Helpful travel apps

Plan on taking a trip? There's an app for that. There are several, actually. Your iPhone can make traveling much easier from packing your suitcase to traveling to figuring out what you want to do when you arrive. Here are three extremely useful apps to have when traveling.

Stow: If you're the type who always forgets something when you pack (or if you just want to be hyper-organized), this app is extremely useful. It allows you to create and customize lists from their templates for specific types of trips. Templates include convenient lists for camping trips, beach trips, business trips and more. The lists can be adjusted to the number of people you're packing for. You can also pack according to the weather. Lists can be shared by email, printing, or sharing a file with another person who has Stow. This app is $1.99 for iOS.

Waze: Waze has been around for a while, but it is an invaluable tool for traveling. It is a navigation app, but it's more than that. It features voice-guided navigation and real time traffic data to help you avoid high gas prices and traffic jams. The app is also social and allows you report accidents, hazardous conditions and other traffic calamities you want to avoid. The only gripe I have with this app (though it's not really a gripe because it's common to this type of app) is that it drains your battery life in a snap. During long trips, I've found that even while the phone is connected to the charger, it can still drain the battery. It's a free app though, and can't be beat for the features it has. It is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Now: This is a social map that helps you find events in your local area. I live in a rural area and get zilch when I'm at home, but while traveling, it's very useful to find food, nightlife, friends, weather and other events. The app is free for iOS devices.

What are your favorite apps for travel? Share them in the comments.

Photo courtesy Andrew Stawarz, via Flickr.