10 Must-Download Travel Apps for your Family

With summer in full swing, there is the unbridled desire to take your family away from the sweltering, suffocating heat of the city and escape to some place cooler and more relaxed.  Whether it’s Baguio, Boracay or Brazil, you’ll need to take precautions and make preparations, and you will want to take these apps with you to help out.

TripAdvisor (iPhone, iPod, iPad, Windows 8.1, Nokia, Windows Phone)
Publisher: TripAdvisor
How much: Free
Why it’s a must:  One of the most visited and downloaded travel app sites on the net, TripAdvisor is the go-to app to access its in-depth content on places to visit, eat and shop in anywhere in the world.  The guest review content is an added bonus as you can get advice from other TripAdvisor users and offer your own suggestions for places.  Map content and reservation details can also be retrieved as long as you have wi-fi or 3G access – save maps so you can use the data offline.
Download it: http://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/apps

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Pocket First Aid & CPR (iPhone, iPod, iPad)
Publisher: American Heart Association
How much: $3.99 (P180+)
Why it’s a must: There may be some instances where you and your family might run into a medical emergency far from a hospital or in a foreign country where help may be difficult to obtain.  With a handy emergency situation tool like the Pocket First Aid and CPR App, you’ll have loads of information on anything from open wounds and bleeding to broken bones to what to do for heart attack and burn victims.  With 34 videos and 46 high-resolution photos, this app gives step-by-step information on how to deal with a variety of medical crises.  Also invaluable is the app’s personalized medical profile feature, allowing you to store information on things like emergency numbers, vital medications, contraindications, allergies and insurance providers.
Available at: Jive Media, the App Store and Android Market

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XE Currency (iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android, Windows Phone)
Publisher: XE Currency
How much: Free
Why it’s a must: Are you tired of trying to mentally convert every single purchase you make into Yen, Euro, Renminbi or Dogecoins? Does it freak you out each time Junior wants to buy a new toy and you have no idea if it will bankrupt you on your first day?

You can rest easy knowing that all your currency conversion needs can be dealt with using the XE Currency app.  Used by big-name international currency traders the world over, this app is easy to use and extremely precise as it uses up-to-the-second information on currency values.  With over five million downloads under its belt, XE Currency is the most popular currency conversion app in the world.
Download it: http://www.xe.com/apps/

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Skyscanner (Android, iPhone, iPod, iPad)
Publisher: Skyscanner
How much: Free
Why it’s a must: Air travel does not come cheap and Skyscanner is just the app you need to avail of the best discounts and deals for flying anywhere in the world.  The app collates data based on the day you wish to fly and your route, and it determines the most affordable rates around your preferred departure date.  It also takes into account the age and group discounts you can score for multiple passengers, especially if you’re traveling with children of different ages (the breakdown is 12 years+, under 12 and under 2).  Easy to figure out and highly interactive, Skyscanner also gives information on accessing rental cars and hotel bookings, as well as the kind of deals they’re offering.  It’s hard to believe you can have all of that literally at your fingertips.
Download it: http://www.skyscanner.com.ph

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Packing Pro (iPhone, iPad, Android)
Publisher: QuinnScape (Quinn Genzel)
How much: $2.99 (P140+)
Why it’s a must: Supermoms rejoice! Here is a tool that will help you organize every little detail of your luggage. Packing Pro creates sample lists of items to pack so you have a general idea of how to put everything together. You can customize the lists and break them down into specific itemization to take note of how many socks, diapers, panties, jackets, inflatable toys and suppositories you need to bring, ticking off each one as it goes into your maleta. You can also put in other notifications such as reminding your helper to give your poodle her vitamins or paying the Meralco bill when it comes due.  If you’re the type to remember to turn off the LPG when you’re halfway up Kennon Road, then this app is a must for you.

Image from http://www.unfillthelandfill.com/2013/02/08/5-useful-mobile-apps-to-help-you-travel-more-efficiently/

TripIt (iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android)
Publisher: Concur
How much: Free
Why it’s a must: If Packing Pro is what you need to bring order to the chaos of your maletas, then TripIt is what you should have to organize all your itineraries. With TripIt, you can make sure that your trip to Disneyworld will not conflict with ate’s One Direction concert or lola’s pilgrimage to the Basilica of The National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, as well as every dinner reservation, hotel booking or family campfire bonding session you plan on your vacation. Especially helpful is the feature that allows TripIt to sync with your calendar, and if you happen to forget your phone in your hotel room, you can also access your itineraries online.
Download it: https://www.tripit.com

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Instagram (iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android)
Publisher: Instagram
How much: Free
Why it’s a must:  If you’re a fan of Flickr or Tumblr, then you must Instagram as well. With the Instagram Mobile App, you don’t need to upload your photos to your iPad or laptop to tweak and clean them up.  Instagram’s editing features allow you to use artsy filters such as sepia, lomo or toaster, or crop your son’s annoying finger horns on his sister’s head during the family picture. You can also make fifteen-second videos of your family’s misadventures and be the envy of every Facebook friend and Twitter follower you have.
Download it: http://instagram.com

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Google Translate (iPhone)
Publisher: Google
How much: Free
Why it’s a must: Once the dream of Star Trek and anime enthusiasts, the portable online translator is now a reality with apps such as Google Translate. With a database that is capable of deciphering over fifty-eight languages in text (inclusive of unique writing styles such as Yiddish, Japanese and Arabic) and over twenty-three languages worth of converted audio clips, you can now ask crucial questions such as “Where is the bathroom”, “What time is the train”, “How much for that ice cream cone” and “I’m terribly sorry my son is having a sugar rush”.  To translate words or phrases, simply type into the app’s text frame or use the speaking option to say the phrase (or have the helpful foreigner speak into your phone if he’s not too annoyed at your son).
Available at: App Store and Android Market

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Waze (iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android)
Publisher: Waze
How much: Free Version and $8.99 (P360+) for premium service
Why it’s a must: This social networked GPS navigator is a must for anyone traveling locally or internationally. Designed with voice recognition software for drivers, this incredibly helpful app takes note of user-generated content such as traffic conditions, bottlenecks, speed traps, road accidents and the secret hideouts of policemen (an all-too common folly in Manila’s thoroughfares), giving you the fastest route given the current time and road conditions. Important landmarks such as gas stations, restaurants, motels, are also featured on the map, and the avatars of you and your fellow Waze users are cute too.
Available at: App Store, Google Play and Windows Phone Store

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WhatsApp Messenger (Android, Blackberry and iPhone)
Publisher: Excelltech Mobile
How much: 99¢ (P40+)
Why it’s a must:  As an economical and handy local and international communication app, WhatsApp Messenger is a godsend. With WhatsApp, you can text and do video chat for free no matter where you are as long as you’ve got 3G or wi-fi. It’s a cross-platform system as well so it works with other messaging systems such as Yahoo Messenger or Skype, and, depending on the device you use, you can upload your contacts so you won’t need to memorize phone numbers or personal IDs of friends and family. And yes, you can also send photos, videos, MP3s and small files as well.
Available at: App Store, Android Market and Windows Phone Store

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Next story: 10 Tips to Really Enjoying your Family’s Summer Vacation

 

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