Four Must Have Travel Apps

Wow! What an endorsement!

Am I about to do THAT POST?  Yes, I’m about to go where every travel blogger has gone before and review my four favorite Travel Apps!  Now that I have an iPhone, I’ve found some really cool travel apps that I will never go without.  But I guarantee these are no normal travel apps – these are apps that are just as much fun as they are useful!  When it comes these these apps, I’ve searched long and hard for a dynamic mix of tools that would make traveling a bit easier, and after much deliberation, here are what I deem to be the most helpful and fun travel apps out there!

TripColor Map

1.) TripColor

I was never much of a microblogger, but when I saw the vast capabilities of TripColor, I got instantly hooked.  It makes documenting and sharing your adventures fast.  When using the TripColor App, all you need to do is start a new trip and start snapping pictures.  While you’re taking pictures with your phone, the app pin-points the location of each picture, mapping out your entire journey on an easy to read Google Map.  You can also take notes and describe each picture you take.  This is perfect for making itineraries for fellow travelers or just keeping detailed notes so that you can accurately depict your adventures later.  Being a travel writer, this app makes documenting my journey in chronological order easy, noting where a specific destination is simple, and blogging fun!   When you’re done, your trip automatically gets uploaded to your own personal dashboard where you can access the details later and share with your friends through Twitter and Facebook.

I did find a cat on my way to getting Chinese Food on a TripColor outing

Thanks to TripColor, I no longer have to annoy my travel buddies by taking out my ratty notebook and scratching down the date, where I am, the number the picture is from my camera and any other crazy but necessary notes.  I’ve documented everything from bike tours to my short walk down the street to grab Chinese Food.  That’s how much fun it is!  They’re striving to be like the Tumblr of travel and I think they’re on the right track.

You can check out my wonky TripColor adventures here!

2.) World Explorer 360 Tour Guide

You’ll never ask the question of what to do when you have the World Explorer 360 app on your phone!  World Explorer 360 determines your location and brings up information about everything around you from several reference websites.  It compiles local data about destinations that are close by and displays it in an easy to read and easy to follow format.  Local data includes pictures, descriptions and ratings of places nearby and even gives you the local weather.  It also has a slideshow, a great option for getting a general overview of the region you are in.

My favorite feature is what discoveries can be made when you hit the camera symbol.  It turns your phone’s camera into your own personal tour guide, showing you where you are in relation to points of interest that are close by!  Just simply tap the camera icon at the bottom of the screen, turn your phone sideways as if you’re taking a picture and the app gives you an interactive, real time map of local points of interest depending on where you are pointing your phone.  It’s like having the eyes of the Terminator, scanning your surroundings, only you’re not out to kill, you’re out to travel.

Needless to say, I’ve ever learned a lot about my own neighborhood of South Philly from this App.

3.) Trazzler

Trazzler

Trazzler is as much of a social networking tool for travel writers and photographers as much as it is a way to gain solid feedback on your work – you can even make some money along the way with their Weekly Worldwide Contests!  Trazzler has a list of destinations, handpicked and designated as must-see locations by seasoned travelers working behind the scenes.  All you need to do is download the Trazzler App, see what select destinations are near you and cover it! Submit your photos and/or write about the destination, and you could win up to $100!  Trazzler is not only a cool app that will give you pictures and descriptions of local hot spots and destinations, but it’s also a way for you to make money when on the road.

4.) Postagram

I’m so bad when it comes to remembering to send postcards when I travel.  But with the Postagram App, I can turn my favorite travel photos into cool, customizable postcards that I can send from anywhere to anywhere in the world.  It’s really easy.  All you need to do is choose your favorite photo, type in your message, grab a person’s address from your contacts (or type it in) and send!  They’re relatively inexpensive judging by the fact that not only are you getting your postcards out of the way, but they’re customized and you don’t have to stress about going to the Post Office.  It’s done all over the Postagram App on your phone and they’ll print and mail from their facility, leaving you to do what you do best – TRAVEL!

Bonus: Zombies, Run

Okay, not necessarily a travel app, but it is your own personal running trainer and can be taken anywhere in the world.  Zombies, Run is my new favorite interactive running game.  In this alternative world, you are Runner 5 and you are helping citizens of Abel Township survive by running out into the Zombie World and returning with various items to build your base.  The App plays your music and in between songs you receive radio transmissions that further engage you in this epic tale.  The game motivates you in several ways.  First off, it motivates you to run by simulating the anxiety of being chased by Zombies – okay – you can turn that feature off and just concentrate on the story, but I absolutely love evading the zombie mobs!  If you’re a thrill seeker like me, then you’ll be into the zombies too – just be extremely careful of your surroundings, and try not to look too much like a fool out there!  Another way it motivates you is through upgrading Abel Township.  While you’re running out there in the apocalypse, you’re picking up useful items.  When you’re finished your run, you can decide what items go where and build up the various sectors of the base.  Leveling up your base not only increase the population of your thriving community, but it also unlocks new levels of awesomeness!

I honestly can’t believe how much effort and creativity went into creating this engaging plot.  This App is seriously the best thing to happen to running since legs.

So, whether you’re in Germany, Philadelphia, Scotland, France, India, where ever in the world – there are always zombies chasing you.

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