6 Basic Travel Apps We ALL Need

With all the "50 Best Travel Apps" lists circulating the internet, it's easy to forget that -- when it comes to packing for travel -- less is usually more, and that applies to digital space, too. So, in an effort to "pack light" on our mobile devices, we've come up with an easy list of six basic travel apps that you'll actually use on every trip...so you can save space for photos, find the info you need, and get on with your trip. 

1. TripIt for Trip Planning

TripIt is a super simple and easy-to-use trip planner website that's thankfully also available as an on-the-go app with some offline accessibility. All you have to do is forward your travel confirmations like hotels, flights, restaurant to plans@tripit.com and it creates an easy-to-read, easy-to-share, and easy-to-edit travel itinerary for you. If you've got Yahoo!, Outlook, Google Apps, or Gmail, you don't even have to forward anything; it can organize your trip details instantly. You can then sync this itinerary with your calendar app, and use the app to get directions to places on your itinerary, access your plans offline, edit plans as you go, and even share your plans with others via email or social media. 

2. XE Currency Exchange for Money Matters
We've all been there: traveling abroad with foreign currency, haggling or making a split-second purchase, only to get home and realize we totally screwed ourselves because our brains malfunctioned on the correct currency conversion. Well, never again. XE Currency exchange is one of the most handy travel apps for basic needs. You simply select up to 10 currencies you want to compare and you've got an immediate, accurate exchange rate across the board. You can type in real numbers and you can switch up currencies as you move across the globe. The best part is that the app remembers its last synced conversion rate, so unless you're dealing with an insanely volatile currency, you can access a reliable rate offline.

3. Yahoo! Weather for Weather Forecasts

Sure, there are a ton of weather apps out there that have detailed weather, atmosphere, and pollen information just waiting to clutter our screen -- but when we are out on the road, all we really need to know is some basic info about the day's weather: Rain? Sun? Snow? Wind? With the Yahoo! Weather app, we can choose to get as simple or as detailed information as we want, and it's all displayed with cute animated icons and beautiful Flickr photos that correspond with the current weather condition and time of day (all without a single ad). The app gives you hourly, five-day, and 10-day forecasts for up to 20 cities at a time.

4. WiFi Map for Finding Free Wi-Fi Hotspots

This is hands down our favorite! Don't want to incur high roaming charges just to message your friend, check for an email, or find directions to that awesome restaurant you read about? Snag the WiFiMap app and get find nearby Wi-Fi spots, including map views, directions, passwords, and user generated tips on the signal quality and location of the hotspot. The best part is, you don't need to be online to use it since it has pre-populated info available offline. Upgrading to the Travel Pro for $4.99 gets you an offline guiding map and info on Wi-Fi spots in even the most remote of locations. 

5. WhatsApp for Free Calling and Texting

One, unlike most of these other similar apps, almost everyone we know (and most likely that you know) already has WhatsApp installed on their phone, taking out one essential step in getting these types of apps to work: they only work between people who already have the app. Two, it works over data and Wi-Fi, so you can enjoy the practically free use when you've got Wi-Fi, but also flip on your data if you're in a pinch and need to get in contact -- it's still cheaper than a text or phone call. Plus, it automatically loads any phone contacts using WhatApp so you don't have to manually search or ask who wants to keep in touch while you're away. 

6. Google Translate for Translation Services
Okay, so there's no perfectly functioning translation program (yet) but if there is going to be one in the near future, we'll put our money on Google Translate -- because it's pretty close right now. This app allows you to translate your way through 90 languages. And just this past summer, Google Translate expanded its camera picture-text-to-translation feature to 27 languages, meaning you can snap a photo of a sign or menu and the app will translate it for you. It's also got a speech option for translations for anyone who is a little timid on their pronunciations!