Turn Your iPhone Into A Travel Companion

Turn Your iPhone Into A Travel Companion by jenniferbeese

jenniferbeese says: It's hard to believe that people got anywhere without iPhones. Thinking about being in a new city without a GPS and pocket full of restaurant recommendations scares me. This list covers a few basic must-have apps for the frequent, spur-of-the-moment and once-in-a-blue-moon traveler.

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jenniferbeese's picks

FlightTrack Pro – Live Flight Status Tracker by Mobiata This app is $9.99, but if you're constantly on the go, it might be worth it. FlightTrack Pro notifies you if your flight is on time, delayed or canceled. I can't tell you how much time I've wasted looking around an airline's website for this information. If you're not sure if you want to spend the $10, give Flight Status ($4.99) a shot. The only downside to Flight Status is that it's limited to U.S. and Canada flights.
The Weather Channel® The iPhone comes with a weather app, but The Weather Channel's app provides a hour-by-hour forecast as well as a full ten day picture. It also keeps you notified of severe weather in your area.
Simultravel GPS Powered by Priceline, Simutravel GPS was made for spontaneous travelers. This app shows hotels around you or in a destination you choose, as well as rates, reviews and tap-to-call information to make reservations. One downside: you'll be unable to access pricing information from 11 p.m. to midnight (EST) while it performs daily maintenance.
Urbanspoon Urbanspoon is a must-have app no matter how often you travel. It's especially great after moving to a new city. Make sure you check if your city is on the list! A shake of the phone will result in a list of restaurants organized by nearby city, type of food and price range.
Taxi Magic I used this free app for the first time in Austin for SXSW and it's wonderful! Taxi Magic allows you to find, call, track and sometimes pay for your cab all from your iPhone. Of course, the cab company has to be participating in the "magic booking" system. If they don't offer "magic booking," you'll still get a list of nearby companies to call.
Take Me To My Car Best. App. Ever. I cannot tell you how many times I've lost my car - especially if it's a rental! This app allows you to drop a flag on your phone's map and save it for later. On your way back, this app will provide walking directions back to your car - hallelujah!

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Discussion

3dot5

How about World Flights: Live departure and arrival information for every single flight in any given airport in the World. Fast, easy, intuitive and very low price: the best flight tracking application on the Appstore.

I travel around the World once a month and built this mighty little app to keep track of my flights or find me some quick alternatives in case of delays or cancellations.

Associated Apps: World Flights

Global_Help

Hi Jennifer,
apart from restaurant recommendations, I would suggest to have Global Help onboard. If you get into trouble at any place on earth, this app will provide you with essential phone numbers. All these information are stored locally, so you can even use your iPod touch. The South Africa Edition is for free, if you wanna test the app first :D - sunny greetings, florian

Associated Apps: Global Help - First aid, embassy and emergency (SOS) numbers for world wide travel, Global Help - South Africa Edition