Travel

5 Travel Apps You'll Need For Your Next Trip

June 21, 2016 / 5:00 AM PDT / KCAL News

With technology today, traveling has never been any easier. Before we leave, we have the opportunity to research our destination online, in addition to the many websites for planning and receiving discounts at our fingertips. Since the introduction of smartphones, many travelers are now able to bring their research with them. There are many apps that will help you when traveling and offer you guidance while in a location you are not familiar with. Here are some must-have travel apps you need to download for your next vacation.

Snapseed

Add a high-resolution camera to your phone that will take amazing landscape shots that look like you used the best of the best camera equipment. Snapseed is a free app that turns your camera into a high-quality camera with many gizmos and features. Some features this app offers include HDR and red-eye reduction, as wells as a “save as” feature to help you create a new modified image while saving the original photo for later use. This app will give you the ability to take those breathtaking landscape photographs that you see other people show off from their vacations. If you are looking for a boost in color and detail, Snapseed is the app you need to download before you next vacation.

Groovebook

Groovebook is a great way to gather up all of your vacation photos and have them printed and delivered to you at home. This app will collect up the photos you take on your phone and put them into a monthly photo book for only $2.99 a month. The app is free to download and all you need to do is select your favorite photos to have your Groovebook created and delivered to you. The app allows you to select up to 100 photos from your phone. This is included in the monthly subscription fee. All of the photos you upload will be turned into a 4.5 x 6.5-inch book. Photos can be kept in the book or removed to give away or put in frames and scrapbooks.

DuoLingo

If your travel will be taking you to a country where you are not fluent in the native language, you can download DuoLingo for free. This app will help you learn a variety of different languages before leaving on your trip. Some of the more popular languages learned through this app include Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, German and Dutch. DuoLingo is divided into different sections, all designed to help you get a grasp on the new language. You will learn different skill sets and prepare yourself to take an occasional test. The app is done mostly through reading, but there are some sections where you will do some writing and listening. The app will monitor your progress and help prepare you for a trip to another country.

Foodspotting

It doesn't matter what you have a craving for or what country you are in, Foodspotting is the app you need when traveling. This app will help you search through a list of restaurants in the area you are visiting and give you expert reviews on the different dishes served at these restaurants. This app focuses more on the dishes served at restaurants, rather than the actual restaurant. That way, if you are craving> something specific while traveling, you will be able to find a nearby restaurant that offers that dish and can see reviews to determine> which restaurant will serve> up the best dish possible. This app is free and definitely a must-have for any traveling foodie.

World Around Me

World Around Me is one of the most useful apps when traveling to unfamiliar areas. To use this app, all you need to do is hold up your phone at eye level and point the camera at your surroundings. Then, select what it is you are looking for — restaurants, bars, galleries, pharmacy, gym, ATM, etc. You name it, World Around Me will point you in the right direction to find it. Once you locate what you are looking for you can tap to see reviews, hours of operation, directions, contact details and everything else you need to know about that location. The app will even tell if you the location offers outdoor seating, accepts credit cards or has free WiFi. This app is most accurate when used outside, but can be used just about anywhere you are at. So if you want to learn more about the area you are visiting, try World Around Me on your next vacation.

Heather Landon (Heather Leigh Carroll) is a freelance writer with more than 20 years of experience. She has combined two of her passions - writing and travel - to share her experiences with others. You can read more of her articles at Examiner.com.