A survey on traveler problems was carried out, and a couple of things were discovered.

Twice, on the 405 freeway leading to Los Angeles International Airport, a naked man ran through traffic, causing delays. While this might seem funny or plain crazy, it is actually a clear example of potential travel problems, which you might not be an exception to.

So, what are other common travel problems?

Traffic delays are one of the major reasons people miss their flights. If they had a way of knowing the traffic situation as soon as they woke up, they would leave earlier or use alternative routes. On the other hand, a traveler could be on time, but report at the wrong airport, at the wrong terminus. This is a case that could be avoided if they had a good itinerary and direction app. Travelers can also get caught up in bad weather, consequently ruining their plans.

Some travelers plan a budget vacation, based on current rates, but do not monitor inflation, in the course of the planning process. As a result, they end up canceling their vacation all together, or reducing the number of days and places to visit.

Some, if not all of these problems, can be prevented through apps. Let’s see 15 travel apps that could prove to be useful.

15. Hipmunk

Designed for both android and iOS devices, Hipmunk is a powerful app that offers a very fast, all-in-one travel planning and booking solution. The app mainly focuses on flight and hotel bookings, boasting of a powerful and extensive hotel and flight search engine.

As opposed to usual search criteria based on price and location, Hipmunk takes things a little further. From your smartphone, you will know flight duration, number of stops and stop locations, choosing the flight that perfectly suits your needs.

Additionally, app users can seize opportunities of last minute hotel deals, and use heatmaps to select hotels with the closest proximity to their favorite areas.

14. Skyscanner

Travelling on a budget and looking to save as much as possible? Skyscanner is the app for you. From hotels, rented cars and fights, the app has got you covered. Through its travel partners, the app searches for the most affordable and best options, to give you a memorable travel experience.

Key features include the month view calendar, which gives you information on the cheapest dates to fly. Even better, the feature sends you alerts when flight costs change. Another interesting feature is the app’s ability to help you decide on a destination, when you have none in mind. From your nearest airport, it will scan for top deals and affordable destinations.

13. Citymapper

Basically, this is a city navigator app, just like Google Maps, but works better. Citymapper offers more detailed journey information, has integrated well with Uber and cycle routes, and features real-time departures, as well as disruption alerts. The app goes a step further to tell you how long your journey will take by jetpack, helping you plan accordingly. Additionally, you can save places you have been to, for easier and faster access, at a later date. All this can be enjoyed for free, by both android and iOS device users.

On the downside though, the app is currently available in only 30 cities worldwide, so don’t uninstall GoogleMaps.

12. XE Currency

The downside to traveling to other countries is the forex exchange headache. Sometimes tourists get duped by expensive forex bureaus. Well, this is exactly what XE currency aims to deal with. Initially running on the web, the site established itself as the go-to site for currency conversions. No wonder the app has over 20 million downloads since its launch.

The app doubles as a jewel to both businessmen and travelers, making it easier to work and play at the same time. The business features deal with issues such as rates for special metals, while traveler end is a convertor for EVERY world currency. The deal gets better after developers designed the app to work offline, so you need not worry when you in low network zones.

11. TripIt

When you travel as a group, you will realize that there is always that one person who didn’t get the itinerary right, because they skipped some emails. Well, to rid you of this frustration, TripIt acts as your group’s travel agent. All you need to do is forward your emails to the app, and it will generate an itinerary, which you can then forward to the group members.

The free app, which runs on both iOS and android devices, is not only limited to groups. Use it for personal use and update the itinerary as soon as you get an email with any changes, in order to remain on the right track.

10. Google Translate

How do you order food in French, for example? Would you monitor flights at an airport in Spain? Well, you will need to understand the language, or work with a translator. Thanks to Google Translate, you will not have to pay for translation services in order to move around. Download the app, hold your camera up to a text or sign, and Google will instantly translate it for you.

You can support this app by downloading Duolingo, a well-designed language learning app. Just a few days of using these apps to learn a new language will turn you into a level 1 speaker of the language.

9. LiveTrekker

Technological advancements such as Facebook and Instagram live have made it possible to share our travel experiences on the go. But, what if you could actually record videos, audios, and add text and images, as you enjoy your travel?

LiveTrekker shows you how this idea can work. Download the free app, track yourself as you go, and add images, text, videos and audios along the way, to create a shareable multimedia diary.

Hiking enthusiasts will love the fact that the app also tracks you as you go, maps the route, while monitoring your speed and altitude, making it easier to compete with other adventure lovers.

8. Timeout

Sure enough, there is a lot of information on things to do in almost any city in the world. Unfortunately, it is cumbersome to sift through articles when you are in a city, just to have an idea of a fun thing to do.

Timeout has made your work easier, by creating a huge directory of things to do in different cities around the world. From Accra, to Singapore and Peru, the app covers everything, including events, bars, attractions and restaurants. You will also see ratings, and know the best places and events, based on popularity. Additionally, you can make in-app bookings, reducing the hassle of ticketing.

7. AirBnB

AirBnB has given today’s traveler, an alternative to hotels. Mostly, you will find listed apartments and homes, which could accommodate your whole family, with typical home amenities. As a result, you can have a home, away from home.

As you will notice, compared to having the same amenities in a hotel, these apartments offer a great experience at an affordable rate. The app has over 600,000 listings from over 34,000 cities in the world. Advertisers upload as many photos of the property and users can choose one that suits their preferences. AirBnB gets better by giving $20 off your first booking. Amazing, right?

6. Dark Sky

There is nothing as annoying as setting out for a day basking at the beach, only to experience a heavy downpour. Dark Sky is an app designed to give you a headsup of what to expect, in order to plan your day’s activities better. One standout feature is the custom weather notification, which will instantly notify you whether you will need an umbrella or sunscreen.

On the downside, this rainfall predictor works only in Ireland, the United States and United Kingdom. This means that you have to find alternatives if you are touring areas outside these regions. Although compatible with both android and iOS devices, the app comes at a cost of £2.99 per year.

5. Uber

Three reasons you need an Uber – walking all day is tiring, working your way around an unfamiliar city is overwhelming and sometimes dangerous, and cabs can be damn expensive.

Uber, a taxi service, stands out for so many reasons. First, it is safe, in that you can share your ETA with a trusted friend, who will monitor your movements and can get to your exact location, in case something goes wrong. You can prescreen your Uber driver before he arrives, and cancel a ride with a low-rated driver. Lastly, it is cheap. If you don’t have all the money, you can opt to split the fare with someone headed the same direction.

4. Soulver

Travelling can be fun and the whole experience can cause us to forget our budget. Thankfully, Soulver developers make sure that you don’t run broke in a foreign country. The app keeps track of your daily expenditure, generating a report. You also don’t have to be a mathematician to use the app. Simply input plain text, and the app will do the rest.

The app also allows you to make a daily budget, notifying you when you almost reach your daily budget limit. While the app runs only in iOS devices and costs £2.99, you can use an alternative free app known as Andromoney.

3. Quik

Forget image filters. You can also post world-class videos on Instagram, without being a professional videographer. Quik is designed to quickly transform a few of your clips into a Hollywood masterpiece, within a short time. With just a few taps, the apps creates stunning, shareable videos.

One great feature is the app’s ability to serve up weekly ready-to-watch videos, based on related moments, which you can then share with the world. Amazingly, these video editing skills come for free, and the app can be installed in any iOS or android device.

2. Whatsapp

Travel unfortunately means more expensive phone call charges, which get worse when you use roaming services. Whatsapp prevents these changes, giving you the ability to still talk to your friends using the same number, as long as you are connected to the internet. In addition to that, you can change your number and still maintain old conversations and group membership as before.

Previously, Whatsapp did not have a calls feature, but has recently integrated it. Additionally, you can instantly share images, videos and audios with your loved ones. On the downside, you cannot video chat with your friends, a feature we hope Whatsapp will roll out soon.

1. Packpoint

Women tend to be more meticulous in their packing, compared to men. While a man could pack a few hours before a flight, women start packing weeks before the vacation. Funnily enough, they still forget to pack something. Luckily, Packpoint sorts out this problem.

Packpoint is a packing wizard that provides a checklist of travel essentials, depending on the nature of the trip. To use the app, you need to create a trip profile, including the trip destination, length of stay and purpose of travel. The app then creates a customized luggage checklist, taking into account your purpose of travel. The app also integrates with TripIt, for automatic packing list creation.

Sources: theguardian.com, digitaltrends.com, abcnews.go.com, tomsguide.com