Whether you’re going on a long holiday or just visiting friends that live in another city, travelling can be a complicated affair with lots of factors that can go wrong. If you want your journey to go smoothly as possible, then organisation is key, but so too is preparedness. Here we will look at how you can ensure you’re ready for anything, and avoid potential problems all using the right apps for your smartphone. (Read more 5 Awesome Travel Apps You Missed In 2013).

“Map will let you see where you are at a glance, find directions to all kinds of other destinations and even explore where you might like to head later “

Maps

Of course one of the very most useful apps for getting around is the built-in maps application (Google Maps on Android, Apple on iOS). These will let you see where you are at a glance, find directions to all kinds of other destinations and even explore where you might like to head later – all of which can be highly useful.

Translation

If you are going abroad, then there is a ton of translation apps such as ‘iTranslate’ which can help you to find out what people are saying and to figure out what different signs etc. mean. Similarly, it’s also very handy to have a currency converter on you which is also a very common type of app in the Play Store or iTunes.

Itinerary

There are also plenty of great itinerary apps on the play store that will let you create a list of things to do and see (and of course a great number of simple ‘to-do’ list apps). Any of these will be very handy if you want to feel the satisfaction of going around and doing all the things you set out to achieve.

One of the best note taking apps of all has got to be Evernote. Not only is Evernote supported by just about every other app you can find, but it’s also incredibly powerful and flexible: even allowing you to take photos of things and then search for them later thanks to the powerful OCR (optical character recognition).

Instagram

If you’re travelling for pleasure as well as/instead of for business, then you might want to see some of the sights and get some pictures to remind yourself of your movements. Instagram provides not only the perfect tool for making your great pictures look even more amazing, but also lets you easily share them with friends and a wider community to get feedback for your snaps. Read our article: Four Popular Alternatives to Instagram.

Communication

A phone is a crucial device to have on you at all times if you are going to be travelling as it allows you to stay in contact with people back home and to coordinate with the people you’re travelling with. Phones aren’t just useful for the usual messaging and calling features though – they can also be used to make video calls, or to call over a WiFi connection if you want to avoid using up your phone minutes. Vonage and WhatsApp can save you a fortune while travelling and help you to keep your friends and family updated while you’re away.

Alarms and Reminders

When you’re away from home you are out of your routine and it’s easier than ever to forget things – whether that’s forgetting to wake up in time for appointments, or it’s forgetting to message your friend on their birthday. Fortunately a phone will let you save all manner of notifications and reminders which you can then use to help manage your time while you’re not in your usual environment.

Games

There are plenty of great games for mobile whether you’re looking at Android or iOS. And either way you’re sure to have plenty to keep you entertained while you’re travelling. This is ideal if you’re using a bus rental for instance and you’re going to be sitting in the back doing nothing for long periods of time. Why not get stuck into some Final Fantasy? Or blast through a few levels in Sonic the Hedgehog?

Author Bio:

Nancy Baker, the author of this article, is a freelance blogger who is currently writing for, US Coachways, reputable providers of bus rental in Miami. Her grey cells spell creativity and she loves to express it through unique mediums. You can also follow her on Twitter @Nancy Baker.