Planning a trip can be overwhelming even for the most seasoned traveler. No matter how thoroughly you prepare, there are elements still out of your control. Luckily, there are quick and accessible solutions at our fingertips. Travel apps that range from monitoring our flight plans to guiding us through new destinations can help us when we’re in a bind and make sure we’re getting the most out our journey.

In a list titled, “The Ten Best Free Apps” at US News, TripIt is mentioned as an essential app for staying organized. With TripIt, you can access your travel plans all in one place. After you’ve purchased tickets and made reservations, send the confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com and the app will create an itinerary for you. You can check this itinerary at any time and from any device. With TripIt Pro, for $4.09 per month, you can also receive real-time flight alerts, refund notifications, and find out when a better seat is available. To learn more about TripIt, visit tripit.com.

For those traveling on the road, several travel websites have named two community-based apps. GasBuddy displays the nearest gas stations along with their current prices. You can help make the app even more accurate by reporting gas prices as you see them. For every gas price reported, you earn points towards the company’s prize give-away. To learn more about GasBuddy, visit gasbuddy.com. The second app is Waze, a traffic and navigation app. Drivers help each other by using the app to share information about traffic jams, roadblocks, or other hazards. To learn more about Waze, visit waze.com.

From the USA Today’s article, “Best apps to prevent travel mishaps,” Smart Traveler and Travel Safe are listed as apps that provide instant access to emergency aid. Smart Traveler comes directly from the US Department of State’s official information on different countries, travel alerts and warnings, maps, and US embassy locations. To learn more about Smart Traveler, visit state.gov. Travel Safe gives you even more immediate access to the help you might need in an emergency. Using your current location, the app then provides a list of local emergency numbers for police, hospitals, and other authorities. Travel Safe also gives you the option of creating a list of personal emergency contacts in case you need to reach friends, family, or specialized doctors.

There are travel apps that can add some fun to our trips, too. Postagram is an app that allows you to use your own photos to create a personalized post card. You can send the postcards to any location in the US, Canada, or Europe. To learn more about Postagram, visit sincerely.com/postagram. Foodspotting is an app that helps you discover good food nearby. Users upload their own pictures of dishes they’ve enjoyed. They can also leave ratings and reviews for the restaurant. To learn more about Foodspotting, visit foodspotting.com. Finally, for those willing to spend money, Roadside America offers unique information about attractions you may not be able to find on your own. This app contains information on over 11,000 roadside attractions and its companion website offers even more interesting landmarks. To learn more about Roadside America, visit roadsideamerica.com.

Author:  Olivia Varnson lives in the Gainesville, GA area and enjoys sports and travel.