to pack your passport, toothbrush, or your favourite pair of walking shoes. With Packing Pro app, the chances of forgetting to pack an essential item are drastically reduced. With this nifty app, you can draw up lists and plan your packing like a pro.

Worldmate

If your organisational skills are weak, then this app is for you. Worldmate helps you build your travel itinerary including your flight, hotel and travel bookings. If you’re travelling on business, you can also schedule all your meetings. The app also includes world clocks, maps, weather forecasts, Outlook add-in and integration with your LinkedIn account.

Hipmunk

The problem with travel websites is that there are so many – trawling all of them in search of the best deals can take the fun out of planning a holiday. Hipmunk app is one of the best comparison apps around. You can search and compare flights, hotels, restaurants and shops and sort by price and location. Voted one of the best apps of 2013 on Google Play, Hipmunk also gives you the chance to save up to 60 per cent off last minute hotel rooms with Tonight Deals.

Travel Budget

Maintaining your daily expenses budget is a bore, let alone when you’re on holiday. Why should you keep an eye on how much you spend when you’re supposed to be having fun? Well, with Travel Budget you don’t, because it makes setting and keeping a budget so easy. The app also includes a currency converter and infographics showing whether you’ve blown the budget or made savings.

Quintessentially

If you’re used to travelling in business class, sleeping in the best suites and dining in five-star restaurants, then an exclusive holiday is right up your street. And you cannot get more exclusive than Quintessentially, a members-only concierge service that gives you access to private jets, limited edition gifts and rare dining fare. You can alsobuy exclusive items from the app’s boutique.

 

Foodspotting

Good food is an important part of any holiday. The only issue is that when in a foreign city, we frequently have to trawl the streets, looking for the best grub. Foodspotting app is a user-uploaded restaurant guide that really goes into specifics. Do you want the juiciest burger, hottest Thai curry or the most authentic street food in town? With Foodspotting, you get the directions to it as well as photos of menu items.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.