Top Free Travel Apps for iPhone or iPod Touch

For the frequent business traveler or occasional getaway traveler, a few well-chosen free travel apps for your iPhone or iPod can make your time away from home that much more enjoyable. Free travel apps can keep track of your itinerary, help you find restaurants, locate local WiFi hotspots, and much more. Here are ten of the best free travel apps for iPhone or iPod touch.

1. Google Maps

The free travel app "Google Maps" lets you see your location on a map, get turn-by-turn navigation, plus driving and transit directions. The street view of this free travel app even shows you what your navigation landmarks will look like. Want to know where to get the closest espresso for a pick-me-up? Google Maps will show you that, plus many other businesses and other points of interest on this must-have free travel app.

Somewhat similar to the above free travel app, the Google Mobile app lets you search for businesses and shows your location. It also searches your phone contacts, emails, images, current news, and keeps a log of your recent searches.

2. TripIt

Of all the free travel apps available on iPhone or iPod, this easy-to-use app most consistently gets high marks from users. Sign up for a free account on TripIt.com and synchronize your account with this valuable free travel app available for iPhone or iPod. Forward all of your emails dealing with flights, hotels, and rental cars to your web account, and TripIt will organize all the information into a single itinerary on this free travel app. TripIt also lets you share your trip information with others so that your mother-in-law knows exactly where to find you at all times.

3. TripCase

Powered by Sabre, a computer reservation system used by travel agents, airlines, and hotels, this free travel app for the iPhone or iPod is often used in conjunction with TripIt. The winner of Business Week's 2009 "Best Travel App" award, TripCase continually updates flight times and gate status for your flights, plus gives you alternative flight suggestions should you run late (in case that party last night ran into the wee hours of the morning). Like TripIt, you can automatically import your itinerary from Travelocity or thousands of other online booking agents on this free travel app.

4. Currency

Traveling internationally? This free travel app is worth its weight in gold. While you're standing in line at a money exchange booth, check out this free travel app for an iPhone or iPod to fine out what the current exchange rate is in dollars, yen, pounds, Chinese yuan, euros, Australian dollars, or Canadian dollars.

5. UrbanSpoon

Can't decide between playing the slots or going to get something to eat? Satisfy both urges with this fun free travel app. Simply shake your iPhone and UrbanSpoon will roll those slot wheels and pick a good nearby eating establishment for you on this fun free travel app. User reviews drive this free travel app. Quarters not included.

6. EverNote

Need to take notes for that next travel article, for photos you take, meetings, or to-do lists? EverNote's free travel app for iPhone and iPod touch lets you do all of this and more. Take a picture of your plane ticket, favorite wine label, or snap a picture of that business meeting whiteboard and save it in EverNote. Everything is automatically organized in this free travel app, but you can also add keyword tags or organize your notes into notebooks (where else?).

7. Have2P

If you're like me, you've found yourself in a strange city having to go - and not knowing where to go! Nothing will slow your trip down faster than endlessly looking for restrooms. This accident-preventing free travel app for an iPhone or iPod takesthe running around out of restroom searches by finding you the nearest restroom. This free travel app is complete with user reviews, comments, and pictures. Pictures of a restroom? Without patrons, I hope.

8. WiFi Finder

Right up there with finding a nearby bathroom is the desperate hunt for free (or inexpensive) WiFi. This useful free travel app has close to 300,000 WiFi hotspots in more than 140 countries. You must have the GPS function for this free travel app to work.

If you are traveling abroad, by all means do not forget to turn off your cellular phone data and find a WiFi hotspot with this free travel app in order to access the Internet to check your email, play games, or cruise the web. If not, plan on mortgaging your house to pay your cell phone bill.

9. World Nomads

MSNBC rated this free travel app the #1 free language app for iPhones, iPods, or MP3 Players. Search for phrases in the local language. This free travel app supports 25 languages including French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, Russian, Arabic, Swahili, and Nepali. Yes - and this invaluable free travel app even translates Aussie slang for you. So when an Aussie tells you "Onya, mate", you will know whether to put up your dukes or buy him a cold one. After all, no one wants to look like a drongo.

10. Weather

It's a tie between WeatherBug and the Weather Channel's free travel app for keeping up on the local weather. Both of these informative free travel apps will give you local weather conditions, forecasts, radar, alerts, and live views. See a blizzard coming? Use TripCase, another free travel app, to find an earlier flight out.

With these free travel apps for your iPhone or iPod touch, your travel experience should be less stressful, more efficient, and definitely more fun! At the very least, these free travel apps will help get you there in any weather, show you where the closest restaurant is, let you order in the local language off the menu, take notes on the meal, pay in local currency you got at the best rate - and last but certainly not least, point you to the nearest restroom after your meal.

What more could you ask for from free travel apps?

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