Since the time smartphones burst onto the market, developers have come up with an innumerable range of apps designed to make lives easier. Travel apps are no less ingenious, but with the number of such applications on the rise, being simply useful is no longer enough; it also needs to be quirky and innovative (think packing for a pet).

As global smartphone adoption continues to increase, travellers’ demand for mobile apps shows no signs of stopping. According to a report by mobile marketing specialist Somo, 30 million individuals seek travel information via mobile devices and travel apps each month, while 44 percent of travellers even plan their trip via mobile device.

For the social and mobile consumer, apps that provide access to reviews, purchase comparison and local recommendations have become an integral part of the entire travel process. So, while travellers can still glean all advice and itineraries from experienced travellers and popular blogs, the latest in apps offer a way to digitally tap into the expertise of a guide with the advantages of GPS to make the journey smoother and the smartphone smarter.

#1. Guides by Lonely Planet – The city guide app helps users plan trips and learn about worldwide destinations. Launched in 2016 with content covering 38 cities, including London, New York, Paris and Rome, the Guides app includes an average of 1,000 points of interest for each city, and allows users to download individual city guides and access offline maps for these locations. Users can browse points of interest based on categories including ‘see,’ ‘eat’ and ‘sleep,’ among others, and can also browse lists of curated content based on themes.

Users can also browse a city’s map to find attractions in a particular neighbourhood, and can also browse attractions based on their current location. In addition, the app provides an overview of each city, as well as tips for planning a trip on various budgets. Guides has expanded massively since it launched and is now available for 177 cities, and remains free.

Read more about Lonely Planet India’s journey in the country, here.

#2. AudioCompass – Whether you’re looking to try a new adventure sport or simply soak in a city’s culture, this official audio tour app of Incredible India, AudioCompass, is a handy guide for anyone who’s been disappointed by tourist guides. It has well-researched audio guides narrated by local experts, that bring alive the history, culture and heritage of destinations. From the architecture of the Taj Mahal to even homes of Bollywood stars in Mumbai – the app covers everything.

With more than 1200 attractions in different countries including, India, Singapore, Oman, London, and Istanbul, there’s something for everyone. The destinations can be downloaded on phone for offline use as well. While some of the audio on the app is for free, users can upgrade to Pro for just INR 49. Available on iOS.

#3. PackPoint – PackPoint not only helps travellers organize what they need to pack based on duration of travel, it also tells you the weather at the destination and any activities planned during the trip. The app prepares a customized packing list, based on the data it accumulates from the destination. One of the other highlights of this app is its feature that lets travellers create a website for their packing list. By doing so, it allows users to share the website link with fellow travellers in a group so they know what to pack as well.

Available on iOS and Android for free.

#4. GateGuru from TripAdvisor – In addition to offering basic flight tracking, GateGuru connects the dots between many other intricacies of travel plans. The application basically allows users to view their TripIt and KAYAK itineraries, details such as where to check in at the airport, estimated security wait times, and maps of amenities within the terminals, replete with 35,000 reviews and tips and 10,000 photos from fellow travellers on the airport terminal and all its amenities.

The app probably offers one of the most comprehensive listing of airport amenities. The search engine is easy to navigate and also lets users bookmark favourite airports and preferred amenities. GateGuru currently covers 29 Asian airports, apart from other international airports, and is free on iOS and Android.

#5. Trips by Google – Google Trips serves as a trip planner and travel guide for anyone who is exploring a new place. The free app, which is available on Android and iOS, organizes plane tickets and hotel reservations, offers editorial guides to more than 200 cities, and makes personalized recommendations based on a user’s Google history.

While Trips lacks pro-travel features like the ones on TripIt, it makes up for that lack with its useful city guides that leverage a range of Google services. The heart of the app is in its ‘Things to Do’, which builds custom itineraries based on how long a traveller will be in town, popular destinations, and anything that they may have previously starred or saved on a Google service. Moreover, each guide can be edited to include other destinations. Best of all – all of this works offline as well.

Read more on Google’s efforts at reshaping the travel industry, here.

#6. Weather Pro – While nobody can control the weather, this app definitely helps them prepare for a rainy day. Weather Pro offers weather reports for more than two million geographical locations, feeding in everything from cloud formations and atmospheric pressure to wind speed and humidity, all in extensive detail. The core functions of this app should help users sail smoothly and are easily accessible via five main tabs. The most amazing features of Weather Pro include a 3-hourly forecast for one week ahead, a list of chosen favourite locations, alerts for extreme weather conditions and a global satellite to give general weather update in major cities.

A big plus- It is crazily accurate. The app is available on iPhone, iPad for INR 159 and for INR 220 on Android.

The post Six travel apps and why you should have them on your phone this year appeared first on TravHQ.

“Hey I came across this startup. You should check out their app” is a phrase heard often in our office. We love travelling and as our work revolves mostly around the same, many of the utilities we learn and write about often find use in our daily lives. So we decided to put together a list of all the travel apps and utilities our team uses. Some of them are obviously the common search and booking apps while others are utilities from startups that find use at different points of the journey.

Search

TripAdvisor

Facebook is trying to gather reviews, Google is doing the same with its Local Guides program and yet, TripAdvisor continues to be our favourite utility for finding more about places. The app makes it easier to quickly decide whether to walk into a restaurant or not or maybe to filter from a long list of attractions.

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Skyscanner

Finding flights doesn’t get better than this. Travel plans kick in randomly and the first thing on the list is to find cheap flights. We all have a habit to check multiple websites before booking but over time, we have started to trust the meta site to find us the cheapest ones without the extra effort.

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Booking

Goibibo

This one is on the list because of a personal preference above anything else. The interface of the app is good and it works well even on slow internet connection which we might have to deal with while travelling. The second choice for some is MakeMyTrip.

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TripTapToe

After trying out the app for a story, some of our colleagues really liked the added convenience of not having to filter from long lists and decided to stick to TripTapToe for their future bookings. The app has a simple chat interface and not only does it allow you to book flights or hotels but you can also shoot random queries you might have about the destination.

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Klook

Klook is the preferable app for those who frequently keep visiting SouthEast Asian countries. Although the website is good, the app makes it easier to find and book when one is at the destination. It offers a wide array of activities to book and the prices are attractive.

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Utilities

Uber / ixigo Cabs

Quite obvious, isn’t it? Nothing saves the hassle of dealing with the cabbies in a new city like Uber. However, at times Uber isn’t available and then one has to look for alternates. ixigo Cabs is a really good option if you need to look for transportation options outside of your favourite cab hailing app. It also has a smart feature that allows one to book without an active internet connection. In SouthEast Asian countries, Grab works as a better alternative to Uber.

Link (Uber) (ixigo Cabs)

Viber

Getting data for cheap while travelling is easier than finding affordable international calling plans. Viber is the preferred choice for those who travel out of the country frequently. Viber credits are cheap and call quality is impressive even on slow connections.

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BookMyForex

Another favourite of frequent international travellers. BookMyForex offers simpler experience when compared to other platforms that offer forex. Unlike some others, there are less steps and less phone calls involved in the process.

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Pocket

This one is an absolute personal favourite. There is always more to read than I have time for and often the interesting stories were bookmarked for future. With pocket, all those long stories can be saved on phone to be read offline while travelling. It can save from web browser, Twitter, Pulse and many other sources to serve later in a neat clutter free manner.

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Android Auto

A recent update to the app allowed users to use Android Auto on their phone itself and also added the support for ‘Ok Google’ command. There is a very good possibility that you will be using Google Maps while driving. Android Auto puts it in a much simpler interface along with your music apps, audiobooks, internet radio and more. To top that up, the voice recognition feature works better than any other system you will find installed in your car.

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Easy Roads

While Android Auto works well while on the road, Easy Roads makes it easier to plan for the road. Targeted at roadtrip enthusiasts, the app allows one to easily discover routes to travel covering in great detail everything one might need on the road. It also features an array of utilities like car rental and breakdown assistance among others.

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WiFire

Free WiFi. This app keeps a record of free WiFi networks you can use and also speeds up the process. You don’t have to enter details, wait for an OTP and then login. The app will take care of it and serve you with a working WiFi connection.

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Opera VPN

Yes we need free internet. Yes we are skeptical about public WiFi networks. Enters this free VPN. WiFire will help you connect to free WiFi networks and this little utility will keep you safe on those networks. It is better by miles than any other free VPN service and even some paid ones. As it comes from a big name like Opera, you really can’t go wrong with it.

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Google Now

You don’t need Google Trips really. Google Now can manage your bookings, show your itinerary, suggest local attractions, translate, convert currency and do few other things that will help you while travelling.

While these apps have been our travel companion for 2016, keep an eye on our stories to stay updated as we discover more utilities for travellers. Subscribe to our newsletter below.

The post Here are the travel apps that our team found useful through 2016 appeared first on TravHQ.