Apps to help you travel better

By IANSlife Features

New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANSLife) Download these five travel apps before you plan that long holiday.

1. Airbnb

   With more then 50 million users, Airbnb is a known tool among travellers looking to take accomodations on rent. It started by connecting travellers with people who have rooms, apartments, homes and other accommodations to rent.

   Airbnb hosts list many different kinds of properties - single rooms, a suite of rooms, apartments, moored yachts, houseboats, entire houses, even a castle. It currently covers more than 81,000 cities and 191 countries worldwide. In recent years, Airbnb has expanded its offerings to include experiences and restaurants.

2. Hopper

   Hopper analyses billions of airfare and hotel prices a day - as well as its vast archive of historical data - to tell you whether to wait or book your trip.

   Hopper has helped 30 million travellers book trips around the world, saving them more than $1.8 billion to date.

   The user interface is simple, and Hopper says you can book a flight in 60 seconds or less. The hotels, which can be booked directly within the Hopper app itself, span 1,600 major cities.

   In addition, the app offers a "Watch a Hotel" feature that will forecast and track the prices of specific hotels.

3. Google Maps

   The old but faithful Google Maps is the prime navigation app which offers a bit of everything. Google Map is the best App for a person travelling to a new place.

   It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, real-time traffic conditions and route planning for travelling by foot, car, bicycle and air, or public transportation.

   It is one of the most widely available navigation apps with some of the best coverage in the world. Google Maps has offline options and is available on Android and iOS devices for free.

4. XE

   One of the most popular currency conversion apps right now. XE Currency Converter is available on both Apple and Android devices and allows users to keep track of live rates of every currency and works offline.

   The app monitors and refreshes every minute and monitors 10 currencies altogether. Since 2009, XE Currency been connecting the world through currency exchange by providing reliable exchange rates and charts for free.

5. Uber

   Global leader for taxi booking app, Uber is a known taxi operating platform in the Indian subcontinent as well as top taxi apps in India and abroad. The app includes easy map navigation, live route tracking, view ride history and more. The app provides cab services, which are available 24X7.

   (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)