The gadget guru is back! My iPhone has completely revolutionized how I travel and I'm not just talking about having access to my email and Google maps. Here are my top 10 travel apps I can't live without when I'm on the road. I've noted what devices they are compliant with and their cost. And please chime in with your favorite apps in the comments section. I'm all ears!
Sit or Squat
Devices: iPhone and BlackBerry
Cost: Free
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When you gotta go, you gotta go--and your bladder doesn't care if you're shopping at a remote street market in Chiang Mai or wandering the streets of London. Sit or Squat to the rescue! This app will locate all available public restrooms near you and some entries even have pictures and reviews. Even better, parents can sort for restrooms with changing tables.
aSleep
Device: iPhone
Cost: .99
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When the guy in 45C snores so loudly it rattles your nerves, you have a solution: aSleep. This app offers hundreds of soothing sounds from "Beach with Seagulls" to "Airplane Cabin" to more bizarre options such as "Tennis" and "Scuba breathing." I bought it a few months ago and it has now become a part of my daily life, far beyond my travels, especially when my coworkers are recapping "CSI: Miami Special Crime-Fighting Dolphins Unit" for fifteen minutes.
Currency
Device: iPhone
Cost: Free
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When I was in Thailand, I experienced extreme shopping befuddlement because the exchange rate was 33 baht to every U.S. dollar. Don't even get me started on trying to convert our Hong Kong dollars into baht. Well, no more, thanks to this nifty free app that converts over 50 currencies with the latest exchange rates.
Babelingo
Device: iPhone
Cost: .99
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Fumbling for the right word at a Paris flea market? Keep answering everybody, everywhere in the world, with "Si"? Don't be an ugly American! Download Babelingo. If you sort of speak the language, you can repeat what the screen says. If you don't, just hold the screen up to the person to read. This will come in handy in China, Russia, and other countries with challenging tongues.
iPhorest
Device: iPhone
Cost: $4.99
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Now it's easy to green your globetrotting--and fun too! Offset your next trip by buying a virtual tree for your iPhone and an actual tree for Mother Nature. iPhorest gives you a virtual seed to plant in a "phorest" and you even have to do your own version of a rain-making dance to water your seedling. Donations go to The Conservation Fund.
Yelp
Devices: iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android
Cost: Free
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Feel free to debate me on this, but I hate the Where app. It only shows a few chain coffee shops and has tons of useless info. And UrbanSpoon, for all of its whiz-bang, golly-gee technology that allows you to shake your phone for a random suggestion, just falls flat in my book. I want to be able to search "cheap Afghan food" and find the perfect spot. That's why I'm a devoted Yelp app user.
Skype
Devices: iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, and More
Cost: Free
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This is a must-have for anyone heading abroad who isn't Richie Rich. Cell phone carriers charge an arm and a leg for international service and yet having no way to make calls isn't practical either--especially when your traveling companion tends to wander off. Download the Skype app to your smartphone and enjoy insanely cheap Internet calling abroad. All you need is a little free WiFi, this free app, and a spare dollar or so in your budget and you'll be in business.
Amazon Kindle
Device: iPhone
Cost: Free
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Don't have $300 to shell out for an e-reader? No worries! If you have an iPhone, you already own an e-book, thanks to this free app. Download the Amazon Kindle app and skip packing your entire library on your next trip. You're probably skeptical about reading on a screen, but once you try it, you'll be converted. The portability and smaller carbon footprint can't be matched. Plus, when you finish with one book, the next one is just a few clicks away.
Air Sharing
Device: iPhone
Cost: $4.99
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Recently I discovered Lonely Planet's Pick and Mix program, which allows you to download a specific chapter from one of their guidebooks. I downloaded the Cuzco chapter for a trip only to discover that my iPhone doesn't allow me to save PDFs. Thwarted! Then I discovered Air Sharing. This app syncs wirelessly so you can push documents, photos, PDFs, and more to your phone and save them. Now, you can bring only the chapters, menus, and info you need with you to your far-flung destination and have them right at your fingertips.
HearPlanet
Device: iPhone
Cost: Free
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If you love audio guides but hate paying for them, this app is for you. Just click the locate button in the bottom left-hand corner, and this free app will find all the attractions near you that have Wikipedia entries. Choose the attraction you wish to know more about it, and the app will read it to you.
Comments
Oct 13, 2009
Wow, these are all incredible -- I've downloaded three in the time it's taken to finish your post!
Oct 13, 2009
I've been using the flight status app for quite some time.. it's pretty simple and straightforward. It gives you real-time flight information so it's handy when you're on your way to catch a flight, or when you're picking someone up from the airport.
Another great one is Where. It'll use the GPS to find the nearest gas stations (and shows you the gas prices), Starbucks, and interfaces with Yelp! to find restaurants and points of interest.
And in the wintertime, there are dozens of ski report applications you can use to find the best conditions. I used the one (aptly) named 'Ski Report' last season and it never let me down.
Oct 13, 2009
Wow... Is the great list of travel Apps on iPhone and Blackberry. Apple and Blackberry company is continues grows And launch newborn mobiles with latest features and Apps. Both phone is proving to be a useful travel tool a look at whatever of the handiest for travel. like check flight status and Hotel Reservation by using it's wifi capabilities. New iphone with the latest travel apps are dynamical how we interact with the world. Shake your phone and watch the dials spin like an old-school slot machine, and up comes the best guide to local restaurants yet.
Oct 15, 2009
iPhorest, top 10, are you f*cking kidding. Any credibility you had is now lost. WTH man.
Oct 15, 2009
Don't be a hater, Clarkson! What do you have against trees? I bet you pollute the Earth every chance you get. Come on, give back, man!
Oct 19, 2009
Sigh, these sorts of lists always remind me how sad I am that Vindigo hasn't come back from the dead and been re-tooled for the iPhone. Back in the day, Vindigo, on the Palm, was the genuine where-to-go guide with restaurant, museum, movie, and public bathroom info. for cities all over the world, all organized by proximity to whatever intersection you entered and all with walking and public-transit directions.
Vindigo, you ruled, and I miss you so much!
Oct 30, 2009
Sweet! Now downloading...this is extremely useful for me as I travel a lot.
Thanks!
Greg
Nov 02, 2009
I'd love to share (with some bias of course) what I think it the best travel iPhone app for Alaska. It's version 1.1, so we know there's lots of room for improvement. But we've tied the video experience together with exclusive content and travel deals. More at: http://www.alaskahdtv.com/2009/alaska-hdtv-travel-iphone-app/
Feb 12, 2010
Thanks for the list.I don't have iphone but i can run it on iPod touch 3G.