Best New Travel App (2015)

Travel luggage-free with this unique travel app. No baggage fees, no time spent at the baggage corral and no lost luggage. Travelers just download this app and then virtually “pack” their bags, by selecting clothes from within the app, either self-provided or purchased in app. The company cleans the clothes, packs the bags and sends them to the destination, and then picks them up when the trip is done. DUFL is ideal for business travelers and frequent travelers who want to simplify and speed up the airport process.
Photo courtesy of DUFL

This app removes language barriers when you travel. Microsoft Translator goes beyond the standard travel dictionary and translates into more than 50 different languages. It can translate speech, text, websites (add-on required), SMS and text messages (with copy-paste), you name it. Hear the words in the native tongue and pin important words and phrases for easy reference. It’s available for Apple and Android watches, and is accessible even without WiFi access through your phone's data plan.
Photo courtesy of Microsoft

Wiffinity is a free app that connects travelers with thousands of WiFi networks throughout Europe, so users can have easy and free Internet access. The app shows users where the closest hotspots are and then accesses those hotspots, even handling the passwords for you. So travelers don’t need to share personal information, mess around with buying WiFi overseas or get dinged with a huge roaming bill when they get back home.
Photo courtesy of Wiffinity

This app is for travelers who are looking for something beyond what traditional travel books can provide. It’s the inside scoop, the quirky and alternative and iconic destinations in a select handful of popular destinations around the world. Expect to find small music venues, the restaurants where the locals eat and boutiques that travelers might never otherwise find. Indie Guides does not claim to be a tour guide, but rather a glimpse inside the minds of local artists, musicians and residents. Several of the guides are free, but not all.
Photo courtesy of Indie Guides

Travelers can transform their phones into a GPS tour guide with the Just Ahead app, ideal for road trips. Using GPS, the app narrates notable scenery along the way and shares info as travelers drive through certain parts of the country. They can hear stories, tips and facts about the sights they drive past. No wifi or cellular service needed. And it’s easy to use. The app streams automatically when it’s turned on. Just Ahead boasts more points of interest than any other audio guides out there.
Photo courtesy of Just Ahead

This is where the “hidden gems” live. Great Little Place is designed as a clearinghouse for those off-the-beaten-path, quirky charms that hide in every city. The app currently features 15,000 places in more than 100 cities in six different countries. It will bring travelers to special places to eat, unexpected treasures and places travelers won’t find in the regular guide books. Travelers can add their own special finds to the map, too, to share with others.
Photo courtesy of Great Little Place

Timing is everything, especially for photos. Rizon is a photographer’s best friend. This app will alert users when it’s the precise “golden hour.” You know, the ideal time for the best natural lighting to take photos outdoors. Travelers can look up future golden hour time and plan their outdoor excursions to be in the location of choice right when the moment strikes. The app even works offline, so it can help travelers who are off the grid. After all, that’s where some of the best photos live.
Photo courtesy of Rizon

This is a travel app that is useful for daily living, too. HERE is a voice-guided navigation and map app that works even offline, so travelers can use it in locations where they don’t have wifi or good service, such as mountain towns with spotty cell coverage. HERE offers maps for more than 100 different countries, and even provides real-time traffic information with a route planner to help travelers see the quickest way to travel, by foot, public transportation or car. HERE features public transportation maps and info for hundreds of cities, too. The app warns travelers when speed limits change and is designed to help travelers always know where they’re going and how to get there the quickest.
Photo courtesy of HERE

Feeling lucky – and adventurous? For travelers who want to go on a vacation but don’t want the hassle of planning the details, Lucky Trip will do all the work. Users simply state their budget and the app will pick the best destinations (of more than 300 different cities) and hotel in that price range and also provide unique activities to do in that region. It’s the easiest way to plan a trip and a bit of a gamble. Users can even save and share their trip with friends and book as a group. It’s an app for all budgets.
Photo courtesy of LuckyTrip

Shopping in a foreign country can be tricky, especially if you’re trying to determine the exact converted monetary rate. Currenci, a free and easy-to-use app, makes it effortless to convert different currency amounts around the world. See multiple currencies all at once on the same screen, and rates are automatically updates with the most recent exchange rates, so travelers always have the most accurate information. Currenci works offline, too. Travelers now can know with certainty how much something really costs in other countries. Travelers can even use this app on their Apple Watch.
Photo courtesy of Currenci