The 5 Must Have Travel Apps

Smartphones have completely changed the way that we travel. You’re never really lost or without a lifeline when you’ve got your cellphone handy (and charged). Here are some of the apps, out of the thousands out there, that I just can’t travel without.

Google Maps: offline maps and saving points of interest are invaluable when in a new city to find your way around even without Wi-Fi. You can also create custom maps to share with your friends, find interesting places near you, and more. So much more I'll be writing a follow-up on how to make the most of GMaps.

Foursquare: Foursquare’s strength is it’s short, accurate reviews and great recommendations. Some of the reviews may be dated but I've found that they're still accurate. I have yet to find a bad place or a place I didn't enjoy using Foursquare. It can be used in conjunction with Google Maps to find the best places to go.

Swarm: checking-in to locations seems a bit dated but it’s still the easiest way to keep track of places you’ve been and it makes recommending restaurants to others much easier. When someone asks me for a restaurant or hotel that I liked best in a particular city it's easy to go back through my history and find the exact place that I want to share.

Uber: some parts of the world have their own version (like Taxify in the Baltic area - which I actually like better then Uber) but for the most part Uber can be found nearly everywhere. There's nothing worse then getting stranded somewhere with no idea on how to get home. Uber helps by letting you put in the address of where you're trying to go and it will automatically be shared with the driver.

Facebook Messenger: hands down the best way to keep in touch get together with new friends that you make along your travels as well as family and friends back home. You only need to know someone's name, and pretty much every country has it (at the very least every traveler I've met has it). It's one step up from exchanging emails - more instantaneous and personal - but less intrusive than phone numbers. Perfect for the single-serving friend.



An excerpt of this post has been published on Forbes and the Level Up by Forbes Newsletter.