Best iPhone Apps for Travel

The iPhone is the perfect device for the technically astute traveler. Have access to all of the most important travel services at the tip of your fingers and ensure that your trips proceed smoothly. Whether you are looking for a cheap plane ticket, a place to stay, or a private shuttle cab to drive you around there is an iPhone app that will accomplish the task quickly and at an affordable rate.

As the world grows more interconnected and globalized, app developers have risen to the challenge of making planning and paying for travel more convenient, affordable and easy to manage. There is a whole slew of travel apps in the App Store begging for attention and a download but which apps are worthwhile and, even more importantly, free? Let’s take a look at five amazing free travel apps for the iPhone 5.

The following are some of the best iPhone apps that any traveler should have in order to be able to enjoy their trips in the US and abroad.

Save money on lodging and enjoy a local experience on your business and recreational travels by using Airbnb a leading sharing economy business that allows users to open up their house to guests for a fee.

Tired of staying in sterile hotels staffed by business-minded service people with forced smiles? Would you prefer a more authentic experience instead? Enter Airbnb, a community marketplace for local accommodations around the world. Whether you’re looking to stay in a spacious Manhattan loft for one night or wile away a relaxing week in a three-bedroom condo in Bali, Airbnb has you covered. Owners upload photos, descriptions and rates from all over the planet and you can conveniently book your stay right from your iPhone 5. Need a bit more clarification on a property? Directly message the property owner and find out what you need. Airbnb boasts spaces in nearly 200 countries, so whether you’re looking for a unique vacation stay or need a last-minute space with style, Airbnb has you covered.

Avoid using public taxi systems or wait in long lines at the airport or other large venues. Pay a premium and ride in style with a Uber driver.

Now that you’ve landed at your destination, the next big hurdle of traveling confronts you: how to get from the airport to where you need to go? You could try to navigate a confusing public transportation system, or risk being swindled into paying twice as much as a local for a taxi ride. Why not skip the headaches and ride in style? Uber is a car service that will dispatch a private driver to your exact location in a timely manner without needing to worry about hailing a cab or mastering the twists and turns of a new city’s subway system. If you find yourself in a teeming city center and can’t get a ride, just order one from your iPhone and await a personalized driving experience. Best of all, you do not worry about any loose bills to tip the driver with -- tipping is simple and streamlined, taken right from your credit card through the app making the entire process very painless and a pleasure to use.

This app has an awesome rating by a large number of users in the app store. With other over 25,000 hostels in the system to choose from in over 700 cities it is possible to find information and book the best low cost lodging options available quickly.

If you’re a young traveler, backpacker or student, WeHostels offers an excellent alternative to the more lavish spaces offered by Airbnb. Listing hostels in over 700 cities worldwide, WeHostels provides a convenient way to discover affordable and comfortable places to lay your head and meet new friends. Browse pictures and listings, then book a room right from your iPhone with a small deposit. For the thrifty young globetrotter, WeHostels also offers a program that credits $10 for every new user referred. For those traveling to huge metropolises in Asia or Europe, WeHostels is a great resources for hostel-hopping. Check out the best hostels in major districts, book them in advance, and stay a night or two in different parts of a city, meeting new people along the way. Alternatively, find hostels all around a country or region and set your itinerary accordingly.

This app has the capability to search for flights on over 1000 airlines and compare and find the cheapest place and times to fly to different locations. This app is designed for the international audience with full support in 30 languages.

There are dozens of apps claiming to offer comprehensive listings of the most affordable flights, but Skyscanner has them all beat. With millions of flights stored in its massive database, Skyscanner offers the cheapest flights on the cheapest dates, easily compared within its slick user interface. Book a trip right from your iPhone and email the receipt to yourself. Or, if you’re short on time, save searches via email and come back to them later. Unlike some flight search engines which simply aggregate the results of other search engines, Skyscanner is wholly independent and absolutely free. Find the best deals and get ready to fly the friendly skies.

The mighty TripAdvisor already boasts a strong web-presence and sterling reputation, and this app is more of the same. Find great hotels, attractions, shopping and restaurants, all from your iPhone and all without worrying about accessing the internet. No service? No problem. Never feel at a loss in a new city again. The TripAdvisor Offline City Guides give you the best of a city without needing access to the internet. Wondering if an expensive restaurant is worth the wait? TripAdvisor also offers thousands of user reviews for all sorts of sights, sounds and tastes that will help steer you in the right direction. Once you've settled on a great night out, the app’s Point Me There function will guide you to the location using your iPhone’s GPS, and a handy travel journal lets you take and share pictures and notes with friends or family on major social networks, or just keep them for your own memories.