10 Essential Apps for Summer Travel

Summer’s here! Make the most of the season with these apps designed to help you on summer vacations both abroad and at home. Whether you have an iPhone or a Droid, we’ve got the summer travel app for you.

Pocket: The downfall of all e-readers and mobile phones: having to pay for in-flight Wi-Fi or not having it at all. Never be without something to read with the Pocket app, which lets users save content (including Web pages, articles, and videos) to read later. Once content is saved in a user’s pocket, they can access it on any device, even without Internet access. Available on Apple, Android, Kindle Fire, Firefox, and Chrome; Free

YP Local Search and Gas Prices: Taking a road trip this summer? Download the YPMobile app and search for the best gas prices near you. Plus, you can instantly access coupons to nearby businesses, so you’ll know exactly where to stop along the way for the best deals. Available on Apple, Android, Windows Phone 7, Blackberry, and Palm; Free

iPatrol Travel Advice: Summer means peak travel time, crowds, and more opportunities for scams and pickpockets. Put in your current destination and iPatrol will warn you about nearby reported scams and pickpocket schemes. Available on Apple, $1.99

GoSelect: Skip the long summer lines at major tourist attractions and save money. Pick a city, then choose which attractions you want to visit and build your own pass. The more attractions you add, the more you’ll save—and you won’t have to wait at the ticket lines on-site. The site only has a mobile browser for now but will soon be available as an app. Soon to be available on Apple and Android; Free

iSunBurn: Who hasn’t been burned (literally) by a deceptively cloudy day? Download this app and get the UV Index forecast for the day, which will tell you what SPF level of sunscreen you’ll need to apply and how long it will take unprotected skin to burn. Think of all the money you’ll save on aloe! Available on Apple; $0.99

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Swim Guide: Need a beach and need it now? Download the Swim Guide app and you’ll be able to get directions to the closest beach, plus get real-time information on water quality so you don’t drive all the way out to a beach only to find out it’s having water-quality problems. The app will find a wide variety of beaches, from city parks to lakes to traditional beaches, and offers photos of more than 1,500 different beaches. Use the app to invite friends via social media, texts, or email to join you on your chosen beach! Available on Apple and Android; Free

Triposo: Don’t even know where to begin looking in your bulky guidebook? Open up the Triposo App instead and it will actively suggest what you should do. The app will automatically take in to account the time of day, the weather, your location, and the opening hours of nearby places, and then suggest a plan for you. For example, open the app at 9:00 a.m. on a rainy day and Triposo may suggest a nearby coffee place as well as open museums. Available on Apple, Android; Free

Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder: It’s like having your very own personal park ranger with you at all times. The Oh, Ranger! ParkFinder app has information on every federal and state park in America, including popular parks and lesser-known wildlife refuges and other public lands. Find out what activities are offered at each location, or use the search tool to find the perfect place to camp or the best scenic route to drive. Available on Apple, Android; Free

EveryTrail Pro: Get outside this summer with the EveryTrail Pro app. Use your GPS to track your route, take photos and plot them on your personal travel map, or download terrain maps for offline viewing in the wild. Search for nearby trips and follow one of the 400,000-plus trips uploaded by fellow travelers. Editor’s Note: SmarterTravel is owned by TripAdvisor, Inc. TripAdvisor, Inc. also owns EveryTrail. Available on Apple, Android; $3.99, lite version on Apple is free

Skobbler GPS Navigation 2: End road-trip squabbles over poor map reading without shelling out for an expensive GPS in your rental car. Get the Skobbler app, which will give you turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation without requiring a subscription like traditional GPS systems. You can also use the navigation online or offline. It’s available in a number of countries as well for those international road trips. Available on Apple, Android; $0.99

Which apps do you find most essential for your summer travels? Discuss your picks in the comments area below!