1. Find My Itin
As a traveler that specifically wanders off the beaten path, Find My Itin allows users to breeze through the planning process by using hashtags like #inspiration to discover your next destination. If you’re anything like me, hashtags are second nature, as you use them for pretty much any social platform so this integration is extremely intuitive for most users. The goal of the app is to alleviate the stress that often comes with booking flights, hotels and everything in between. Also technically not an app just yet, I personally like Find My Itin because it makes your passion the priority, and at the end of the day, that’s the most important factor.
Image: Find My Itin
2. CheckMate
Having just experienced one of the worst hotel stays to date, I have since downloaded CheckMate. As a professional travel writer and blogger, I’m often arriving to hotels at odd hours and the worst thing is having to wait in the lobby for an unknown amount of time. With CheckMate, users can check-in directly from their smartphone. The app allows you to pick your room preferences, enter your arrival time in advance and if you’re staying at one of their partner hotels, you receive a room key printed ahead of time. Just like you would pre-check in for a flight, CheckMate allows you to do the same for your hotel.
Image: CheckMate
3. Waze
Waze has been getting a lot of attention lately but it’s all well-deserved. Proving some stiff competition to GoogleMaps (Just kidding – Google already bought the app for a cool $1.3 billion), the app shows your the quickest way to reach your destination. If you’re traveling to a city you’ve never been to before, this sort of insight is invaluable. Perhaps the coolest feature is that the community is there to help. Users gain points for reporting road blocks, police traps and other driving conditions that may affect the effectiveness of the route. If you’re visiting a city, this is probably not necessary but definitely download it before a road trip.
Image: Waze/Facebook
4. Triposo
While I’m still a fan of Lonely Planet, Fodor’s and the like, Triposo is quickly becoming my go-to app for on-the-go travel recommendations. Unlike traditional guidebooks, Triposo takes location, weather, season and personal preferences into account. Like most apps out there, the more active you are on Triposo, the more accurate these suggestions will become. Their inventory reaches 15,000 destinations across 200 countries and my guess is that more will be added soon. Whether searching for an art gallery or on the hunt for a local bar that serves your favorite cocktail, Triposo is a great tool to use while on the road.
Image: Triposo
5. Cloze
Even though travel is all about disconnecting from your day to day responsibilities and experiencing some place new (or at least it should be), that doesn’t mean that you should completely cut ties with your friends and family back home. Cloze is kind of like a dream come true when you have limited time to sort through all your social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and even emails. In a nutshell, the app lumps all these into one stream and prioritizes them based on which contacts you speak with most often and in many cases that will be your significant other, parents and other family members or best friend.
Megan Eileen McDonough is writer, blogger and social media specialist based in New York City. She also runs Bohemian Trails, a lifestyle blog designed for the savvy and stylish traveler. Bohemian Trails aims to feature must-see places around the world, covering everything from revamped neighborhoods and vibrant street art to innovative tech hubs and everything in between. Her cultural escapades have taken her to Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
Megan is also a freelance writer and social media specialist based in New York City. She contributes to various online and print publications in the travel and fashion industries and is an international correspondent for both Jetsetter and Northstar Travel Media.
