5 Excellent travel apps for Android

Whether you are a frequent traveler or you only travel occasionally for vacations every year or less, it’s important to have a good arsenal of apps you can consult before, during, and after your trip. Because I’m going soon on my first trip since 2009 — online services were a lot less powerful, varied, and widespread then as they are now — I have been looking for the best travel apps to install on my phone. Below is my selection of the 5 best apps that I will be using and that I would recommend to any fellow traveler.

TripAdvisor Hotels Flights

Travelers all around the world swear by TripAdvisor. It is the main destination for all trip-related reviews, from airline companies to hotels, car services, attractions, restaurants, and more. Before you start considering traveling to a destination (if you have the choice), check out the best things to do there on TripAdvisor. It may change your opinion about the city or country. If you’ve chosen a destination, you can use TripAdvisor to find the best rated hotels at different price ranges and their room tips, pick the best car rental services, and find the attractions and events that are worth visiting. Reviews and photos from people just like you will help you weed out the things that might not be suitable to your taste or schedule, and unearth great tips or better recommendations.Download: TripAdvsior Hotels Flights

WorldMate

WorldMate is similar to TripIt, except that the app has a very nice and modern Android look — excuse me for being shallow. It will allow you to book flights and hotels (although I would personally recommend Skyscanner for flights and Bookingfor hotels) but that isn’t its main feature. WorldMate acts like your central hub for the trip organization. If you forward it your emailed flight, hotel, and car reservation, it will take that information and draw an itinerary for you with all the details so you don’t have to start fishing in your inbox for confirmation numbers. It will keep an eye on your flights for delays, let you know what the weather will be like during your stay, provide a currency converter, and world clocks. True, Google Now does most of this now, but WorldMate will always be there for you whereas you can’t rely on the unpredictable nature of Google Now to surface the information for you, especially at a time when you really need it.Download: WorldMate

The Traveler

When you’ve arrived safely to your destination, you will want to use an app to document the journeys you take and the discoveries you make. The Traveler is just that app. It will trace your path of locations and superpose all the photos, videos, voice recordings, and even hand-drawn sketches that you take during your trips. You’ll then be able to replay your day, find the different spots you went to, retrace your steps, and share your adventures with family members and friends. The Traveler also integrates with Android Wear, making it easy to start, pause, or stop recording right from your wrist.Download: The Traveler

Gogobot Travel Guide

Sure, TripAdvisor is incredibly helpful in picking the places to go, but Gogobot takes that experience one step further. Not only does it have reviews and recommendations from travelers like you, for attractions, hotels, restaurants, and more, it will also tailor these recommendations to you. When you first sign up for the app, it will ask you a few questions to gauge your personality and sense of adventure, then start recommending activities and places specifically for you. Gogobot works in your home town and on travels, lets you put your own ratings and reviews, and share your experiences with friends and family.Download: Gogobot Travel Guide

Yelp

Think of Yelp as a more specialized Gogobot. Or really, it’s just Yelp — who hasn’t heard of them? The service is the best repository of businesses worldwide, with addresses, photos, contact information, filters to help your search, and the most online reviews you will ever find of any place. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a restaurant, a food truck, a grocery store, a hairdresser, or any other business, Yelp will help you weed out the bad and spot the best based on reviews and opinions from people who have already been there.Download: Yelp What are your favorite travel apps? Do you have any you would recommend that I — and our readers — add to their phone before embarking on their journey?

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