Rentravelguide

Once upon a time, long-term travelers were the people who abandoned the trappings of everyday life to see the world. These days, you’ll just as often find round-the-world travelers who prefer to bring some conveniences of everyday life with them on the road. They’re not opposed to letting technology assist them in their travels, which is why the iPhone has become so popular with travelers.
All of the “there’s an app for that” commercials might drive you bonkers, but the premise of those ads is kind of true – and getting more true every day. There are apps for just about every purpose you could imagine (along with thousands you couldn’t and wouldn’t want to), including plenty that are really handy for travelers. Some of them are location-dependent, but there are also loads of great iPhone apps for round-the-world travel – apps that are flexible enough to grow with your itinerary.

Kayak
Besides being one of the best travel search engines on the internet, Kayak has come up with one of the nicest looking and easy to use iPhone apps out there right now. Search flights, hotels and car rentals with ease. Plus the new Trips Itinerary Management feature is pretty cool. Just email your booking receipts to Kayak and they’ll create a single itinerary for you.

GateGuru
Whether you travel often or just a few times per year, you are going to want this travel app. Just type in the airport you’re visiting and it will provide you with detailed information about each gate. Whether it is figuring out where the nearest ATM machine is located or what food options are within walking distance, GateGuru is great. The app currently offers 86 U.S. airports, 12 Canadian airports and London Heathrow.

Urbanspoon
I’m sure most iPhone users with adventurous appetites already have this app downloaded. But if not, you may want to check it out on your next trip. Let’s say you’re visiting Brooklyn, New York and want to try some cheap Thai food. Simply set the app to your requirements and shake it (yes literally shake the device). Urbanspoon will them provide you with a place nearby. Reviews are provided by Urbanspoon users.

Yelp
Much like Urbanspoon, the Yelp iPhone app relies heavily on user generate reviews to guide people to restaurants, nightlife, hotels and various attractions.

Southwest Airlines
When I first got the iPhone I said there was no way I would ever book airfare on my phone. Well Southwest made me a liar due to their extremely easy to use iPhone travel app. Besides being able to book airline tickets, you can make car reservations, check into your flight, receive flight status updates and sign up for Ding! Fare Alerts. (Note: Southwest Airlines will not appear in your search results when using the Kayak app. )

Wikihood
Very simple to use and chock full of Wikipedia information for any location on the planet. Just enable geolocation and enjoy tons of information about restaurants, bars, hotels and attractions around you and nearby.

Wi-Fi Finder
This app pretty much speaks for itself. When I am on the go I need internet access…all…the…time. This app has come to the rescue on more than one occasion. With over 320,000 locations in 140 countries worldwide, chances are it will be able to help you too.

Happy Hours
What do I love more than a few drinks with friends? A few cheap drinks with friends. Looking for specials on dining and nightlife when traveling? Well then you need this app on your phone yesterday. Happy Hour will provide you with the best food and drink bargains going on near you at any time each day. You can filter your results too by cuisine, outdoor seating and free wi-fi (yay).

mTrip Travel Guides
This Montreal based company has been rolling out new travel guides to top destinations around the world at a rapid rate. I recently checked out the New York City travel guide and enjoyed building an itinerary that suite my travel needs. Simply choose your travel dates, the hotel you’re staying at and then specify your trip preferences. The categories include museums, monuments, parks and religious. You can even pick whether you want to visit top or alternative attractions.

TripDoc
This delicious iPhone travel app helps you organize all the places you want to visit when you travel. Store and share your favorite restaurant, pub, hotel and more. You can check out all your saved favs on one easy to use map. Want to tell a friend about a place you just dined at? Simply share it via email. Very handy for people constantly on the go and business travelers.

Frommers Travel Tools
FREE
One app to rule them all… Okay, not quite, but it does combine several different handy travel apps into one, which saves memory space on your iPhone and helps keep your screen uncluttered. You’ll get a currency/measurement/distance/etc. converter, time translator, tip calculator, customizable packing list, fun travel trivia, links to Frommer’s city guide apps you can buy, and even a flashlight – all in one app.

TripDoc
on sale for $4.99
With this app you aren’t stuck sifting through a long list of recommendations for places to eat, places to see, etc. – you put in only the places you know you want to check out or remember, and that’s all that shows up on the list and map. It’s deceptively clever, and especially handy for RTW travelers because you can add locations to as many cities as you want. When you’re hooked up to WiFi, add restaurants, museums, and where you’re staying. Then you can access the information with the iPhone or iPod Touch completely offline, without using data or internet.

Trip Journal
on sale for $0.99 (normally $2.99)
This app includes all kinds of tools to easily record and share elements of your trip with whoever you like – geo-tagging photos, video, and trip notes and then allowing you to share things via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, and more. Plus, the app looks all old-school journal-y, too.

City Maps 2 Go
$1.99
There are a zillion map apps (say that without thinking “grape ape” and you’re a stronger – or younger – person than I am), but rather than downloading a new one every time you move on to a different city, this app lets you constantly download new cities within one app – and the additional map downloads are free. Plus, while you can the GPS capability of the iPhone for these maps, you’re not incurring roaming charges because the maps are downloaded onto your phone.

Babelingo
$1.99
Translation apps are great, but if you’re going to lots of different countries it might be better to get one app that has a few common phrases in lots of languages instead of downloading an app for every single language you’ll encounter. Babelingo has 11 languages with 300 words and phrases. If you’ll be immersed in one language for awhile, then you can augment your app library with a translator or dictionary for that language specifically.

ICOON Global Picture Dictionary
$0.99
Is the language you need not included in Babelingo? Maybe the words you’re looking for aren’t common enough phrases? Then be sure you’ve got this picture dictionary on hand as well. There are several categories covered in this app, and the most useful ones might be “health,” “hygiene,” and “authorities.” You don’t want to count on your command of the local language in an emergency.

World Customs & Cultures
FREE
Don’t get caught nodding for yes when nodding actually means no. Don’t reach out to shake someone’s hand when touching is considered rude. This app covers all kinds of cultural tips and social norms for 165 countries around the world. It’s a must-have app for anyone who wants to leave a good impression in their wake (which is a good plan).

The World Factbook
$0.99
This app includes some basic information about 250+ countries, including major industries, type of government, geography, religion, languages, etc. The database is updated regularly for free, so you’ll always have the most recent information at your fingertips.

HearPlanet: Audio Guide to the World
$4.99
This does require a cell data or network connection to work, but if you’re in a place where you’re connected then it’s handy. Using the phone’s GPS locator, this app knows what attractions you’re close to and pulls up the Wikipedia entry for that place. Even better? It then reads the entry to you.

IAmHere
$0.99
For anyone who set up a round the world blog for the sole purpose of letting your mother know where you are and that you got there safely, there’s IAmHere. Push one button and it’ll send an email to someone with your exact location (accurate to within 150 meters) on a Google map.

Super Twiddler
$4.99
Spin the wheels on this app to tell it much time you have to spend and what mood you’re in, and it’ll come up with activities near you that fit your parameters. Unfortunately it’s only available for 27 US cities, although they’re apparently working on more.

Whizzer
$0.99
Restroom locator with almost a million restrooms around the world in its database; it includes information on bathroom amenities, too, like whether they’re free to the public, open 24 hours, have baby changing stations, or have a place to buy feminine products.

Traverter
$2.99
Traveling shoppers may want to download this app in addition to the Frommer’s app, even though the latter has a good all-purpose converter in it. What Frommer’s doesn’t have is a clothing size converter – but Traverter does (along with a few other conversions). This app also includes a directory of international area codes.

Skype
FREE
Skype is the international traveler’s best friend, and you can take it with you on your iPhone. Call anyone on Skype via a WiFi connection on your phone without incurring huge roaming fees. You can also call non-Skype numbers (land lines and cell phones) for pennies per minute if you’ve got money in your Skype account.

TripIt
FREE
Forward all your trip emails to TripIt, and it tracks everything – flights, hotels, car rentals, everything. It’s one way to keep from going insane when your travel plans alone start to take on novel-length proportions.

Weather Channel
FREE
If you’re on a long trip and you only brought what you can carry, you might not care as much what the weather will be like where you’re headed – you packed what you packed, and your clothing has to suffice in whatever weather you encounter. But having this app will at least let you know how many layers you’ll need to pull out of your pack that day, or whether you might be springing for an umbrella in your next destination.