Business traveling can be hectic and exhausting at times, but your smartphone can help make your trip a little bit easier. Just be sure to check with your carrier or, if you have a work phone, your employer, before using any of the below apps abroad, as they may incur additional charges.
Planning Your Trip
TripIt: TripIt is a great tool for multi-city trips, or for those who aren’t great at keeping track of all of their flight and hotel bookings. TripIt collects all of your travel plans, itineraries, and hotel bookings in one easy-to-navigate place. The app is currently available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, as well as their associated tablets.
Gate Guru: Gate Guru provides real-time flight status updates, airport amenities maps, weather updates and a last minute rental car booking function. It is available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.
TripAdvisor: A long-time mainstay for travelers, TripAdvisor offers a few different apps, including one that can help locate hotels and glights. Their biggest claim to fame is their Offline City Guide App, which allows you to carry around a free city guide on your smartphone. You can access restaurants, attractions, hotels, and reviews for pre-trip planning and during travel downtime. available for iOS and Android.
Once You’re There
XE Currency: XE Currency is a free currency converter that updates when you have data or wifi access and stores the most updated conversion rates for offline usage. You can store up to 10 currencies on the free version, which makes multi-country business trips a breeze! This app is available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Phone.
Evernote: for those who work on the go, Evernote is a great tool. Login on your smartphone, tablet, or computer and all of your notes, checklists and reminders will be synced across all of your devices. Use the web-clipper tool to save articles and websites for upcoming presentations or research on the go.vailable for iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Phone.
Google Translate: Google Translate has become ubiquitous, but with the company’s improved voice recognition, you can ask questions and have your phone or tablet translate them into the local language in an instant. Available for iOS, Android. Additionally,Google Goggles (included in the app) allows you to take a picture of a sign, building, statue or landmark and run a Google search to discover its meaning, significance and history!
Staying in Touch
WhatsApp: WhatsApp is a great way to stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues while on the go. This messaging app allows you to send messages, pictures, audio notes and video messages from your smartphone using data or wifi, helping you stay in touch without the roaming charges. WhatsApp is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Nokia S40, Symbian and Windows Phone.
Viber: Use Viber to send text messages, photos, video messages, or place phone calls using data or wifi to other Viber users anywhere in the world for free! Plans for calling landlines and mobile phones are also available. Available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Bada, Nokia, and as a computer app.
Skype: Much like Viber, Skype can be used to make phone and video calls from smartphones using data or wifi, and can also be used to send instant messages to other Skype users Different plans are also available for placing calls to landlines and mobile numbers. Skype is available for iPhone, Android, Nokia X, Blackberry, and Windows Phone.
There are thousands of travel apps out there. your favorite travel apps so we can share them with the Passport Career community!
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