The best way to determine if an app is any good – for me at least – is to download it and try it out. Some have too many bells and whistles some don’t have enough features…and really often it is just about person preference so here are my favorite apps for travel:

First is is Packing Pro – this is a great app for preparing for a trip. Create different packing lists by category and schedule reminders. Packing Pro also lets you view sample packing lists and templates for a variety of common trip types. You can also save lists from previous trips for future travel.

FlightAware is the easiest, no-frills app to track your flight. Just provide your airline and flight number and let FlightAware do the rest.  If you accept the push notification feature you will receive updates on flight delays, gate changes or cancellations.

Waze  is an app that not only finds your route…it helps you find the best way to get where you’re going with live and up-to-date traffic info. It offers turn-by-turn vocal directions, and you can even plug it into your Facebook Events page for help finding your way to stuff you’ve been invited to.

The app JetLag Genie will help you gradually change your sleeping schedule and reduce the impact of crossing multiple time zones. Jet Lag Genie creates a customized plan of action based on your flight info and sleeping patterns. You will get daily lists of steps and live notifications telling you when to sleep, wake up, nap, get light exposure and even sit in the dark.

Google Translate  is a simple and effective app. It allows you to translate text between 57 languages and receive translation by speaking into your phone. Pretty handy for communicating, if you are traveling to a country that speaks another language.

• No tags
• Tweet