5 useful travel apps you probably don't use - and 5 others you probably do

5 useful travel apps you probably don't use - and 5 others you probably do

As travel writers, we are often asked about our favorite travel apps. For a long time, we stuck with old and reliable apps that performed mundane functions like looking up places and finding accommodation. However, recently we've discovered a number of new apps that offer unique services perfect for travelers. If you want to update your list of useful travel apps, take a look at our curated list below.

1. Food stains

Great for: Finding delicious meals on the go Get it: Free, iOS and Android, Foodspotting

alt="Useful travel apps: Foodspotting screenshot">

Foodspotting is a restaurant review app with a twist: Instead of rating restaurants as a whole, users rate individual dishes. This is particularly useful for vegetarians like me, who often suffer in silence from bland vegetarian meals while the carnivores at the table dig into their juicy steaks.

To find a great meal, simply search your location and look for a specific dish you're craving, or browse recommendations from other food spotters in the area. The app focuses on visuals so you can see what a dish actually looks like on the plate. If you've tried a dish and loved it, you're encouraged to take a photo yourself and tag it "Tried" and "Loved." Interestingly, Foodspotting has no provision for posting negative reviews as it focuses on discovering only good food.

2. Ass

Great for: Find someone who speaks your language abroad Get it: Free, iOS and Android, together

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The brilliant app zusa allows users to find specific companies based on a range of diversity filters including, but not limited to, language, age, gender and disability (listed below). This means that if you need an English-speaking dentist abroad, you can find one via zusa in just three steps. Or, if you need a doctor, she's just a few taps away. The app recognizes your local language and location and displays relevant results nearby.

Even better, zusa allows you to filter not just by employees, but also by “crowd.” This feature analyzes a venue's clientele and allows you to find like-minded people in your area. Whether you're looking for a crowd of Brits eager to watch The Ashes or Chinese twenty-somethings to go clubbing with, Zusa will show you where they're likely to be. You can “favorite” companies that you will reuse and check whether the information provided is true or false.

Staff filters: language, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, age, LGBT, disabled and alliance (i.e. whether the venue supports a specific sports team or caters to a specific social group)

Mass filter: ethnicity, race, religion, gender, age and alliance (i.e. sports team or social group). Of course, crowd filters are only available for places where a lot of people gather (bars, clubs, pubs, gyms, restaurants, accommodations, attractions).

3.Emergency numbers

Great for: Get emergency help when you need it Get: Free, iOS, emergency numbers

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When we set off a year ago, I entered Vanuatu's police, fire and medical emergency numbers into my phone, along with our travel insurance numbers and the contact details for the British Embassy (there are none in Vanuatu, by the way). As our trip progressed, I became increasingly complacent until I had no idea what the emergency numbers were during our visit to Colombia, one of the most violent countries in the world.

I have since discovered Emergency Phone Numbers, a comprehensive list of emergency numbers around the world. It allows you to make a call from within the app and shows your location while you're on the phone so you can tell first responders exactly where you are. It's the kind of app you don't know you need until you need it, so be sure and download it now.

4. Onavo extension

Best for: Reduce your data roaming charges Get: Free, iOS and Android, Onavo

alt="Useful travel apps: Screenshot from Onavo">

Onavo Extend reduces your mobile data usage to help you avoid high roaming charges on your travels. Once installed, it works in the background to find ways to save data. This includes only loading images when you scroll down to them, adjusting image quality based on your settings, and providing statistics on how much data is used by each app to detect whether your permission is being lost. Onavo runs downloaded data through its own servers and compression technology and turns itself off when you're connected to WiFi. Finally a way to take back some power!

5. Tap Retouch.

Great for: Removing unwanted elements from images Get it: $1.99, iOS and Android, TouchRetouch

alt=“Useful travel apps: TouchRetouch screenshot”>TouchRetouch allows you to highlight and delete unwanted elements (colored red)

This is a great app for retouching images on your phone. Let's say you've photographed a beautiful landscape, but there's an annoying traffic light in the way. You can launch TouchRetouch, highlight the traffic light (shown in red) and the app will magically replace it.

It's not free, but for a small price it offers casual photographers a great way to clean up their snaps before posting them on social media. Full resolution images occasionally crash the app, but they save your progress so you can reopen them and pick up where you left off.

And now to the better-known apps:

6. Google Maps

Great for: Navigating unfamiliar places Get it: Free, iOS and Android, Google Maps

alt="Useful travel apps: Screenshot of Google Maps">

This old companion is a must for every traveler. Simply launch Google Maps, search for your city, type “okmaps” in the search box, and save a version of the map locally on your phone. This allows you to turn off data roaming and navigate using GPS. Note that you may need to pan and zoom to reach a level that can be saved to your phone.

7.XE

Great for: Currency conversion on the go Get it: Free, iOS and Android and others, XE

alt="Useful travel apps: XE screenshot">

With over 25 million downloads worldwide, XE is the universal currency app of choice. With live exchange rates and historical charts, it offers more than enough for casual users. We found it easy and reliable to use during our travels around the world. The only downside is that you have to remember to download a specific currency if you have an internet connection. Otherwise it won't work.

8. Google Translate

Great for: Finding the right words to say in another language Get: Free, iOS and Android, Google Translate

alt="Useful travel apps: Screenshot from Google Translate">

Google Translate has it all: text, image and voice input in one of the more sophisticated translation offerings on the market. What's really useful is the ability to download a language pack to your phone for offline use. Unfortunately, this is currently only available in the Android version. Fingers crossed it comes to iOS soon.

9. Booking

Best for: Booking trusted accommodation Get: Free, iOS and Android, Booking

alt="Useful travel apps: booking screenshot">

We migrated from Hostelworld to Booking after discovering the lightweight app. With a simple interface, comprehensive listings and a reliable rating system, this is our favorite way to book accommodation.

10. TripAdvisor

Best for: Finding honest reviews of hotels, restaurants, and attractions Get it: Free, iOS and Android, TripAdvisor

alt="Useful travel apps: TripAdvisor screenshot">

Peter jokes that I have unwavering and unwarranted trust in TripAdvisor. It was the Star of India restaurant in La Paz that first proved me right. Despite numerous terrible reviews, we decided to take a chance on it anyway - and it was indeed terrible. Two months later, we were eating at a paella shop in the tiny town of Aregua, Paraguay. The morally dubious owners charged us double what they quoted for a paella (which ended up costing $40). I later checked TripAdvisor and at least five people had commented on a similar experience!

Cover photo: Zusa

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