Make Your Vacation Simpler With Travel Apps For Your Phone

Navigate an unfamiliar city, find a place to stay or keep track of your travel info.

By Marika FlattJune 22, 2017 11:21 am,

Getting ready to explore Texas this weekend? Planning your getaway can be a whole lot easier with apps you can download to your smartphone or tablet before hitting the road.

The Trip.com app lets you design your own itinerary, from booking a hotel, checking out local events and dining options and leaving a review when you’re done. You can tailor your experience with the app by selecting your interests – they call them tribes. Are you looking for family-oriented activities, something artsy or maybe nightlife? Simply select the relevant interests for your excursion, and the app will customize suggestions for you.

Foodies and picky eaters alike will love Trip.com’s restaurant ideas. To learn more about a restaurant, just click its listing. You can view hours of operation, and take a look at the menu. Some restaurants give you the option to book a table right from the app. When you’ve decided where you want to go, tap the map. It’ll automatically route you there from your current location.

You can earn “scout status” by creating a few postcards from the pictures of your adventures on your phone.

Want to live like a local? Try the Airbnb app. Live in someone’s home, condo or apartment rather than a hotel. In some homes, you can cook for yourself instead of dining out for every meal. This is especially great when you’ve got the kids in tow. Some less expensive Airbnb options include renting one room in a larger house while the owners are still in residence. Really, you just have to decide what works best for your needs.

If you travel a lot, check out TripIt. It keeps all of your hotel reservations and confirmations – your flights, and anything else you may need, all in one convenient place. Real-time updates mean that if something changes, you’ll be alerted right away. If there’s a flight delay, a gate change or a cancelled flight, you’ll get a notification from TripIt. It’s a free app but you can upgrade to TripIt Pro for more features.

Spend less time planning and more time enjoying on your weekend trips.